THEY SAY THAT LOVE'S BLIND. WELL, I HOPE PETE KEEPS GIVING NIKKI HER OWN WAY, OR HE'LL BE WISHING LOVE WAS DEAF AND MUTE, TOO.

The comeback kid

If one good thing has come out of the ICSTIS-investigated vote reversal to reinstate ex-housemates, I suppose it's that during the ensuing drama of Grace's 21st, we've seen more of the real housemates' inner grit and what makes finalists, such as Richard, Pete and Ash, tick.

We've spent ten weeks establishing how "brave" Pete is about everything but, when Grace returned he didn't look so brave hiding in the toilet for 21 minutes, cowering by the urinal with his bits in one hand, while Ash at least tried to right some wrongs.

The fact that Grace was back in BB7 at all I continue to find very fishy. Who voted her back into the secret house? Can we have an Ofcom investigation into that too, please?

I can only imagine that the people who picked up the phone and gave even more money to Endemol to see more Grace were the same boggle-eyed people who sit up all night giving Brian Dowling on The Mint 75p a go to fill in the blanks in phrases such as "_____ Pie".

"Is the answer 'sausage pie', Brian?!" shouts Derek from Duneaton excitedly. He's already called to suggest "curry" and "beans". "Oh, it's a good guess again, Derek, but it's not right. Keep sending in those answers! Just 75p a call!"

Some of the viewers who loved the twist aren't so dim, of course. I read with interest at the weekend reports that Betfair received a number of large bets for Nikki to win immediately after she was evicted. According to several newspapers, one punter ran out and put £971 at 1,000-1 just after Nikki left. He or she must have felt very confident that she was going back in. Still, time to move on, it's Grace's 21st after all - time to celebrate.

Celebrate what, I'm not sure. Celebrate that we've finally created a reality-TV circuit bimbo who makes Rebecca Loos look less of a shameless squandering of oxygen?

When Grace gets her key to the door to revisit the Big Brother house, she's overjoyed as she can go in and "Say the things I need to say!" Grace also wants to see Glyn as both of them fondly remember the days at the beginning of Big Brother when they were the best of friends.

I don't remember Grace being friends with Glyn at all. I remember Glyn sitting about for weeks in red shorts without his suitcase, on the peripheries of the Plastics and struggling to express himself in his second language, English, and being largely ignored. That's why I always had a soft spot for him. He was a little lost boy without any proper friends.

Whenever Glyn finally did find the confidence to speak, piping up things like he thought blonde dollybirds like Ash and Lea were his ideal women, Grace would get very cross and shout: "No, you don't, Glyn! Where I'm from, the boys would call that a slag!"

Regardless, Glyn is enraptured to see Grace come through the door and vice versa. Ash and Jennie stand rooted to the spot, stunned. Jennie tries to introduce herself and is ignored. Ash just stands there, heavily aware of the contrived nature of this situation.

"Why have they brought her in here?" says Ash a number of times. Grace doesn't appear in too much of a hurry to "say the things she needs to say", but then she hasn't got her henchmen Mikey and Nikki to back her up.

Ash eventually says to Grace: "Well, I hope you've apologised to Susie." "No, I haven't!" beams Grace, "I've had my hand shaken a few times! Stories have come out about Susie, she used to be a strip…oh, it doesn't matter." Ash just shakes her head, "Well, what if she was a stripper? That doesn't matter."

This weekend I've been peering in abject horror at E4 watching Stripe and Swampy excavating each other's ears with their bare tongues

Bearing in mind that Grace, Ash, Nikki and Susie have all made money through soft-porn modelling of a variety, there is no-one who can cast a stone here about Susie.

"You should have some respect for your elders," says Ash. Ah, you gotta love Ash sometimes. Remember back in ye olde days when people actually thought this? Remember when life experience and maturity were at least worth a nod of respect?

At 27, sometimes Ash is like a Victorian nun channelling her way through a Las Vegas Revue dancer's body. Ash actually believes that young people should have a bit of respect for their elders.

Silly Ash. Remember the looks of anger, venom and incredulity on Glyn, Grace and Nikki's faces when they realised that a 43-year-old woman was daring to share their reality-TV air space. It felt to me that according to these kids, clearly Susie should have been put down eight years previously.

Ash didn't think that. The fact that in Ash's albeit flawed manner, she continues to get little points like this across makes her look like a winner to me.

"I saw Susie as a bit of a mother figure," concludes Ash to Grace. The argument, if you can call it an argument, goes little further than that.

Grace runs back next door and wows the crowd, including Richard, with her largely fictional tale of what occurred. The highlights show runs little of what happened when Grace returned, but if you watch the live feed Grace is laughing. I hear her telling everyone, "Ash was chatting some s**t about the whole water thing. She was saying, 'I have a loyalty to stick up for Susie, cos she was like a mother figure.'" Grace's face cracks up, she can hardly surpress her giggles, then says: "And I thought to myself, yeah, that's because it's the only mother she has got..."

The sound was quickly dipped. Some people argue Grace didn't say that last comment at all. You decide.

I've spent 12 weeks defending Dickie. Twelve long weeks. The abuse I receive about him is eye-wateringly bad. "But he's such a laugh!" I've argued, "He brightens up the house with his dry wit." Well, the one thing I've gleaned from Grace's return is that Richard is indeed a laugh, but he's got no integrity whatsoever.

Richard might be good to have a drink, go clubbing, or have a gossip session with, but when the chips are down and you need genuine friendship and loyalty, forget him. Like a goldfish, he's only as good as his last three minutes of memory.

"Revenge is a dish best served by Grace!" cheers Richard as Grace returns, "Tell me everything from the start!" Richard sits down savouring every word and laughing about Grace taking on Ash in the house next door.

Imogen is evicted: she leaves looking pretty and ecstatic, clad in a nylon balconette bra and a waistcoat, to rapturous applause. Nikki, to the huge surprise of everyone, is let back in and is now allowed to win. Nikki runs into the house and jumps on Pete. The pair spend Friday night kissing and most of Saturday, too.

"I can't think of anyone who wouldn't be happy for them," sighs Ash, dreamily. Oh, I can. This weekend, when I haven't been crouching in my utility room with my head in the tumble drier repeatedly slamming the door, I've been peering in abject horror at E4 watching Stripe and Swampy excavating each other's ears with their bare tongues.

I am not happy for Pete. I feel sorry for Pete. I think he's an acutely sensitive lad with a rocky life history and the last thing he needs is to get emotionally tangled up with that self-serving, mean little stoat. The last thing he needs is to suffer the highs and inevitable plundering lows that Nikki Grahame shall bring.

"Yeah, I love her, she's great!" says Pete, "She's mad! Really mad! I love the way she, like, washes a cup, like, 12 times before she uses it!"

They say that love's blind. Well, I hope Pete keeps giving Nikki her own way 100% of the time, or he'll be wishing love was deaf and mute, too.

Have you got a good feeling about this love affair? Mail me on grace.dent@bbc.co.uk.