BOLTON Big Brother contestant Nichola Holt could rake in big money even if she is axed from the show tonight.

Up to four million viewers will tune in at 8.05pm to learn the results of a phone poll which will decide whether the Bradshaw woman or Scouse builder Craig is ousted.

But even if the 29-year-old is voted out, she is almost certain to follow in the footsteps of previous housemates who have been evicted by cashing in on her new-found fame.

The 10 contestants in the camera-rigged house -- tonight reduced to six -- have become the most talked about household in the country with their every move broadcast on the Internet.

A £70,000 prize is up for grabs for the last person left in the house. Yet in true game show tradition, it seems other candidates will go home anything but empty-handed.

It emerged yesterday that first to leave Sada Walkington is being paid a five figure sum to star in a radio advert for Internet provider Yahoo. She has also been signed up to feature in lads' magazine Loaded.

Last week's victim Caroline O'Shea, Nichola's best friend in the house, signed up a lucrative contract with a national newspaper to dish the dirt on her fellow contestants.

Each contestant thrown out of the house has emerged to a barrage of press photographers and a dizzying round of radio and television interviews. But inside the house, contestants are unaware of the increasing frenzy surrounding the show which has clocked up record Channel Four viewing figures.

The Internet site was visited more than 500,000 in its first week alone.

A Channel Four spokeswoman said: "The level of interest has been absolutely phenomenal."

Nichola, talking to fellow contestant Anna, seemed to be unaware of the financial opportunities which could open up for her.

"I'm ready to go but I want to win the £70,000," she said. "I didn't come here just for the money, but it could do me a massive favour. I'll be more upset because I'm leaving you lot behind."

Artistic Nichola told housemates she intends to decorate the exit door with a shooting star in case she is evicted, and the textile artist is knitting a special leaving outfit which viewers got a glimpse of on Wednesday night.

However, she risked burning the house down when she accidentally left a candle burning all night.

Nichola is the hot favourite to get booted out of the house in this Friday's round of evictions, according to Ladbrokes.

The Bolton girl is three-to-one odds on to join her friend Caroline on the outside world. The odds on fellow nominee Craig walking "the bridge of shame" stand at 9-4.

There are no changes on who the ultimate winner will be with Anna still the most popular to gain victory at 7-4.

If Nichola is voted out tonight, she may decide to use her new-found fame to follow her dream of starting her own textile design business, according to family and friends.

Nichola, a barmaid at the Flag Inn in Bromley Cross, went to Canon Slade School before doing an art foundation course at Bolton Institute followed by studying art in Winchester.

She modelled nude for art classes to pay for her art course.

The shaven-headed artist has proved to be a noisy housemate with a fiery temper. In nominating Nichola, Craig called her "argumentative and aggressive" and another contestant, Mel, said she had an uncontrollable temper.

But according to Rachael Pickup, bar supervisor at the Flag, Nichola is even LOUDER in real life.

Rachael said: "I think she's quieter on the TV than she is normally. She's really nice. She makes every one laugh in the pub."

Nichola is single and had recently split up with her boyfriend from Lytham St Annes before she joined the show.

Among her many talents is teaching children sculpture with papier-mache models when she worked at schools in Rochdale.

During the first show, she upset lots of Boltonians when she claimed local woman wore "shell suits, white ankle socks and stilettoes."

Voting closes just before tonight's programme. Ring 0911 980101 to vote out Craig or 09011 980102 to vote out Nichola.

Fans can keep up to date with the latest developments on www.bigbrother.terra.com

BOLTON Evening News readers hooked on Channel Four's Big Brother series have voted to KEEP Nichola Holt.

While the Big Brother House was in turmoil today at the departure of Nasty Nick, Bolton folk still want our Nichola to stay.

Our own phone vote was a nail biter -- with only 55 per cent of folk wanting Nichola to remain in the show and 45 per cent wanting her out.

And the web site poll on this site proved equally spilt with a virtual 50-50 division.

But the real vote counts tonight when Nichola goes head to head with fellow housemate Craig in the national phone vote.

The poll is still going ahead despite the departure yesterday of disgraced Nick Bateman. A new contestant will enter the competition's camera-filled house sometime this weekend, it was confirmed today.

The identity of the man or woman will be disclosed as soon as he or she goes into the purpose-built studio compound.

Nick went to ground after being disqualified for writing notes to fellow contestants hoping to influence their eviction nominations five weeks into the knock-out contest to win £70,000.

Nichola was horrified to learn of her fellow housemate Nick's scheming and lying manipulations.

Hardly controlling her anger, she told fellow house-mates: "I was glad I didn't lower myself to Nick's level to punch him. "I'm angry at the way he went about it. I feel sorry for him and that it went to these extremes."

She also asked Big Brother if her nominations would stand because of the "unfair" vote rigging to be told that it would.

The 10 contestants were picked from a group of 20 and one of those could be the possible replacement for Nick.

A Big Brother spokesman said today: "As the rules specify, anyone that leaves the house of their own accord or is asked to leave will be replaced.

"A decision on the replacement will be made shortly."