Celebrity Big Brother contestant Mickey Rourke is to be warned he could be kicked out of the house for “homophobic” comments made to fellow housemate JoJo Siwa in Wednesday’s episode.
The 72-year-old actor asks US singer Siwa if she “likes girls or boys” during the episode, and she replies by telling him she likes girls, and adds that her partner is non-binary.
Oscar-nominated US star Rourke responds: “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay any more.”
She says: “I can guarantee I’ll still be gay and I’ll still be in a very happy relationship.”
Later in the garden, Rourke asks reality TV star and ITV horse racing presenter Chris Hughes if the contestants have to vote their fellow housemates out, adding that he would “vote the lesbian out real quick”.
Siwa, 21, overhears and replies: “That’s homophobic, if that was your reasoning.”
Hughes warns Rourke that he “can’t do that” before the former boxer says “I need a fag”, and gestures to Siwa saying “I’m not talking to you”. Hughes then warns him again that he “can’t say that”.
Rourke adds: “I know. I was talking about a cigarette.”
Siwa is visibly upset by the exchange and Hughes comforts her, before Rourke is summoned to the diary room.
Big Brother tells the contestant: “Mickey, before you entered the Big Brother house, the rules regarding unacceptable language and behaviour were explained to you.”
After reading back the conversation, Big Brother continues: “Mickey, do you understand how this language could be offensive to your housemates or the viewing public?”
Rourke replies: “Yeah I think so. If I was saying it in a nasty kind of way or if I truly meant it.”
Big Brother adds “your language was offensive and unacceptable”, to which Rourke replies: “All right. I can understand that.”
The voiceover continues: “As a result, Big Brother is giving you a formal warning. Further language or behaviour of this nature could lead to you being removed from the Big Brother house. Mickey, do you understand?”
The actor says: “Yes I do. It’s some serious stuff.”
Big Brother then asks if he wants to say anything, to which he adds: “I apologise. I don’t have dishonourable intentions – I’m just talking smack, you know. I wasn’t taking it all so serious. I didn’t mean in it any bad intentions and if I did, sorry.”
Rourke then returns to the house telling his fellow contestants he “didn’t say it out of meanness”.
Hughes says: “I understand you might have thought it would be uninsulting but it’s the way it’s perceived on other people. JoJo was very upset earlier, bless her.”
Rourke then says “sorry” to Siwa, who tells him “using the word fag is not an acceptable word”.
He then gives a more detailed apology, saying: “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.”
Siwa tells him she appreciates his apology, and Rourke then has a conversation about drag with her and Danny Beard, the winner of season four of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
Rourke asks if it is “OK to say drag” and Siwa and Hughes tell him it is, before he replies: “It gets confusing.”
Siwa concludes: “Anything is OK to say in context and intention – that’s what matters. And if you say something wrong but you didn’t know and you’re open to hearing – all good.”
Rourke later decides who he will use his Guardian Angel power on, which will protect one housemate from eviction, and Siwa chooses who will receive her killer nomination, which puts one housemate up for Friday’s first eviction.
Celebrity Big Brother continues on Wednesday at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
