Pete Bennett accuses Imogen Thomas of 'milking' Nikki Grahame's death

Pete Bennett has hit back at comments made by his Big Brother co-star Imogen Thomas about the death of his ex-girlfriend Nikki Grahame a year ago, accusing her of "milking it".

Thomas, who was a close friend of Grahame's, criticised Bennett in a recent interview with The Sun for his decision to post a picture he took with Grahame prior to her passing as well as the final text messages they shared.

Read more: Pete Bennett thought "love and support" would save Nikki Grahame

She claimed the private messages he shared and subsequent run of TV appearances "cruelly betrayed" Grahame's memory.

Bennett has responded to Thomas's claims in Entertainment Daily, saying he was "depressed" to read her words so close to the anniversary of Grahame's death.

Watch: Pete Bennett pays tribute to Nikki Grahame

He added: "The accusations are simply untrue and poorly timed. Respectfully she should let me grieve, let Nikki rest in peace, and stop milking it."

Bennett also stated that he had shared the picture of himself and Grahame to raise funds and awareness for anorexia treatment.

Read more: Michelle Heaton was too scared to visit Nikki Grahame in final days

"Imogen’s warped view on my visit to Nikki and ridiculous self-righteous plugging of ‘being her best friend’ to gain some popularity with Nikki fans is overwhelmingly painful to watch," he added.

“Nikki’s passing was very traumatic for me, and I’ve been in therapy to try and recover. Only I know how much Nikki loved me and what it meant to her that I visited that night.”

A documentary about Grahame's life, Nikki Grahame: Who Is She?, will air on Channel 4 this week, with Bennett declaring that he turned down involvement for the sake of his own mental health.

He added: "It is awful for Nikki’s close friends and me that this has been dragged through the papers. Imogen is a very sad person. I hope she gains a conscience one day."

Read more: Nikki Grahame's mum reveals final conversation with star

There has been no love lost between Bennett and Thomas ever since Grahame passed away, with the duo sharing a war of words in the wake of her death.

All three appeared together on Big Brother in 2006 in a series which Bennett won, with Grahame finishing in fifth place.

Watch: Nikki Grahame fans donate to cover funeral costs