Celebrity Big Brother is back, with a new roster of famous (and not-so-famous) figures stuck together in the famous Big Brother House.
One contestant in particular, American actor Mickey Rourke, has been the cause of significant controversy after he was deemed to have “grabbed” and “ogled” series presenter AJ Odudu upon first entering the house.
In tonight’s episode, the 72-year-old star of The Wrestler will be issued a formal warning by Big Brother for making homophobic comments directed at 21-year-old Dance Moms star JoJo Siwa.
The exchange begins with Rourke asking Siwa about her sexuality, to which she replies: “Me? Girls. My partner is non-binary.”
He then says: “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.” Later in the conversation, Rourke announces he needs a cigarette, stating that he “needs a f**”. He then points at Siwa, saying, “I’m not talking to you.”
After being told he “can’t say that”, Rourke replies: “I know. I was talking about a cigarette.”
The events have caused viewers to call for the actor to be axed from the series, with one person writing 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.”
The series continues at 9pm on ITV and ITVX.
Key Points
- Mickey Rourke issued formal warning on Celebrity Big Brother after homophobic comments
- Meet the 2025 celebrity housemates
- How to watch tonight's episode
- The most controversial moments in Celebrity Big Brother history
- Mickey Rourke criticised for ‘disgusting’ behaviour towards host AJ Odudu
Mickey Rourke criticised for ‘disgusting’ behaviour
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Mickey was criticised for “grabbing” and “ogling” host AJ Odudu during the launch episode.
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Mickey Rourke issued formal warning after homophobic comments
16:25
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Ellie Muir
In tonight’s episode, Mickey Rourke will be issued a formal warning after making homophobic remarks directed at 21-year-old Dance Moms star JoJo Siwa.
In scenes that will air this evening, Mickey used a homophobic slur during a conversation with JoJo about her sexuality.
“Do you like girls or boys?” Rourke asks the singer.
Siwa, who went public with her relationship with partner Kath Ebbs this year, replies: “Me? Girls. My partner is non-binary.”
He then says: “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.”
Siwa pushes back at the comment, saying: “I can guarantee I’ll still be gay, and I’ll still be in a very happy relationship.”
Later speaking to Chris Hughes in the garden, Rourke says he is going to “vote out the lesbian real quick”.
Overhearing the exchange, Siwa tells him: “That’s homophobic, if that was your reasoning.”
Read more below:
