IN a stunning feel-good Big Brother finale, gay housemate Benjamin Norris won $250,000 and then got down on one knee to propose live on air to boyfriend Ben Williams.

In a gesture that has instantly made him a flagbearer for the cause of gay marriage, Norris said he had always planned to use the show's publicity to express his love for Williams.

He has told other housemates he wants to use the winnings to start a family.

The 32-year-old Melbourne accounts manager said he'd been planning on proposing to Williams, 27, from even before he entered the house.

"I thought it doesn't matter if I'm evicted in one week, I just want to be able to say in front of everyone in Australia that I love this person more than anything."

A healthy 1.473 million viewers across Australia's five capital cities watched last night's finale.



That figure will be boosted once regional audiences are calculated.



The ratings cap a successful return for Big Brother which Nine resurrected after four years off air.



Big Brother has averaged around 1 million viewers per episode for Nine.



New host Sonia Kruger has won widespread praise from fans.



Last night's Big Brother finale beat rivals including Seven's Surveillance Oz (1.021 million) and Ten's Glee (473,000).



It is expected that Nine will officially announce that Big Brother will return in 2013 at its program launch in a fortnight.



Nine has managed to reposition Big Brother as a family show - no easy task after the show was plunged into controversy by adults-only late night sleaze and the infamous "turkey slap" scandal during its eight-year run on Channel Ten.

Norris cruised to a popular victory last night, garnering an overwhelming 40 per cent of the more than 400,000 votes cast.



Following the shock early exit of his main competition Melbourne law student Estelle Landy, who scored 29 per cent of the vote, it always looked likely that Ben, the bookies' favourite, would emerge victorious.

When British beauty Layla Subritzky was told to leave (having scoring 31 per cent of the vote) an overwhelmed Norris was left alone in the house, alternating between tears and laughter.

Blog with Ben here from 12.30pm (AEDT)

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=40dbb27159" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Live chat with Big Brother 2012 winner Ben Norris&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

"I don't know what to do," he said wandering around the house for the first time alone. "I won, I won!" He appeared shocked to learn he'd also won a Holden Cruze.

It was a sweet victory for Norris, who had first applied for Big Brother a decade ago in 2002, and had to beat 20,000 other applicants to get selected for this year's series.

Ex-housemate Michael Beveridge said he hoped that Norris and Williams' marriage would inspire others.

"Hopefully, now he's in a famous gay couple, he can forge a path for other people to think about starting a family and getting what every other Australian gets."

The finale opened with a huge and energetic dance number featuring the former housemates doing Gangnam Style and a specially written number "Oats a la Layla". Even South Australian contestant Josh Moore, who walked away from the show after the sudden death of his brother Toby, returned.

While the show hasn't seen the ratings spike of other reality formats like MasterChef or The Voice in its final weeks, it's attracted an average audience of more than a million across its three month run.

Replay our blog with Big Brother Series 4 winner Trevor Butler.



&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ampamp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ampamp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=acedbea68f" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ampamp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ampamp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Live blog with Big Brother winner Trevor Butler&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ampamp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ampamp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ampamp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ampamp;amp;amp;amp;gt;