LECTURERS at University College Worcester are backing one of their students to win the fourth series of hit reality TV show Big Brother.

Head of art and design Maureen Gamble was stunned to see Annuszka Nowak, of Malvern, starring in the Channel 4 show.

She believed the 23-year-old had temporarily postponed her studying to travel abroad.

But although surprised to see Annuszka, nicknamed Nush, after tuning in along with eight million others, she believes the part-time art student has the winning character to scoop the £70,000 top prize.

"She is an independent free spirit with bags of positive energy that people can just warm to. We think she can win," said Ms Gamble.

"She's also extremely fun loving. She was keen to move from the Malvern campus, which is made up of mainly older students, and transfer to Worcester to mix with the younger groups.

"She's a lovely, easy going person. We'd love to see her back studying art and design with UCW next term, but perhaps that's now a little unlikely," she joked.

Ms Gamble said yoga loving Nush had just completed a fine art module at Malvern Hills College and was looking to join a full-time art and design degree course at UCW next term.

Nush, who has had her belly button pierced, says she is hoping to maintain her health in the house by continuing her programme of yoga.

Bookies have now made Nush second favourite out of the 12 contestants to win the nine-week long show.

Fellow contestant Steph, who has also avoided nomination for eviction, is also a vegetarian and also from Worcestershire.

The 27-year-old from Redditch has recently separated from her husband, said to be a First Division footballer.

The boys take shine to Malvern blonde

THE boys in the Big Brother house are definitely warming to fun loving Nush, with flirty Federico admitting he fancies the blonde 23-year-old.

The Scottish waiter had been flirting with brunette Anouska during the past 48 hours, including a friendly play session in the pool.

But, in a secret diary room chat, he admitted Nush is "very nice to look at".

The 23-year-old half-Italian also admitted that the yoga lover was "top of the fantasy file".

"I think she's a quirky character and she can come out with some really outrageous, brilliant and funny stuff," he said.

"She's a well rounded person and, if I'm honest, she's very nice to look at. She passes the boredom very nicely."

Nush has also been supplying a few creative style tips of her own - using lashings of hair gel to help give Cameron a new spiky hair-do.

"I look like a receiver for some weird radio station," he complained.

Dull data strategy manager Jon is now favourite to be sent packing back to Staines in the first eviction later this week.

A Ladbrokes spokesman said: "The first eviction is hard to call. All we know is that it is a two-horse race between Jon and Anouska. Scott and Federico are safe."

Nush is now the clear 5/1 second favourite behind Ray. Her odds to win have been cut from 6/1 to 5/1.