Friends of Big Brother contestant Pete Stephenson have revealed he is just as lovable and cheeky in real life as he is on the show.

Fellow members of Pete's psychedelic rock 'n' roll band Daddy Fantastic and former classmates at the University of Brighton said he was a wonderful person who had never let his Tourette's syndrome hold him back.

Robin Fry, who taught Pete in a two-month improvisational comedy workshop just before he went on Big Brother, said the 24-year-old was a natural performer and a wonderful person.

Mr Fry said: "He was very good on the course and is a natural physical actor and clown.

"He is the most popular person in there and it doesn't surprise me.

"He is slightly wacky, very genuine, very sweet and very loveable."

Daddy Fantastic's drummer, Nimbus the Noodle, said that since the start of Big Brother, the band's website had been inundated with messages from other Tourette's sufferers saying Pete was inspirational to them.