BB should be scrapped, says O'Meara

The former S-Club 7 singer has become a public hate figure after leaving the house, where she was accused of alleged racist bullying of eventual winner Shilpa Shetty.

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• 'Big Brother has shattered my life', says Jo

Speaking to Sky News, O'Meara broke down in tears as she once again denied being a racist.

She said her reception on leaving the house had been so bad she had even contemplated suicide, but admitted she was "too wimpish" to go through with it and thoughts of her family stopped her.

Last week she issued a 900 word statement pleading for the public's understanding and claiming her life had been "totally shattered" by the Channel 4 show.

She told Sky News: "I feel if this is what a TV show does to people then it shouldn't be a TV show.

"I have got to pick the pieces up or I will end up going mad - more mad than I am.

"I don't think you can get much lower.

"They say you have to hit rock bottom before you can build yourself up. I just hope I'm at the bottom now."

She described the week since the show ended as "horrendous" and was seeing a behavioural psychologist.

At one point Jo broke down in tears as she talked about how the show and the publicity had affected her.

She said: "I just think the whole thing has been so unfair and so cruel and that I've not been portrayed as the person I really am.

"I can't even go out. I've been locked in a room for a week."

O'Meara described herself as a "massive" Big Brother fan but said no one has any idea what it will be like until they live it.

She said she went on the show because it looked like fun and she was so short of cash she was in danger of losing her house.

Asked about the allegations of bullying, she said: "I'm not a racist person, I never ever have been. None of it makes sense, don't know how this has all happened.

"I don't know why people keep saying I never liked Shilpa, I just didn't bond with her as much as I did with other people, but we got on fine.

"She's one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen and she's graceful and a true lady, but none of that ever seemed to get across in the right way or it was made to look like I was being horrible to her the whole time.

"I would like to see her again, and just for us to sit down and talk and sort it out once and for all."