A CROMER Big Brother star has welcomed the news that the show is to be axed, saying it was a 'goodbye to car crash television.'Craig Coates, who shot to fame in 2005 when he spent 11 weeks inside the infamous house, said he was 'not surprised' that Channel 4 has announced it will not be renewing the show's contract.

A FORMER Big Brother star from north Norfolk has welcomed the news that the show is to be axed, saying it is "goodbye to car crash television."

Craig Coates, pictured,

who shot to fame in 2005 when he spent 11 weeks inside the reality TV

show's notorious house, said he was not surprised that Channel 4 had announced it would not be renewing its contract.

The Cromer hairdresser,

who runs Ikandi Hair Beauty & Nails in Hamilton Road, finished 11th in Big Brother 6. But now Mr Coates appears to have bid good riddance to the phenomenon that helped make him a temporary household name.

He said: "I'm not surprised about it, because it's not very good. I don't have a lot to do with it any more, but it's good news. Goodbye to car crash television."

Following his eviction from the house in August 2005, Mr Coates spent about six months in London lapping up his fame with a

string of TV appearances before returning to Norfolk, where he set up The Craig Coates Salon in Norwich - which he sold in 2007.

Another Norfolk contender was John Tickle, from Norwich, who went on to forge a presenting career on Sky's Brainiac programme.

Channel 4 has just announced that a final, 11th series of the show next summer will

wind up the broadcaster's contract with programme-maker Endemol.

There will also be one more series of Celebrity Big Brother early next year before the deal ends.

Channel 4 director of television Kevin Lygo

said the show had

reached a natural end, after ratings plummeted for

the current series.