FAMILY and friends of Big Brother's East Lancashire candidate 45-year-old Anne Edgar have pulled out all the stops to make sure the public votes for the outgoing grandmother.

Viewers will find out tonight whether Anne, who has a 16-month-old grandson Harrison, has beaten off competition from 27-year-old Natasha and 32-year-old Josh to become the last contestant to enter the Big Brother house on June 8.

But her eldest daughter Helen said: "Even if she doesn't get in she will know we have tried."

Anne's 43-year-old sister Lorna Metcalfe has been working hard on the campaign to get her sister voted in and has e-mailed most of the country's media and a selection of companies with a special e-mail account in Anne's name.

Anyone wanting to find out more about Anne can now e-mail her family for more gossip at anne.bigbrother@btinternet.com.

Lorna said: "In two series of Big Brother there has not been anyone over 40. Are they ageist? I think Anne would put a new slant on things if she got in and she would be brilliant.

"It's always very difficult for someone coming in to a group which has already bonded together but Anne would soon have them sorted. She's really outgoing but wouldn't put people down."

Helen and her younger sister Lorna, who works at Anne's Harlequin Workshop in Barrowford, were due to travel to London today to appear on the live Big Brother show at 10.30pm when the votes will be announced.

A Little Brother show, hosted by Dermot O'Leary, will also be shown at 7pm tonight in which it is hoped there will be a live link-up with Anne -- who describes herself as a 'late night talker' -- at her foreign hideout. Helen said: "We are not sure if it is a telephone link or a video link because they are keeping it all top secret."

Lorna and Helen will be accompanied by a group of friends on their trip south with six of the girls wearing luminous pink 'Vote Anne In' t-shirts, which were printed free of charge by Michael Duane Reproductions in Burnley, and waving colourful pom-poms.

Helen said: "There are 12 of us going but not all of them will wear the tops as they are quite tight. We've even got Harrison a white top which says 'Vote Gran In'.

"I have got 30 seconds to 'sell' Anne on the live show but I'm used to what to say now having done so many interviews.

"There are posters up all over the North West, in Blackpool, Preston, Manchester, and companies have been sending out mail-shots with their deliveries. There's one lad we know who works for BT in Leeds and he has sent an e-mail to all the clients asking people to vote for mum.

"Everyone we have spoken to has been keen to vote for her. We have had a really warm response.

"We think she has a good chance of getting voted in."

Anyone wanting to find out more about Anne can now e-mail her family for more gossip.

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