Context is everything , and this is all bad .
Celebrity Big Brother UKis back, and there’s chaos brewing, thanks to a seasoned American actor.
Season 24 ofCelebrity Big Brother UK,hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best, aired on April 7, and the oldest and youngest housemates are already at odds.
In the house, notable British figures likeEastEndersactor Patsy Palmer, politician Michael Fabricant, and TV presenter Trisha Goddard were joined by two American celebrities, Mickey Rourke and JoJo Siwa.
Mickey, 72, is the eldest celebrity houseguest.
JoJo, 21, is the youngest celebrity houseguest.
Mickey, known for his roles in'80s moviesand later films likeThe Wrestler(2008) andIron Man 2(2010), was issued a formal warning byBig Brotherafter he used a “homophobic” slur against JoJo.
In an awkward exchange with JoJo, Mickey asked the “Karma” singer if she liked boys or girls. JoJo replied, “Me? Girls. My partner is nonbinary.”
In response, Mickey said, “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.” This prompted JoJo to respond, “I can guarantee I’ll still be gay, and I’ll still be in a very happy relationship.”
Later in the garden, Mickey had a conversation with TV personality and sports presenter Chris Hughes, saying, “I’m going to vote the lesbian out real quick.”
JoJo overheard the conversation and responded, “That’s homophobic, if that was your reasoning.”
To add fuel to the fire, Mickey then used the F-slur while motioning toward JoJo, saying, “I’m not talking to you.”
When Chris called out Mickey for using the slur, he said, “I know. I was talking about a cigarette.”
After JoJo was rightfully upset over the interaction, Mickey was called intoBig Brother’sDiary Room, where he was given a verbal warning. “Do you understand how this language could be offensive to your Housemates or the viewing public?” Big Brother asked.
“Yeah I think so. If I was saying it in a nasty kind of way or if I truly meant it,” Mickey responded.
“As a result, Big Brother is giving you a formal warning,” the voice continued. “Further language or behavior of this nature could lead to you being removed from the Big Brother house.”
Mickey did apologize to JoJo, saying, “I want to apologize. I’ve got a habit of having a short fuse. And I don’t mean nothing by it. I do mean it. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t say it to you.”
JoJo said she appreciated Mickey’s apology, but if this is only the beginning of Season 24 ofCelebrity Big Brother UK,we can only imagine what will happen next.
Celebrity Big Brother UKairs on ITV1 and ITVX.
