CRAIG hysteria hit town when the Big Brother winner arrived in York to switch on the Monks Cross shopping centre Christmas lights.

Scouser Craig Phillips attracted thousands of young screaming fans to the shopping centre to hear his new Christmas single.

When he moved on to WHSmith to sign autographs, a huge crush developed as hundreds crammed into the store.

Several girls were overcome with the excitement of it all, two had to be taken out of the back of the shop and one nearly fainted, but store manager Craig Wilkinson said they revived quickly when Craig went out to say hello.

Many fans were left disappointed when the shop's doors were shut to stop any more people getting in, and a Tannoy message told people the store was closing.

Craig eventually left at 9pm, leaving excited fans with a night of high emotion to remember.

CRAIG must be used to it by now.

From the moment he left the famous door of the Big Brother House to the adulation of the nation, he has been received by crowds of adoring fans wherever he goes in his new career as a celebrity.

But it was a sight - and a sound - to behold in York when the atmosphere of an ordinary shoppers' car park was elevated to the hysteria of a big stadium pop concert last night.

Craig, winner of the hit game show that had viewers glued to Channel 4 all summer, was given the sort of deafening greeting usually reserved for chart-topping boy bands.

The build-up to the popular Scouser's arrival started more than an hour earlier, as the crowds crammed in behind the barriers round a special stage.

Boy band Spin City had to take to the stage earlier than planned because chart-toppers Artful Dodger failed to turn up, blaming transport problems.

Popular York band Huge got the party atmosphere going as usual with some Robbie Williams and Abba tunes and were soon being interrupted by chants of "We Want Craig!"

A parade of characters and mascots then trooped on stage, led by Father Christmas and Postman Pat, who had been riding round the car park collecting money for charity on the Minster Lions' Rocking Rudolph display. When Postman Pat waved to the crowd, even he got screamed at.

He was joined by York City mascot Yorkie the lion, Wobby the wasp from York Wasps and Mickey the Monks Cross monkey!

The big moment arrived when Craig drew up in a KitKat limousine and leapt on to the stage to the strains of the Big Brother theme tune.

Looking as cheerful as ever, he told the crowd, if they could hear him, that he was delighted with the success of Big Brother and introduced his Christmas single, At This Time of Year, by saying half the profits would be given to children with Downs Syndrome.

When Craig won the Big Brother competition he gave all his £70,000 winnings to Joanne Harris, a family friend who has Down's Syndrome and who needs to go to the USA for a heart and lung transplant.

Before starting his song, he was presented with an early Christmas present of 200 Yorkie bars by Nestl's Yorkie brand manager John Lambert - Craig revealed a liking for the York-made chocolate during the Big Brother show.

The single went down very well with the crowd and afterwards there was another surprise, this time for Suzanna Trigg, from Huntington, who was celebrating her 13th birthday.

Her mum, Pauline, telephoned organisers to ask if Suzanna could meet Craig. She ended up joining him and the assembled group on stage and helped switch on the Evening Press sponsored lights.

Craig was then whisked over to WH Smith for a signing session before leaving his delighted fans in York.

Event organiser Mark Brayshaw said: "We knew this was going to be popular, but not this popular.

"There's been a fantastic atmosphere - it's a perfect start to Christmas."

The shopping centre's new grotto also opened yesterday, and there was another birthday treat for Daniel Poulton, 11 yesterday, who was the first child to go in.

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