Celebrity Big Brother is no stranger to controversies, and the show took another scandalous turn this weekend. Hollywood icon Mickey Rourke was dramatically ejected from the Big Brother house after a fiery outburst. This comes after his entry already sparked controversy after an awkward moment with show host AJ Odudu.
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Known for his fiery character both on-screen and off, the 72-year-old actor crossed lines that reality TV bosses simply couldn’t tolerate. His explosive exit followed a heated confrontation with Love Island favourite Chris Hughes that ended up cutting short his six-figure paycheck. Here’s what we know!
Why Mickey Rourkey was removed from Celebrity Big Brother
Mickey Rourke’s exit from Celebrity Big Brother was nothing short of sensational. According to footage revealed by The Sun, Rourke erupted in anger during a house task as he felt that fellow contestant Chris Hughes was mocking him.
It is understood that Chris gave him ‘side eye’ during a task that left Rourke feeling furious. In an aggressive tirade captured on camera, Rourke pointedly snapped at Hughes and said:
Don’t f***ing eyeball me. You c***.
Housemate Danny tried to control the situation and insisted:
He was joking. He was joking. He was joking.
Hughes, seemingly stunned by the intensity, also attempted to clarify the misunderstanding; however, Mickey lost his temper. He pointed towards the ground and told Chris:
No, your a** will be right there in a second.
Big Brother intervened twice to call him to the diary room. The Wrestler star ignored Big Brother the first time and then went to the diary to be told that his ‘language and behaviour was threatening and aggressive.’Big Brother said:
Big Brother does not tolerate threatening language or behaviour. In addition, you have used inappropriate sexual language to Ella.
Adding:
This is not the first time Big Brother has had to speak to you about your offensive and inappropriate language.
Acknowledging the severity of the incident, Rourke expressed immediate regret, confessing to Big Brother:
Yes sir. I did wrong. I apologise. I’m sorry. I can’t take it back, you know, I stepped over the line. And I take responsibility for doing the wrong thing.
I lost my temper
I’m ashamed of myself for losing it for a few seconds there. Nobody got touched or hurt.
Despite his remorse, Big Brother asked him to leave the house, and Mickey also agreed. He said:
I blame myself, I know it was my bad.
I just wanna pack my bags and leave, you know. I wanted to leave yesterday actually but I wasn’t chosen.
Mickey Rourke’s CBB paycheck slashed
In the aftermath of his dramatic eviction, Rourke suffered more than just public embarrassment. It has been alleged that ITV promptly cut a significant portion of his reported £500KCelebrity Big Brother paycheck. As disclosed by The Sun, insiders revealed that celebrities who are removed from the house lose a portion of their fee by default.
An ITV source told the publication:
Mickey won’t be receiving all his money from ITV.
If a celebrity gets removed from the house, they don't get the full fee. It’s as simple as that and they will be discussing that with him.
Mickey was ready to leave the house and it ended up feeling like a mutual decision between him and ITV in the end. It was getting too much.
Read more:
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Sources used:
The Guardian: ‘Mickey Rourke ejected from Big Brother house over ‘unacceptable behaviour’’
The Sun: ‘Watch the explosive moment Mickey Rourke threatens Chris Hughes in expletive-ridden rant moments before CBB axe’
The Sun: ‘Mickey Rourke ‘has £500,000 pay cheque slashed by ITV’ after heated row sparked removal from CBB house’