Big Brother's Nadia 'struck man'

Ms Almada, 29, is charged with common assault on Richard Oliver, 25, in the Garden Pub on Upper Street, Islington, north London, in January this year.

Mr Oliver told the court he had seen the reality TV star in the pub and that Ms Almada had pinched his bottom and then struck him in the face.

Ms Almada, who was in court on Friday, has said she acted in self-defence.

"I said: 'You did win Big Brother, your name is George'"
Richard Oliver

Mr Oliver said he had recognised transsexual Ms Almada, and had gone up to speak to her. She denied being the Big Brother winner and said her name was Georgia. She then pinched Mr Oliver's bottom twice.

He told the court: "I said: 'You did win Big Brother, your name is George'.

"I didn't mean any offence by it - my bottom had been pinched and I wasn't overly impressed by that fact."

'Like a bloke'

He said Ms Almada, who won Big Brother in 2004, then had "a hissy fit" and accused him of being a homophobe and then struck his face.

"Then I said: 'Hang on a minute, you're a man, I can hit you back', and put my drink down," he said.

Under cross-examination from Ms Almada's defence, Mr Oliver denied he had acted in a "disgraceful and aggressive" manner.

He also denied saying Ms Almada looked "like a bloke".

"I've nothing against Nadia," he said. "She is a woman, she's a transsexual, she had an operation and she is a woman."

The case continues.