After a series of controversies in the Celebrity Big Brother house, Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke has been officially removed from the show due to what CBB described as “further use of inappropriate language and unacceptable behaviour.”
Since entering the CBB house at the beginning of the competition, Mickey has been embroiled in controversy for making numerous fat-phobic and homophobic comments, as well as belittling his fellow contestants’ cooking abilities.
Despite warnings from CBB about his language and attitude, another incident led to his complete removal from the competition. A representative for Celebrity Big Brother stated: “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.”
It’s understood that after Wednesday’s offensive remarks, Mickey was involved in more incidents, the final straw being a clash with Love Island’s Chris Hughes during a task.
Although the disagreement didn’t escalate into physical violence, the interaction between the two resulted in behaviour and language considered threatening and aggressive, leaving CBB with no option but to ask Rourke to exit the house, reports the Mirror.
The final straw came after various incidents involving Mickey, including a string of homophobic remarks he made towards JoJo Siwa. He bluntly told her, “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.”
His behaviour escalated when he commented on Siwa’s sexuality and crassly said he’d “vote out the lesbian” after previously stating he would “tie you up”. These intolerable comments led to a heated exchange with JoJo, who confronted him for his homophobia.
MIckey’s offensive conduct didn’t stop there; he was overheard saying, “I need an f**,” clearly implying a cigarette, but then pointedly excluded Siwa by stating, “I’m not talking to you.”
Chris Hughes stood up for Jojo, rebuking Mickey, saying “you can’t say that”, although this intervention seemed to have little effect.
After being reprimanded in the diary room and receiving an official warning from Big Brother, Mickey issued an apology that proved fleeting as he proceeded to make inappropriate fat-phobic remarks targeting Donna Preston.
Compounding these incidents, Mickey had already garnered negative attention from fans on the launch night for his unsettling actions towards host AJ Odudu. The complaints revolved around Rourke’s excessively “creepy” gaze at AJ, prompting her discomfort and requesting him to “stop looking at me.”
Mickey’s behaviour on the show has sparked outrage among fans. His insensitive remarks about EastEnders icon Patsy Palmer’s culinary skills led to an emotional moment in the diary room. Patsy confessed to Big Brother: “I tried to talk that one out, but it didn’t really work. I feel like I let myself down there, and I don’t want my reactions to be like that.
“I always want my kids to always stand up for themselves. Maybe it was just a joke – maybe I need to look at it like that. I need to try to rise above it. It doesn’t mean I have to like him.”
Meanwhile, Mickey remained oblivious to the upset he caused, even suggesting to Big Brother: “I think in future, you guys should hire really good chefs to feed the people.”
The situation escalated as viewers took to social media, threatening to stop watching the show if Mickey wasn’t removed. One appalled viewer demanded action on Twitter: “Sorry, a warning isn’t enough. Telling a 21-year-old he’ll tie her up? She won’t be gay anymore? All the language he used? He’s disgusting and should be removed straight away. #CBBUK #CBB.”
Meanwhile, speculation was rife that Mickey might have been set to leave the show voluntarily, regardless of whether he faced elimination during Friday night’s episode or not. “He seemed pretty adamant this was a 4-day job – and it wouldn’t be the first time he completed a short contract then self-eliminated,” noted one eagle-eyed viewer on Twitter.
The same fan also shared a telling clip from Mickey’s stint on The Masked Singer US, highlighting the moment he famously unmasked himself prematurely after his debut performance.