SALLY Bercow has been slammed for earning thousands on Celebrity Big Brother ? while taxpayers pay her rent.

Sally lives with her husband ? House of Commons Speaker John Bercow ? in a grace-and-favour flat in the Palace of Westminster.

The Labour activist, who will get a £150,000 fee on the Channel 5 show, says she is taking part to "put two fingers up to the Establishment".

She will donate £100,000 to charity, give £20,000 to her publicist Max Clifford ? and pocket £30,000. Last night Labour MP Kate Hoey said: "If she is earning that amount of money, why should taxpayers ? and my hard-pressed constituents ? contribute to her living in rent-free accommodation?

"If she's a public figure, why is she not contributing to the cost of her accommodation?"

Some MPs want the Speaker ? who earns around £146,000 for his dual role as Commons figurehead and a constituency Tory MP ? to pay rent on the apartment known as Speaker's House.

But last night publicist Max defended mum-of-three Sally.

He said: "This grace-and-favour accommodation is her husband's. Would Kate Hoey prefer it if she moved out of there with her three children?" Speaking of Sally's controversial decision to go on the show, he added: "She expects a lot of criticism ? most of which she will enjoy.

"She is her own person, not her husband's representative."

He said she agreed to appear to raise her profile and "wants to speak to Simon Cowell about potential TV projects".

Max said Sally was getting only half the £300,000 fee commanded by his other client Kerry Katona.

Sally, 41, has admitted her hubby is "not exactly chuffed" about her appearing.

She said: "He was not very pleased but he knows what I am like. He respects the fact that I do my own thing."

ATTENTION-seeking Sally heaped some early embarrassment on Speaker husband John when she was grilled about their love life.
Pamela suggested that, being married to a politician, she needed one of Amy Childs' famous "vajazzles" to spice things up. Saucy Sal replied: "Life is spicy enough."