Staying a virgin until her wedding night has been Jessica Simpson's proudest and most challenging achievement.

But the 23-year-old confesses her husband NICK LACHEY - with whom she stars in American reality TV show THE NEWLYWEDS: NICK AND JESSICA - had to "fend" her off at times.

Simpson says, "Of all the things about myself, staying a virgin until my wedding night is the thing that makes me most proud. I've been with men who've dumped me because they couldn't believe I really didn't want to have sex.

"They thought it was a publicity stunt. I was always told I had a body made for sin, but I was never no sinner. Nick was for real. He respected me for it. It was often him having to fend me off. Boy, it was hard, but he knew I'd hate myself and him in the morning."

28/06/2004 17:29