THE parents of Big Brother contestant Nichola Holt today insisted she is welcome back to Bolton.

Nichola revealed during an interview on national TV that her father Frank, aged 54, had told her not to come home to Bradshaw after lurid revelations in a Sunday tabloid newspaper about her sex life.

But this morning, Frank and Joyce Holt, of Turton Road, claimed Nichola's comments had been blown out of all proportion. Several newspapers this morning claimed the rift was so deep that the 29-year-old had been booted out of home altogether.

But today Mrs Holt said that, although the family had at first been deeply shocked by the newspaper reports of a three-in-a-bed sex romp, their daughter was "welcome home".

She said: "Frank was upset. We both got upset when we read the papers but everything is fine now.

"She's welcome home any time she likes."

Nichola has been the focus of intense attention since she was evicted from the camera-rigged Channel Four Big Brother house on Friday in a show watched by almost seven million -- a record late-night audience.

More than 720,000 viewers out of a million taking part in a phone poll chose to throw her out instead of Liverpool builder Craig.

She is currently staying in London and appeared again this morning on GMTV to give her opinion on the new Big Brother housemate Claire Strutton, who replaced disgraced contestant Nick Bateman.

Extrovert Nichola, a barmaid at the Flag Inn in Bromley Cross, emerged from the purpose-built house four days ago to cheering crowds -- and an offer to join a top circus as a trapeze artist.

The ex-Canon Slade pupil said: "I'm glad I took part because hopefully loads of opportunities will open up for me."

Viewers last night saw Craig tell fellow contestant Thomas that he and Nichola had enjoyed "a snog" before she left.

One contestant is evicted from the house each week and the last remaining person wins £70,000 -- an amount already eclipsed by the earnings of previous evictees from the voyeuristic game show.