A market research firm has won a top national award for its part in making cult reality TV show Big Brother a success.

Calverley-based Qustor was commended in the media category of the Marketing magazine awards after its work on the second series of the Channel 4 show.

Regular programme viewers were quizzed on their views during the last four weeks of the series to provide a wealth of feedback for the programme's producers.

A final, end-of-series presentation by Qustor condensed these weekly findings into a series of observations and recommendations that in turn helped influence the next series.

Linda Hancock, research manager at Qustor, said: "Obviously everyone involved with the project is delighted. Working on Big Brother can be very intense due to its schedule we're constantly 'on call' for instant advice but it's always great fun.

"Media was the most highly entered award category which makes our commendation all the more special."

Claire Grimmond, controller of research and insight at Channel 4, described the award as a "fantastic endorsement".

He said: "The work conducted during Big Brother 2 played a key role in the success of series three. Their recommendations were clear and editorially focused."