UNTIL a few weeks ago fireman Jonny Regan might have been in line for strike action. Instead he is preparing for pantomime and breathing flames about the show that made him famous, Big Brother III.

Having been cast as Genie of the lamp for Aladdin at Newcastle's Theatre Royal, Jonny, 29, attacked Big Brother's executive producers for manipulating coverage of housemates, brushing phone vote complaints under the carpet and putting ratings before the truth.

Jonny, who eventually finished runner-up, said: "When I was up for expulsion from the house with Adele, Jade and Kate, people who were ringing up to vote Adele out, got a message saying 'you have voted for Jonny'.

"When Big Brother was questioned about it by my family and friends they just brushed it under the carpet and said 'don't worry about it'.

"I'm not saying it's fixed, but I think it's being manipulated in certain ways."

Jonny, from Trimdon Grange, County Durham, said he clashed a few days ago with executive producer Phil Edgar-Jones at a film festival where students were allowed to ask questions about Big Brother.

He said: "I just spoke my mind about everything and he (Edgar-Jones) didn't speak to me after the conference, which is a shame because he's a nice bloke."

Jonny, who has been given unpaid time off from Peterlee fire station to meet his celebrity commitments, claims the TV coverage is different to the atmosphere and personalities in the Big Brother house and he hates the many celebrity insults heaped on the programme.

He's unhappy that he and housemate Alison were virtually ignored in the first fortnight, in favour of the "Alex, Sandy, Adele and Jade show".

"This makes you think, well did the production crew favour these housemates?" he said.

He also resents coverage of him shown which implied he was depressed or, later, "Jonny . . . always with a cigarette in his mouth or drunk".

"I've got nothing to complain about. I came second, I got right to the end and the public's response was fantastic. I shouldn't really complain, but I am."

A spokesman for Channel 4 and programme-maker Endemol said: "Big Brother is a competition and we make strenuous efforts to ensure a balanced view of all the housemates is shown. All Big Brother III housemates are to be congratulated for being such great sports and keeping us gripped to our TVs this summer.

"Clearly, by watching Jonny's coverage, the public took him to their hearts and made him the second most popular person in the series."

* Jonny will be appearing in Aladdin as the Genie from December 9 until January 19. Contact the theatre box office on 0870 905 5060 for more details.