Mickey Rourke Given Formal Warning for ‘Offensive’ Language in Celebrity Big Brother
Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke has been issued a formal warning for using "offensive and unacceptable" language towards fellow Celebrity Big Brother contestant JoJo Siwa. The 72-year-old Oscar-nominated star was told that further behaviour of this nature could result in his removal from the ITV reality show.
According to a transcript released by ITV, Rourke made several comments that were deemed unacceptable, including saying he was "going to vote the lesbian out real quick" and making other remarks about Siwa’s sexuality. The 21-year-old TV and social media personality accused Rourke of being "homophobic" and took offence to his comments.
The incident occurred during a conversation between Rourke and Siwa, in which he asked her if she liked boys or girls. Siwa replied that she liked girls and mentioned that her partner is non-binary. Rourke then made a series of comments that were deemed hurtful and unacceptable, including saying "If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay any more."
As reported by the BBC, Rourke later apologised to Siwa and told the housemates that he "didn’t say it out of meanness." However, Big Brother took the incident seriously and called Rourke into the diary room to address his behaviour. "Your language was offensive and unacceptable," Rourke was told. "Further language or behaviour of this nature could lead to you being removed from the Big Brother house."
Rourke responded by apologising and saying that he "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." The US actor has a reputation for having a short fuse, and it appears that this incident was a case in point.
The incident has sparked a wider conversation about language and behaviour on reality TV shows. As reported by the BBC, former Love Island star Chris Hughes was overheard telling Rourke that he couldn’t say certain things, and it’s clear that the show’s producers are taking steps to ensure that contestants are aware of the boundaries of acceptable behaviour.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Big Brother said that they take incidents like this seriously and will continue to monitor the behaviour of contestants throughout the show. The incident has also sparked a reaction from viewers, with many taking to social media to express their disappointment and concern.
The Celebrity Big Brother show continues to air on ITV, with Rourke and Siwa still among the contestants. It’s unclear what the future holds for Rourke on the show, but it’s clear that he has been given a second chance to behave and adhere to the show’s rules.
This is not the first time that Rourke has made headlines for his behaviour. In the past, he has been known to speak his mind and push boundaries, but it’s clear that this approach has landed him in hot water on Celebrity Big Brother. As the show continues to air, it will be interesting to see how Rourke behaves and whether he can redeem himself in the eyes of viewers.
The BBC has been in touch with representatives for Rourke and Siwa for comment.
The full transcript of the conversation between Rourke and Siwa can be found on the BBC News website.
For more information on this story and other Celebrity Big Brother updates, visit the BBC News website.
