Celebrity Big Brother is shaking things up by moving from its traditional 9pm slot to 10pm for Sunday’s show, following a dramatic turn of events that saw Mickey Rourke being asked to leave.
However, it’s just a one-off time change, as CBB will resume its regular schedule on Monday.
A Big Brother spokesperson issued a statement regarding Mickey’s recent departure, confirming: “Mickey Rourke has agreed to leave the Celebrity Big Brother House this evening following a discussion with Big Brother regarding further use of inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behaviour.”
The statement clarified that Mickey’s choice of words and conduct towards housemate Chris during a task was seen as threatening and aggressive.
72-year-old Mickey has stirred the pot with previous bouts of contentious behaviour, including an episode earlier in the week where he faced accusations of homophobia, earning him a stern warning from Big Brother bosses.
On Wednesday, Mickey found himself on the receiving end of a formal warning after he implied to celebrity housemate JoJo Siwa that her time with him in the house would make her rethink her sexual orientation.
He pushed boundaries further by telling other participants: “I’m going to vote the lesbian out real quick,” reports the Express, also raising eyebrows among his fellow contestants when he blurted out a craving for “a f**” and, with a nod towards JoJo, quipped: “I’m not talking to you.”
Chris Hughes didn’t waste time stepping in to challenge Mickey’s language choices, leading to a summons to the diary room where Big Brother laid down the law.
It has also emerged that Mickey apparently begged to leave the show just hours before his eviction. In recently unearthed Celebrity Big Brother footage, the 72-year-old Oscar-nominated actor is seen at the dining table, asking Ella-Rae Wise and Angelica Bell about the nomination process.
Ella-Rae quickly excused herself to the bedroom, steering clear of a prolonged conversation with the movie star. However, Angelica took a moment to explain the nomination procedure to him before joining Ella-Rae in the bedroom.
There was further upset last week with Mickey at the centre again, he appeared to body shame Donna Preston. The pair were in the bedroom, and the comedian was wearing an LED mask when the Wrestler actor spoke out of turn.
Mickey asked if the mask had produced any results, but she told him she’d only been using it for a few months. He responded: “You’d probably be better off running round the block for ten minutes.”
With humour Donna replied: “I’ve got to try something. I’m getting a little turkey neck.” Mickey added: “It comes with the territory.”
Confused, Donna asked: “What, life?” As Mickey told her: Yeah, it’s like they say, you are what you eat.”