Sarah Harding cries as she thanks fans for crowning her the winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2017
SARAH HARDING cried tears of joy as she was crowned the winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2017 - with 35 per cent of the vote.
Walking down the stairs to meet Emma Willis, the singer couldn't stop bawling her eyes out and held her hands to her face to try and stop her tears.
Sarah's fans went wild after the result was announced, with her Girls Aloud bandmate Nadine Coyle live tweeting the whole show.
Amelia Lily came second, with 29 per cent of the vote, while Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson finished third, TV psychic Derek Acorah was in fourth and Jemma Lucy and Chad Johnson were in fifth and sixth place.
Speaking to Emma after she left the house, Sarah admitted: “It's been a tough ride.”
She struggled to stop crying and bawled as Emma told her she'd romped to victory, with none of her fellow finalists coming close in the final vote.
Emma handed her a packet of tissues as a teary Sarah thanked her fans at home for voting for her.
Once she'd composed herself, the 35-year-old opened up about what winning meant to her.
Sarah explained: “I wanted to show everyone at home that I'm just a normal girl.
“I've gone through the whole spectrum of emotions.”
Sarah also opened up about her secret boyfriend Aaron Lacey and said: “I was in a short term relationship when I went into the house.
“I didn't think about any of the boys [inside the house] like that when I went in there.”
When asked about her blossoming relationship with Chad, Sarah admitted: “He became my best friend.
“After everything we went through, I thought it didn't compare to what I had on the outside.
“I couldn't compare it, it was like we'd known each other for months and months, not a few weeks.
“Our feelings grew and I couldn't do anything about it and it was killing me.”
When the show ended, Sarah was reunited with Chad, who tenderly stroked her face as they waved at the crowds who'd watched the show live from the studios in North London.
X Factor star Amelia, who was runner up to Sarah, admitted they all thought the Girls Aloud star would win the show.
Amelia said: “We all had a chat from day one and we said Sarah would win.
“It's amazing even being in second place...I didn't think I'd make it past week one.”
Sarah's foe Jemma didn't agree however, and admitted she didn't think Sarah deserved to win.
The singer also opened up about her furious row with Sarah and said she didn't regret confronting her.
Amelia explained: “No one should be spoken to like that. I think a lot of the time she was really excited but then she would say she would feel ill.
“Or cider Sarah came out. She was entertaining, so fair play to the woman.”
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Amelia's housemate and fling, Made In Chelsea star Sam, came third in the competition.
He explained: “It's classic Sam. I've just come out of a very long relationship. When you're in a place with someone for three weeks, you do get attracted to people.
“One of my biggest regrets is telling her I fancied her.
“In there it's amplified. I don't think asking her on a date is jumping in though.”
Speaking about his ex Tiffany Watson, he said: “You can't switch [your feelings] off.
“But I still don't know if I'm ready for a relationship again.”
Derek was the fourth celebrity to be evicted, and during his interview with Emma, he joked about his psychic powers waning inside the house.
He told Emma: “Before I came into the show I said I’ll be a week, I’ll be the first to go, I just felt it.
“And there’s me a medium, so it just shows you.”
Jemma and Chad were the first to be evicted and as they walked out of the house, fans of the show were stunned by the tattooed model's jaw-dropping dress.
Once they were sat down, Emma quizzed them both on their relationship with Sarah, with Chad insisting their romance wasn't for the show.
Chad said: “The thing with Sarah, I think the first time she was upset was when we first talked.
“I loved hanging out with her and it happened over time.
“I hope things keep going, we're going on a holiday after this.”
He also said of his relationship with Amelia: “I fall easily, I did want to go on a genuine date [with her]. But I felt I was being played with.
Jemma also opened up about her confrontation with the singer, who she'd had multiple run-ins with during the course of this series.
She explained: “Sarah reminds me of me, she wants attention from others to make her feel more negative.
“I didn't think I'd make it this far. I would have loved to have won the show but I'm not bothered I'm out.
“Getting to the final is winning. I'm not missing out on anything because everyone is going tonight.
“I didn't know what to expect but I wanted to play the game fairly when I was in there.”
All of their former housemates turned out to watch the show, with Jordan Davies and Brandi Glanville sticking close to each other.
At the start of the show, Emma admitted it was one of the closest votes they'd ever seen, with only five per cent difference between the first and second celebrity.
Last summer's Celebrity Big Brother saw Stephen Bear crowned the winner after four weeks of huge drama in the house.
Contesting the final with Stephen were Marine Simpson, Ricky Norwood, Renee Graziano, Frankie Grande and Aubrey O’Day.
The most recent edition of CBB took place in January 2017 when Coleen Nolan defeated Jedward to triumph in the 19th edition of the show.
Instead Sarah will donate her £50,000 to her charity of choice.
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