‘I never dreamed I’d be on the cover of heat!’
Who wasn’t obsessed with this odd couple in the summer of 2006? And Big Brother winner Pete Bennett and Nikki “Who IS she?” Grahame certainly seemed smitten in their firstever interview that August. But while they were all over each other during our photo shoot, Pete seemed strangely keen to show off the cherry belt he was wearing in the snaps. Which made more sense when, just weeks later, he dumped poor Nikki and got back together with his ex – a girl called Cherry. Nikki, now 36, gives us her take...
How did it feel being on the cover of heat?
Insane! I’ve always loved heat and never dreamed that by going on Big Brother, I could be on the front cover. I thought that I might get papped coming out of a nightclub drunk in Spotted!
What was the photo shoot like for you and Pete?
We were very much in love – I was infatuated with him, but sadly it ended a week later.
Did you have any idea you were going to break up?
No, and I was totally and utterly heartbroken. I actually read it in heat – he told you guys before he told me! But me and Pete are such good friends now. If I’m in Brighton, I’ll always drop him a text and we’ll meet up for a drink. He’s doing really well at the moment – he’s got clean and looks quite handsome.
Was the cherry belt he wore in the shoot just a coincidence?
I don’t know. Pete always had a thing for cherries – he said they were magic. I don’t think it had anything to do with her. I think Pete was a little bit magic, and I believed his story.
What are you up to now?
I still do the odd pantomime. I’m studying on the side. I missed my GCSES when I was poorly [she had anorexia], so I always wanted to get them.