'Big Brother has shattered my life', says Jo

The former S Club 7 star apologised for any hurt she had caused to Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, saying: "I am genuinely sorry."

And she complained that while crowds were barred from Jade Goody's eviction and Danielle Lloyd was allowed to leave the house with Jack Tweed, she was left to run the gauntlet of hate alone.

"I felt like the rabbit in the headlights with nowhere to hide and no-one to talk to," she said. O'Meara, 27, issued a 900-word statement putting her side of the story.

She claims to have received death threats from people who believe she is a racist bully. "I am totally shattered and after the death threats am scared to go home.

"Am I the first person in the world to make a mistake or say regrettable things? I am devastated, sorry and honestly have no idea what to do next," she said.

The singer blamed Big Brother producers for "manipulating" situations inside the house. "I think that as a group we would all have coped better if some of the surprise stunts hadn't been pulled by Big Brother," she said.

"Jade and her family entering the house late and the introduction of a slave/master culture is bizarre by anyone's standards and automatically creates tension and a divide.

"There were many instances of manipulation by the programme makers and they have to take responsibility for their actions too.

"I may have made some mistakes but I have apologised for them and, in the context of the three weeks of Big Brother, I honestly believe that I was not a horrible person every day throughout the series."

She added: "I may have been shown on national TV saying and doing things that I sincerely regret and of course I am genuinely sorry.

"But does the Big Brother coverage sum up who I am and what really happened in the Big Brother house all day, every day?

"In a goldfish bowl, clever editing, boredom and manipulation can result in issues on several levels."

Of her eviction - to a chorus of boos from the crowd and cries of "Get Jo Out" - O'Meara recalled: "I asked Davina as we walked through the crowd after my eviction if everything was OK, as I felt that something was wrong, but she assured me everything was fine and I had nothing to worry about.

"Therefore my shock and confusion was magnified by what greeted me with the press cuttings, death threats, the highlight tapes and the tone of Davina's interview."

O'Meara admitted she only took part in the show for the cash - a move she now bitterly regrets.

She said: "I have been asked why I did Big Brother. It was simply because I needed the money.

"I did have a successful singing career in S Club but that was several years ago. I may lose my house and the fee offered was a lifeline which I took."

While O'Meara's career is in ruins, Celebrity Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty is being flooded with job offers.

O'Meara said: "I understand she is doing brilliantly since she won Big Brother and I sincerely and genuinely wish her every success and happiness."