Celebrity Big Brother Jasmine Lennard Q&A: 'Yes, I'm completely mad'

No-one could accuse Jasmine Lennard of being boring. During her short stay in the Celebrity Big Brother house, it's fair to say she angered a few of her fellow celebs, but it all came to an end last night when she became the first star to pack their bags and say goodbye.

This morning, Jasmine chatted to reporters about her controversial time in the house, so read on to find out what she thinks of Julie now (she's a "wonderful bitch", apparently), why she doesn't think she was wrong about Danica, those knife-hiding rumours, being intimidated by her other housemates and why she'd "rather be the bitch than the dumb-dumb"... (contains spoilers about the housemates nominated for Friday's eviction!)



Now you've been out of the house for a bit and had time to reflect, how do you feel about your time on the show?
"I'm absolutely stunned at how the story has been written. I think that the show is genius; I think it's hysterically funny. I'm taking it all with a pinch of salt and I just hope I've entertained everybody."

During your disagreement with Rhian, you were consoling her because she was quite upset in the bedroom and then you kind of switched on her. What happened there?
"Well, the reality was that the second I walked into that house I made a conscious effort not to be remotely intimidating towards her, in fact the opposite. I lent her my clothes, I lent her my underwear, I lent her my jewellery, and I lent her my make-up but they didn't show any of that. That particular evening, she recognised that people might see that she was playing this kid; she was in fear about how she might be perceived. She was having a very emotional night; she was on the edge of bursting into tears before that conversation had begun.

"I had gone to her bed to comfort her and she started a conversation where I very quickly realised that she was manipulating and she was going to burst into tears. She was villainising me and it agitated me. I recognised what she was doing, turning round and saying, 'I've felt really intimidated by you and this is what you said that was really unkind' and I knew she was about to burst into tears and I knew when she did that that it would draw the whole house around her. I saw exactly what she was doing and it infuriated me, so I jumped up and ran from the situation because I recognised that she wasn't genuinely feeling anything she was saying at that moment. I hadn't done what she was saying. She was playing a game; she wasn't being sincere. Those tears weren't about me, she was crying for herself, not because I had made her [upset]. As soon as I recognised that she was putting me in a bad light, I jumped up and was very angry."

Why did you call Danica a prostitute?
"Because I saw right through her. I don't know if you've seen her website but she's asking for a multi gym on it. She wants a multi gym. Please explain to me what she is doing in return for that. I say it as I see it and that's how I understand her reality to be and I'm quite sure I'm not wrong. I'm quite sure I'm not wrong!"



What do you make of Danica flirting with Prince Lorenzo now?
"I was totally, completely unaware of it as is everybody else in the house. The girls separated in different directions. As far as everyone's concerned in the house, she is having a relationship with Mike, Rhian is engaged with Ashley and I was the closest to Lorenzo. But I understand that that's not what you're seeing or what is going on. So I missed that one but I look forward to watching it back."

Cheryl, Coleen, Julian, Prince Lorenzo and The Situation are nominated for eviction this week. What's your reaction to that? Who do you want to go? Are you disappointed?
"If I could call them up right now and give them one piece of advice I would say, 'Stop taking this so seriously. No matter what you do the story is already written, enjoy yourself and play your part'. I think that every single one of them's going to be stunned when they come outside at how they've been perceived because Danica genuinely believes that she is coming across holier than thou. She'll be horrified to realise that everyone has seen exactly who and how she is. She thinks that she's Marcia Brady and frontrunner. It's a pantomime but it's a bloody brilliant one and while I'm very frustrated at Big Brother and Channel 5 I think that it's genius. I'd rather be the bitch than be the dumb-dumb or be the gold digger or be some of the other characters."

Do you think that you were initially penalised for being a parent and the other housemates completely misunderstood?
"100% I do, and that is such a tragedy, as I had never once said that I missed my child and wanted to go home. I did, but I did not mention that one time. It was explained to me that when people don't really know what to say, particularly at the beginning of the show, that's a line they use as it excuses them from being real. I think that was a tragedy and I expected to be nominated for character reasons, so in a way it's a tragedy and in a way I'm pleased it happened that way. Ultimately my son is my life and whilst I have been made a villain on this programme, the things I've achieved are things I went there to achieve which is to let people know that my son comes first and I am a wonderful mum and to speak truth or clear up rumours about relationships I've had in my past and to entertain people and I think I've done that."

How aware were you of the other housemates hiding the knives in there and being genuinely scared of you?
"Completely and totally unaware and that wasn't the reality at all."



Do you think they were genuinely scared?
"Absolutely not, no, and I can tell you something that might stun you. I was the one that was intimidated by characters in there. I was massively intimidated by Ashley. I was massively intimidated by Harvey after he'd had a drink or two in him. I was intimidated by Danica. I mean, are you kidding me? Do you really believe that that girl who takes her clothes off for her living, hangs out in some of the roughest bars in Manchester and has taken Jordan on is intimidated by me? Absolutely not, but I'll give her credit for her acting. She did incredibly well, and no, not remotely intimidated by me at all. She should be now though!"

Julie appeared to be a mother figure to you. Can you talk about that relationship? Do you think she was sincere?
"I think she was sincerely insincere. I think she's a phenomenal actress and I think that she's played me and played the game so well that if I saw her I'd just have to shake her hand and congratulate her. It's sort of like being stabbed in the back by your Nana. Do I like her at the end of it all? Yeah I do, but she's a bitch isn't she? [laughs]. She's wonderful, she's a wonderful bitch. I hope when I'm her age I can be a little bit like her."

You've been branded the 'bitchiest woman in Britain'. If you had the chance to go back would you do anything differently? Do you have any regrets?
"Obviously I regret the comment I made about Danica's mother. That was my 'oh my God' moment, that was just no words. I definitely regret that. But what you're seeing was not the reality. If I genuinely behaved that way 24 hours a day it would not have been possible, there were 12 other people in that house. Of course I had moments of bitchiness, I had moments of badness, I said it like it was but I did also do washing up, I did also help the boys with their laundry, I did also lend my clothes out, I did also lend my make-up, I did also provide humour and I do believe I won people over in the house. But at the same time it is a big pantomime and I think I played a villain very well and I'm happy with my part. I'm pleased to have entertained people and it's all good fun at the end of the day."

How do you think your family and friends, including Simon Cowell, will react to how you have been portrayed?
"My family and friends know me for how I am and they adore me and they'll take it with a pinch of salt just like I have and I think they'll think it was fantastic, compulsive and golden viewing. They'll have enjoyed it and they'll give me a big hug and say, 'Well done'. It's a game; it's not real reality. I came and I entertained and that's cool."



Do you think you will stay in touch with any of your ex-housemates when they come out of the house?
"Yes, absolutely I will and I could not be happier now to have come out in this position because it is going to get so evil in that house and its very hard. I 100% will stay in contact with Lorenzo, with Samantha, with Coleen. The only two I don't have any time for are Danica and Rhian and the rest of them are all welcome at my dinner table."

Who do you want to win Celebrity Big Brother?
"I would like Samantha to win or Lorenzo because he's also there for a cause. I'm not sure if anyone is aware of that, but he's a huge animal activist, as am I. One of the two of them, I think they are two of the most genuinely nice characters in there."

You said you played the villain really well and you were happy with your part. What's the real Jasmine that we didn't see if you were playing the villain?
"I had long and in-depth, sensitive conversations and created real friendships in that house. I was incredibly funny, I was generous, I was kind, I did the washing up and the laundry. I do believe that I managed to win over the hearts of the people in that house. They were living with me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and you only see one hour of that. The reality of that was not what you were looking at. Yes, I am completely mad and I do say outrageous things and speak my mind and wear my heart on my sleeve but I like to believe that at the end of my experience there they all liked me. We were a dysfunctional family of some sort. But no, it wasn't as one dimensional as that and if I get the opportunity to have my own show outside this house then perhaps you'll see that."

Celebrity Big Brother airs on Channel 5.