Featured Image Credit: ITV
Topics: Celebrity, Celebrity Big Brother, ITV, Reality TV, TV And Film, JoJo Siwa
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: Celebrity, Celebrity Big Brother, ITV, Reality TV, TV And Film, JoJo Siwa
Warning: This article contains discussion of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community which some readers may find distressing.
We're just a few days into the latest season of Celebrity Big Brother and one contestant has already sparked major outrage online for his seriously vile homophobic comments to a fellow housemate.
Now, ITV viewers were already unimpressed with 72-year-old Mickey Rourke, an Oscar-nominated actor who's starred in blockbuster smash-hits like Sin City and 9½ Weeks, following his 'creepy' behaviour towards CBB host, AJ Odudu, before he even entered the house.
And now, following last night's episode (9 April) of the reality TV programme, Mickey has been slammed on social media after his shocking remarks made towards 21-year-old Dance Moms star and singer, JoJo Siwa.
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The incident took place when Mickey asked JoJo, who identifies as a lesbian, about her sexuality by telling her that 'if [he stays] longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore'.
JoJo, who is over five decades Mickey's junior, promptly shut down his comments by saying that she could 'guarantee' that such a scenario wouldn't happen.
Clearly unable to move on from the already bad moment, Mickey could then be heard telling housemate Chris Hughes that he was 'going to vote the lesbian out real quick'.
JoJo overheard the nasty comment and was understandably upset, as she explained: "That’s homophobic, if that was your reasoning."
Things only got worse when Mickey then declared that he was going for a 'f*g', before pointing to JoJo and saying 'I’m not talking to you' - later clarifying he was using the British slang term to mean cigarette and not the extremely homophobic slur.
He was later called to the diary room where he was issued with a formal warning about 'unacceptable language and behaviour' inside the house.
"I apologise. I don’t have dishonourable intentions - I’m just talking smack, you know," he claimed. "I wasn’t taking it all so serious. I didn’t mean in it any bad intentions and if I did, sorry."
Mickey later apologised to JoJo: "I want to apologise. I've got a habit of having a short fuse. And I don't mean nothing by it. I do mean it [sorry]. If I didn't, I wouldn't say it to you."
Understandably, the whole ordeal has seriously shocked viewers at home with many rushing online to call out Mickey's comments.
One X user penned: "JoJo Siwa being subjected to homophobic bigotry from Mickey Rourke was a hard watch."
"Jojo Siwa getting hate crimed not even 24 hours into her Big Brother experience just shows how rude homophobia still is, bless Chris for calling it out too, that's a REAL man," hit out a second.
"Mickey told JoJo Siwa (21 years old) that he will turn her straight, vote her out for being a lesbian, and says 'i need a f*g... not you' AND HE ONLY GOT A WARNING??? NOT EJECTED??????" added a final Twitter user.
A Big Brother spokesperson told Tyla: "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."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT Foundation on 0345 3 30 30 30, 10am–6pm Monday to Friday, or email [email protected]