HELEN Wood told viewers she would change her ways after being “embarrassed” at her behaviour on Big Brother.

The Bolton beautician was crowned the winner of TV reality show on Friday — despite being one of the most controversial contestants in the history of the programme.

Friends of Helen said winning the show “meant the world” to their pal.

The 27-year-old said: “I‘m shocked to have won. I was completely over the top and out of order at times.

“People probe me constantly and sometimes I take it too far. I am quite embarrassed by that.

“I had to change. I never thought in a million years I could win.

“I was warned about my behaviour but I knew I couldn’t carry on behaving the way I was behaving.”

The Bolton lass went on to say she would change her ways in the future.

She said: “I have to learn to bite my tongue.”

Helen was in the final two with fellow contestant Ashleigh. Christopher came third in the public vote and her close friend Ash, from Manchester came fourth.

Helen’s Bolton friends have been rooting for her from the start of the Channel Five show.

The trio of close pals — Michelle Morton, Bekii Edge and Beth Crompton who also work at Helen’s salon Dolly’s in Chorley Old Road — said they were over the moon for her.

Mother-of-two Michelle, aged 27, who lives in Heaton, has been friends with Miss Wood since they met at Thornleigh School at the age of 12.

Miss Morton, who attended the final on Friday, said: “We are very proud of Helen. We knew she would win so it wasn’t a shock — we voted for her enough times.

“But yes, we believed in her all the way through.

“To have won means the absolute world to Helen. She wasn’t expecting it at all. I was with her on Friday night and we’ve not slept at all. We’ve just been celebrating all night.”

The 27-year-old was seen clashing with some fellow housemates in the early weeks of the show. Miss Morton added: “She has got a lot to look at. At the moment she is still in her Big Brother bubble. I think she’ll learn a lot from it.”

Miss Wood, from Bromley Cross, fell pregnant at the age of 16 with her son, now aged 10.

In 2009, she hit the headlines due to an alleged sex scandal involving another Bolton woman, Jenny Thompson, and Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney.