Big Brother star Sallie Axl claimed benefits in house Published duration 20 February 2019

image copyright Getty Images image caption Sallie Axl, whose real name is Sally Pryzbeck, was on Big Brother in 2013

An ex-Big Brother contestant has been ordered to pay back more than £12,000 she fraudulently claimed in benefits.

Sally Pryzbeck, appearing under the name Sallie Axl, was the first person to be evicted from the show in 2013.

Pryzbeck, 32, continued to claim housing benefit after moving out of her flat and into the Big Brother house, and then her mum's home, Birkenhead Magistrates' Court heard.

Judge Nick Sanders said she "should be ashamed" of taking taxpayers' money.

Leanne Kennedy, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: "Let this be a lesson to benefits cheats everywhere. What you are doing is not fair and you won't get away with it."

image copyright PA image caption Sallie Axl pleaded guilty to dishonestly failing to notify a change of circumstances

The court heard Pryzbeck moved out of her flat in Wallasey, Merseyside, on 8 July 2013 and into the Big Brother house.

She was evicted after nine days and then moved into her mother's home in Wallasey but did not disclose her switch to the authorities.

She went on to be overpaid £12,349 in housing benefit on her flat.

She told investigators she had claimed the benefit because she had separated from her partner and was a single parent on a low income, the CPS added.

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Pryzbeck pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a charge of dishonestly failing to notify a change of circumstances.

On Tuesday, Judge Sanders said she "should be ashamed" of taking taxpayers' money and told her to perform of 200 hours of unpaid work.

Ms Kennedy added it was "a substantial amount of money" paid directly into her bank account over a number of years, which she "must have been aware of".

Pryzbeck, who describes herself as a presenter and DJ, was celebrating on Twitter this week about having a heel implant operation to make herself taller.