A psychic medium correctly predicted that Mark Owen would be this year's winner of Celebrity Big Brother - even before the six-strong line-up for the show had been announced.

Gary Fowler gave the Northern Echo a sealed envelope containing the winner's name on Tuesday, November 19, a day before the housemates had been confirmed and entered the house.

He also wrote notes about the eventual winner which he handed to Northern Echo journalist Nick Morrison, and were kept, unopened, in a locked safe until the winner had been announced.

And he made daily predictions about all the housemates, which were published in the newspaper throughout the duration of the show.

Features editor Nick, who opened the envelope, said: "When he gave me the envelope, he was certain it was right. There was never any doubt in his mind.

"I am very sceptical of these things and I have to say I was pretty surprised when he was proved correct."

As well as correctly predicting that Mark Owen would win Celebrity Big Brother, Gary also wrote notes about him, which read:

"At first he will not cope, but by the third day he will start to challenge the rest of the housemates with his views and ideas of life. His vulnerability will not make it easy however his spirituality will pull him through and make him shine. After some confusion and a twist of fate he will be voted the winner."

Gary also wrote that he saw Mark in a home with wooden carvings and a cast iron fireplace - as was seen in Mark’s application video, which showed him scrubbing the floor in front of a cast iron fireplace.

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