NORTH-EAST Big Brother contestant Jonny Regan survived for another week in the show after viewers overwhelmingly voted to oust body builder Lee Davey last night.

The escape for the 29-year-old firefighter from Trimdon, County Durham, came as the makers of the show warned of a possible betting scam linked to the voting process.

Speaking outside the Big Brother house after last night's vote - which saw 84 per cent of voters seal Lee's exit - Jonny's girlfriend Joanne Llewellyn thanked readers of The Northern Echo for their support.

She said: "I'm absolutely delighted that he's staying. I've just managed to stop the tears."

The show's makers warned that e-mails offering anything from free holidays to free sex are circulating in a bid to trick people into ringing supposed claim lines, only to find they have called the show's eviction line for a particular contestant.

Earlier this week, Ladbrokes refused to take any more bets on Lee after thousands of bets were placed on him being kicked out before the nominations were known.

And last week, Coral stopped taking bets after a rush of wagers saw the odds on Alison being evicted drop, from 8-1 to 2-1.

Programme makers last night urged viewers to be vigilant. A spokesman said: "If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is."

Growing unhappiness among the Big Brother housemates, together with the e-mail scams, yesterday prompted bookmakers to invite bets on the show finishing early.

* Anyone receiving bogus e-mails that could be linked to a Big Brother betting scam can forward them to The Northern Echo at newsdesk@nne.co.uk or phone (01325) 505333.