Well, there you have it. Just three episodes into Celebrity Big Brother, and the hit reality series – blithely exhumed by ITV in 2023 after its dismal original run came to an end in 2018 – reverted to its ugliest form: a platform for bigotry and raw offence. Mickey Rourke, the faded Hollywood star whose tenure on the show seemed pre-destined for disaster, produced one of the most objectionable spectacles British television has seen in years.
Speaking to JoJo Siwa, a gay 21-year-old influencer turned pop act, Rourke joked that she “wouldn’t be gay any more” if he remained in the house with her for four days. After declaring that he was “going to vote the lesbian out real quick”, Rourke said that he was going outside to smoke a “fag”, before turning to Siwa and remarking, “I’m not talking to you.”
