Celebrity Big Brother UK is back, and there’s chaos brewing, thanks to a seasoned American actor.
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Season 24 of Celebrity 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 like EastEnders actor Patsy Palmer, politician Michael Fabricant, and TV presenter Trisha Goddard were joined by two American celebrities, Mickey Rourke and JoJo Siwa.
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Mickey, 72, is the eldest celebrity houseguest.
JoJo, 21, is the youngest celebrity houseguest.
Mickey, known for his roles in ’80s movies and later films like The Wrestler (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010), was issued a formal warning by Big Brother after he used a “homophobic” slur against JoJo.
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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.”
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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.”
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JoJo overheard the conversation and responded, “That’s homophobic, if that was your reasoning.”
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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.”
Granted, the word does refer to cigarettes in the UK, but it’s 100% an offensive term in the US, and Mickey was born in New York and grew up in Florida.
After JoJo was rightfully upset over the interaction, Mickey was called into Big Brother’s Diary 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.”
When Mickey left the Diary Room, he told the other housemates, “Boy, did I get chewed out,” and reiterated that he didn’t make the comments “out of meanness.”
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 of Celebrity Big Brother UK, we can only imagine what will happen next.
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Celebrity Big Brother UK airs on ITV1 and ITVX.
