Luke Anderson suffered panic attacks following Twitter threats

\'Big Brother\' winner Luke Anderson suffered severe panic attacks after Twitter trolls threatened to stab him.

The 39-year-old business owner - who won the TV series in 2012, after revealing he was transgender - received deaths threat over social media following his success on the show.

He said: "I was new to Twitter and little did I know how nasty it could be.

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"People threatened to stab me, said frequently that I was a freak and didn\'t deserve to live.

"I began to suffer really badly with panic attacks, the ambulance was called one of the times. Thankfully I learnt to grow a thick skin, and realised that these trolls were just after a reaction."

Prior to entering the \'Big Brother\' house, Luke only told his family about his transition from being a woman called Laura to becoming a man.

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But the TV star was overwhelmed by the positive reaction he received when he chose to discuss his transition with his housemates on the show.

Luke told The Sun Online: "My work colleagues didn\'t have a clue about my past, I was \'stealth\'.

"I was so sick and tired of having to hide my past. I decided that if I went on the show I could come out and help other people who may have been in the same boat. To be a visible trans man on TV.

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"I was very nervous. I became so nervous I just felt numb on the launch night. I was expecting the response to be mixed, but when I told them I was overwhelmed by all the positive responses, it was very emotional."

Luke also admitted his time in the \'Big Brother\' house now feels like a "mad dream".

He said: "It\'s an experience I will always remember, sometimes I wonder if it ever really happened or if it was just a mad dream.

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"The time in that house made me realise who I am, the good and the bad."