Big Brother has seen its fair share of controversial contestants over the past 26 years, but one housemate has reportedly managed to secure a particularly unfortunate place in the show’s history.
Omar El Mayer, 21, is said to have become the most complained-about contestant in the history of civilian Big Brother following widespread outrage over his treatment of fellow housemate Rhianna.
According to The Sun, the reality star has broken the show’s previous complaints record after a staggering 22,499 complaints were lodged with broadcasting regulator Ofcom about recent episodes.
The figure matches Ofcom’s latest published data, which shows that episodes aired between October 19 and 22 have attracted a combined 22,499 complaints.
The controversy erupted following an October 19 episode in which viewers watched several increasingly uncomfortable exchanges between Omar and Rhianna, 21, who had developed a romantic relationship inside the house.
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During their arguments, Omar was heard telling Rhianna ‘don’t cry’, ‘don’t look away from me’ and ‘sort yourself out’, while she became visibly upset.
The scenes prompted thousands of viewers to demand Omar’s removal, with some accusing him of exhibiting controlling and emotionally abusive behaviour.
Domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid subsequently issued a warning about the troubling scenes, raising concerns that the programme risked normalising harmful behaviour.
Veronica Oakeshott, the charity’s head of external affairs, said: ‘Coercive control creates invisible chains and a sense of fear that impacts every element of a survivor’s life.
‘It’s worrying to see behaviours like this being given a platform in popular media like Big Brother.’
Former Radio 1 DJ Dean McCullough was among those calling for Omar to be removed from the house ‘with immediate effect’, while Love Island star Toni Laites said she was ‘triggered’ by the couple’s interactions.
Following the backlash, Omar was summoned to the Diary Room, where Big Brother confronted him about his behaviour.
‘Omar, Big Brother needs to speak to you about some of your language and behaviour in the house,’ the reality star was told.
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Big Brother explained that Omar had appeared to dismiss his fellow housemates’ feelings and warned that his language could cause offence both inside the house and among viewers.
However, Omar was unconvinced, insisting: ‘I’ve just never dismissed a housemate’s feelings in all honesty.’
He argued that he had ‘done nothing but look out for’ Rhianna, claiming he had tried to accommodate, reassure and care for her.
The response did little to appease viewers, with one writing on X: ‘BB: You’ve been dismissing your Housemate’s feelings. Omar: immediately dismisses the issue.’
Another complained that the intervention was an ‘abysmal warning’, while others questioned why producers had not issued a formal warning.
ITV previously defended its safeguarding procedures, stating that all housemates receive ‘respect and inclusion training’ before entering the house.
‘Welfare and safeguarding are prioritised throughout the production,’ the broadcaster added.
Rhianna’s family also became involved in the controversy, with her sister reportedly urging her to distance herself from Omar during the show’s Friends and Family episode.
Although the pair briefly split, they have since rekindled their romance.
According to The Sun, the complaints would also place Omar third in the history of the entire Big Brother franchise, behind two notorious Celebrity Big Brother controversies.
In 2018, Roxanne Pallett sparked thousands of complaints after falsely accusing fellow contestant Ryan Thomas of deliberately punching her.
And in 2007, the late Jade Goody became embroiled in an international racism scandal involving Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, which prompted more than 45,000 complaints.
Ofcom has not publicly announced whether the recent complaints will result in an investigation, and the regulator stresses that receiving complaints does not necessarily mean a programme has breached broadcasting rules.
Metro has contacted Ofcom to confirm the historical record claim and establish how many complaints specifically relate to Omar’s behaviour.
Big Brother airs on ITV2 at 9pm Sunday through Thursday.