Welsh Big Brother star Jenkin on no regrets and mental health

When Welsh contestant Jenkin Edwards walked into the Big Brother house he promised to be a colourful character.

The 26-year-old from Bridgend said despite hesitating he has no regrets, while conversations on TV around body image and male mental health were very important to him.

The show returned after five years with the final being shown on ITV on Friday, when the winner will receive £100,000.

Despite not taking the crown, Jenkin said the friends he made are for life.

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Jenkin connected to fellow Welsh contestant Chanelle, and spent his last two days in a "secret room" spying on the other housemates who thought he had been evicted.

Jenkin with hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best on opening night

He said: "I had hesitations on applying to begin with and I didn't know if I should. But me and my mother had a bicker, and I thought, I'm just gonna go for it."

He said his friends went to university and he felt left out, which motivated him to apply.

"I felt like I was going nowhere. I had just a regular job but I wanted to achieve more for myself," he said.

"I've only ever been on one holiday in my life, and the experiences I've had didn't compare to some of my friends. There was a part me that sort of felt left out."

"So I felt like - what an opportunity to actually tick one of the biggest things off my bucket list!"

Jenkin spent 39 days in the house before leaving in a double eviction on Tuesday. He admitted he was nervous about being judged for his appearance and said it was a "big fear" before he went in.

Jenkin has been catching up with Chanelle since being out of the house

"As a bigger person, I was very worried about that in the house. To begin with, I thought are they going to look at me and laugh?"

Now he has left, Jenkin said he is not quite ready to make his social media public, having previously worried and preparing himself for negativity.

He said: "I'm not avoiding social media but I'm very cautious and I don't necessarily want to open my Instagram yet.

"I'm preparing myself for what's to come in respect to the comments.

'So many chats about emotions'

"But ultimately we knew what we were going in there for, and that there was a chance of negative comments when we came out. So it was a risk, and I'm happy I took the risk."

He has had many conversations on men's mental health with his former housemate Paul, who since leaving the house has criticised harsh judgments from the public.

"We had so many chats about our emotions in there and I wasn't afraid to open up and talk about it all," Jenkin said.

Jenkin, pictured with his mum Susan, has a "softer side"

Throughout the show, Jenkin talked about the importance of his family, and after a visit from his mother said he felt like he could be himself.

"All my family have always said that if anyone was to go on it, it would be me," he explained.

His mum Susan previously said it was clear from a young age he wasn't "your average boy" describing him as a "loud, flamboyant character".

Asked who he wanted to win, he said he would love it to be Olivia.

"I am so immensely proud of all 16 of them," he said.

"I can't wait to see them all tomorrow but I'm so proud she has made it to the final, and I hope she smashes it."

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