Big Brother viewers have shared their mixed reactions after the first of this year’s contestants was eliminated.
The classic surveillance reality show returned to UK screens on Sunday (8 October) after a five-year hiatus. Immediately, it was been praised for its diverse, “normal” lineup featuring characters from all walks of life and areas of the UK.
After the housemates nominated Kerry, a 40-year-old NHS manager from Essex, and Farida, a 50-year-old makeup artist from Wolverhampton to face the public vote, Farida became the first contestant to leave the Big Brother house on Friday night (13 October).
Both Kerry and Farida were significant members of the cast and frequently clashed due to their strong, outspoken personalities.
While Farida received the most “votes to evict” from the public, many people have shared their dismay at the show losing one of its most memorable cast members at such an early stage.
“You ppl that voted for Farida to get evicted, I don’t wanna hear that it’s become boring,” one unimpressed fan of the show wrote on Twitter/X.
“Farida has been evicted… I’m devastated,” a different viewer chimed in, while another wrote: “I’m actually fuming Farida’s been evicted first.”
Farida was the only cast member this season who wore a hijab as part of her Muslim faith, and spoke of how she wanted to show viewers that Muslim women are not suppressed.
Before entering the programme, she said: “A lot of people think that wearing a headscarf might stop you from having opportunities, whereas for me, it’s been completely the opposite. I embrace it with confidence and it’s actually given me lots of opportunities.”
Farida— (ITV)
Reacting to Farida’s eviction, one viewer wrote: “It’s sad that as soon as I saw Farida step out of that car I knew the odds were stacked heavily against her. Just for once I was hoping for something different.”
“Big mistake evicting fabulous Farida,” wrote another viewer on Twitter/X. “Neither Farida or Kerry should have faced the public vote in week one. All singing, all dancing entertainment in vibrant technicolour, both of those women.”
However, there are others who were happy to see Kerry saved in Farida’s place.
“So happy Farida got kicked [out] tonight bc she’s just infuriated me during tonight’s episode,” reads one Twitter/X comment. “Especially when she stared directly at the camera when she danced in the garden. I would’ve loved the drama with Kerry continuing but it will be intriguing to see if Kerry changes now.”
In less than a week on air, the Big Brother reboot has featured several significant scenes, including 18-year-old Hallie telling the rest of the housemates that she is transgender.
Big Brother airs nightly, excluding Saturdays, on ITV2 at 9pm.
