Celebrity Big Brother certainly hasn’t been short on controversial moments since its inception in 2001.
The reality series, which began on Channel 4 before moving to Channel 5, has always known how to get the nation talking, with many stars enjoying a resurgence of fame upon leaving the house.
Unfortunately for others, a stint in the CBB house was not the making of their careers but rather the breaking, having been removed for offensive behaviour and faced the wrath of angry viewers.
Just this week, Mickey Rourke was ejected from ITV’s abode after repeated warnings for unacceptable language, resulting in his £500,000 fee also being slashed.
But before Mickey, plenty of other actors, reality stars, and TV presenters caused a riot in CBB and faced the repercussions of their actions.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and remember Celeb Big Brother’s most controversial exits…
Mickey Rourke
Get personalised updates on CBB in your inbox
Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.
Hollywood star Mickey Rourke entered the Celebrity Big Brother house on Monday night, and by Saturday, he was gone.
On just day two of the social experiment, he received a warning for offensive language directed towards TikTok star JoJo Siwa, 21, having told her she ‘would not be gay anymore’ if he stayed.
He proceeded to use the F slur and stated he was going to ‘vote out the lesbian’.
JoJo, who is proudly gay and has a non-binary partner in the outside world, broke down in tears after the totally unprovoked remarks and was comforted by Love Island’s Chris Hughes, who also attempted to educate Mickey on what he ‘can’t say’.
In the Diary Room, Mickey apologised for the comments, insisting he didn’t mean any malice and was simply ‘talking smack’.
He then told JoJo directly: ‘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.’
However, it appears he did not learn his lesson.
The former boxer rubbed just about everyone up the wrong way for the remainder of his time in the house, having body-shamed comedian Donna Preston by telling her, ‘You are what you eat,’ and openly insulted Patsy Palmer’s cooking.
As for the final straw, he and Chris, 32, came to blows during the first shopping task of the series, which was pirate-themed.
When it was revealed there was a ‘rat’ among the group, Chris stepped forward and looked at Mickey, which riled him up. The action movie star proceeded to hurl expletives at Chris, with other housemates intervening to prevent the incident from escalating.
Shortly after, Mickey was called to the Diary Room and warned about ‘threatening’ language before being shown the exit.
A spokesperson confirmed: ‘Mickey Rourke has agreed to leave the Celebrity Big Brother house this evening following a discussion with Big Brother regarding further use of inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behaviour.’
Roxanne Pallett
Roxanne Pallett is perhaps the most famous example of a mighty fall from grace thanks to CBB.
The former Emmerdale actress, now 42, ignited widespread anger seven years ago when she accused Corrie’s Ryan Thomas of hurting her with punches to the upper arm.
Ryan, who was joking around at the time, apologised to Roxanne after the seemingly innocent interaction in the kitchen during the 2018 series, but Roxanne maintained that he actually punched her in the stomach ‘deliberately’.
She proceeded to describe the moment as ‘violent’ while reenacting it with greater force to fellow housemates, who were all left baffled by the turn of events.
However, given that Big Brother records housemates 24/7, there was, of course, footage to illustrate what actually went down.
It became clear that Ryan was larking around and merely being playful towards Roxanne, not meaning any harm.
The voice of Big Brother reminded housemates of the rules and explained that, if Ryan had actually acted out of order, he would’ve been removed, leading to the likes of Dan Osborne and Ben Jardine, who were close with Roxanne, questioning her version of the truth.
As the days went on, the situation escalated, and emotions ran high for both Roxanne and Ryan. On the outside, viewers expressed their support for Ryan, and Roxanne received intense backlash, leading to her eventual departure.
In her exit interview with then-host Emma Willis, Roxanne admitted that she got it wrong and apologised to Ryan, who went on to win the show.
Her reputation was irreversibly damaged, though, and the former soap star has since retreated from the spotlight.
Christopher Biggins
In 2016, entertainer Christopher Biggins was removed from the Celebrity Big Brother house after a series of shocking comments.
The pantomime icon, who is gay, declared that bisexual people ‘cannot be trusted’ and said the sexuality is merely a ‘phase’, branding the community ‘the worst type’.
His biphobic jibes were followed by a conversation in which he claimed AIDS was a ‘bisexual disease’.
Furthermore, Biggins is said to have made a number of other ‘comments capable of causing offence to housemates and the viewing public’.
Despite receiving several warnings, Biggins did not learn his lesson and was ejected from the house on day 9 by bosses, with over 500 complaints filed to Ofcom by viewers.
At the time, when asked if he had anything to say in the wake of his ejection, Biggins simply said: ‘I’m very sorry, and I’m very sad.’
He later apologised, noting that he had ‘crossed the line’.
Despite the outrage he caused, the 76-year-old has remained a prominent figure in showbiz since, having appeared on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and other shows.
Ken Morley
Ken Morley was removed from CBB in 2015 after using the N-word.
The former Coronation Street star, 82, used the slur repeatedly and was given a dressing down for his ‘unacceptable language’, which sparked 250 Ofcom complaints.
Appearing on Loose Women after his removal, Ken apologised ‘unreservedly’, but insisted he was not racist.
The Reg Holdsworth soap actor said at the time: ‘I apologise if I disappointed you by saying what I said.
‘It was banter in an odd situation, but I understand entirely I’ve upset a lot of people from everywhere in the world… I am not a racist. Never have been.’
Ken also angered viewers with comments towards his female housemates, which were sexually suggestive.
Jeremy Jackson
It seems 2015 was a huge year for scandals in the CBB house, as Jeremy Jackson was also removed following a serious incident that led to a police caution.
The Baywatch star was kicked out of the house after opening glamour model Chloe Goodman’s dressing gown.
At the time, he was drunk on a mixture of rum and vodka and was sick in the bathroom as Chloe went to help him.
She was then suddenly heard saying, ‘That’s not OK, I’m leaving now,’ before walking out in tears.
Chloe said: ‘He went to my dressing gown top and put my boob out.’
Jeremy initially defended himself, insisting he ‘didn’t know she had nothing on underneath’ her robe.
While the incident itself was not broadcast, the aftermath sparked outrage.
Jeremy was made to sleep in a separate area that night but was removed by producers the following day, who branded his behaviour ‘wholly unacceptable’.
‘I made a mistake, and now I’m in boiling water for it,’ he said at the time.
He later expressed his regret over his actions, and Hertfordshire Police cautioned him for common assault.
In the years that followed, the actor faced the wrath of the law once again, as in 2017, it was reported he had been sentenced to 270 days in prison and five years’ probation after stabbing a woman during an argument in 2015.
Tila Tequila
Also in 2015, Tila Tequila was removed from the house after less than a day.
The American model, 43, ignited many viewer complaints as controversial Facebook posts came to light.
In 2013, she posted antisemitic comments and praised Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, causing fans to question how she even got the CBB gig.
Bosses maintained that they were not aware of the remarks, as a spokesperson said at the time: ‘When they were brought to our attention, she was called for a discussion with producers and subsequently removed from the house.’
Tila went on to rebrand as Tornado Thien, but her public image never recovered from the scandal.
Jessica Alves
Completing our list of ejected housemates, we have 2018 star Jessica Alves, whose repeated use of the N-word sparked 1,000 Ofcom complaints.
The Brazilian-British TV personality used the racial slur twice in a conversation about the type of sexual partner she preferred.
Producers repeatedly chastised her for offensive language and warned that she would be evicted if it continued.
On the 10th day after a further ‘incident,’ the star was expelled in the early hours of the morning.
The 41-year-old, formerly known as the Human Ken Doll, initially blamed excitement and alcohol consumption for her actions, saying she regretted having used the slur.
Celebrity Big Brother airs on ITV1 and ITVX.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.