Celebrity Big Brother is officially back – and in the past week we’ve seen a new selection of famous (and not-so-famous) faces live together in the reality show house.
Controversial contestant Mickey Rourke, 72, has been the cause of significant controversy after he was issued a formal warning by Big Brother for making homophobic comments directed at 21-year-old Dance Moms star JoJo Siwa during Wednesday night’s episode (9 April).
On Saturday (12 April), it was revealed he had been kicked off the show by producers after an “unacceptable” run-in with Chris Hughes that will be shown in Sunday’s episode.
The controversy began with Rourke “ogled” the reality show’s co-host AJ Odudu upon his entrance, which had caused viewers to call for the actor to be axed from the series. One person wrote on X/Twitter: “He should be removed for this. It’s disturbing, particularly after how he was with AJ, too.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for the programme told The Independent: “All Housemates receive Respect and Inclusion training and an extensive briefing from the Big Brother Senior team to prepare them for living in the House and to set out Big Brother’s expectation for appropriate behaviour and language.
“Housemates are monitored 24 hours a day and instances of inappropriate behaviour are dealt with appropriately and timely.” Rourke’s representatives declined to comment.
While many thought Rourke would get the boot during Friday night’s eviction, former Tory MP Michael Fabricant was eliminated.
The series continues on Sunday at 9pm on ITV and ITVX.
Mickey Rourke’s hefty ‘CBB’ salary ‘in dispute’ after removal
Mickey Rourke was this year’s star Celebrity Big Brother signing, with the actor receiving a reported £500,000 to enter the house.
But, according to reports, his removal from the show – after an “aggressive” row with fellow housemate Chris Hughes – might affect how much he’ll receive.
A source told The Sun: “If a celebrity gets removed from the house, they don’t get the full fee. It’s as simple as that and they will be discussing that with him.
“Mickey was ready to leave the house and it ended up feeling like a mutual decision between him and ITV in the end. It was getting too much.”
Mickey Rourke took aim at Patsy Palmer’s cooking
During his time in the Celebrity Big Brother house, Mickey Rourke routinely complained about EastEnders actor Patsy Palmer’s cooking.
Rourke told his fellow housemates, including Palmer, that Big Brother “needed to work” on delivering better meals, unaware that it was actually Palmer who had been cooking.
Days later, Rourke proceeded to tell Palmer that she “can’t cook”, adding: “Not even a little bit.”
Palmer got emotional about the comments in the Diary Room.
Mickey Rourke admitted he didn’t like ‘The Wrestler’
When Mickey Rourke’s housemates asked him about his acting career, he admitted he wasn’t a fan of The Wrestler.
The news might come as a surprise to many, considering the film saw him receive an Oscar nomination – but according to the actor, the rigorous shoot of the Darren Aronofsky film left him feeling like he was “dying”
“I wasn’t that big a fan of it,” he told his fellow housemates. “The last day of working on The Wrestler, I was sitting in my living room in New York and I was on the couch shaking, and crying, and hyperventilating, and exhausted. I felt like I was dying.”
Mickey Rourke received ‘warning’ for homophobic comments before removal
Mickey Rourke’s jokes were branded one of the most shocking reality TV moments in years.
“It’s unedifying car-crash television that should have never made it’s way to air,” writes Louis Chilton.
Why did Mickey Rourke go on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’?
Ahead of his five days in the house, Mickey Rourke candidly opened up about reason for saying yes to ITV reality show.
He took accountability for the fact he is no longer offered big Hollywood roles, admitting to The Sun: “I’ve made mistakes – many. I have nobody to blame for my ship sinking except myself.”
More here:
Mickey Rourke’s ‘CBB’ removal was inevitable
Ahwad of Rourke’s Celebrity Big Brother entrance, The Independent’s Adam White wrote how The Wrestler and 9½ Weeks star had a frustrating propensity for self-sabotage – and how being on the shwo could be his “most horrific career decision yet”.
Read the full piece here:
Mickey Rourke ejected from ‘CBB’
It was announced on Saturday (12 April), that the Hollywood actor “has agreed to leave” the show following a discussion with Big Brother regarding further use of inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behaviour”.
While the specific incident that led to Rourke’s eparture is yet to be revealed, it’s believed it occurred during a disagreement with Love Island star and sports broacaster Hughes.
Rourke’s behaviour during the interaction “was considered to be threatening and aggressive”, although it’s been stressed that “no physical altercation took place”.
More here:
No episode tonight – but CBB is back on Sunday
After this week’s antics, I think we viewers have earned a well-deserved break from the mayhem that is this year’s Celebrity Big Brother series.
If you’re dying for more drama, don’t fear – it’s back on Sunday night at 9pm. We’ll see you then.