Oscar-nominated actor Mickey Rourke agreed to leave celebrity Big Brother UK after the producer warned about inappropriate behaviour and aggressive language on the onset of the hit reality series.
Rourke, 72, agreed to leave the show on April 12 following a conflict between 32-year-old Chris Hughes and Houseguest and Love Island alumni.
“Are you watching me?” Rourke asked Hughes on a pirate-themed challenge after some houseguests suggested there were mice among the crew.
“Don't look at me, don't catch your eye,” Rourke told Hughes as the other houseguests separated the pair.
Following the disagreement between Rourke and Hughes, a celebrity Big Brother UK spokesman said the actor's language was deemed “threatening and offensive” and no physical altercation occurred.
“Mickey Rourke has agreed to leave the celebrity Big Brother home tonight following a discussion with Big Brother about further use of inappropriate language and cases of unacceptable behavior,” a celebrity Big Brother UK spokesman told the BBC.
Sunday's episode showed what led to Rourke's departure. He said that using “sexual language” the only way Essex star Ella Raywise, 24, felt uncomfortable.
“(It) makes me feel bad. I don't like jokes, just as sexual jokes are made towards me. I'm a young girl, I'm not a piece of meat,” Wise told Big Brother in the diary room.
Big Brother then announced to the house that Rourke was leaving just seven days after entering the house.
Rourke apologized when he was faced with his actions in the diary room, saying, “Sorry. I can't get it back, I stepped on the line.”
“And I take responsibility for doing the wrong thing. I lost my temper and I was trying to work on it for the rest of my life, so I hope I had better self-control. I'm ashamed to lose it for a few seconds there,” he said.
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“I blame myself. I know it was my bad, you know, I have a short fuse. I get the upset a lot of people out there,” Rourke continued. “I'm sorry. I'm embarrassed to actually make it hot. I passed the line. You know, I was wrong. I can say I'm ongoing work.”
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A few days before he left home, Rourke received his first warning by the production after directing several homophobic comments to fellow housemate JoJo Siwa, 21.
In the clip from the episode, Rourke can be heard asking Wywa if she likes boys or girls.
“Me? A girl. My partner is non-binary,” Siwa said in the footage.
“If I stayed for more than four days, you won't be gay anymore,” Rourke replied to Scis.
“I can assure you, I'm still gay and I'm still in a very happy relationship,” Siwa shot.
Later in the episode, Rourke told Hughes, “I'm going to vote for lesbians really soon.” Siwa hears this and tells Rourke, “If that's your reasoning, it's homophobic.”
Rourke then yelled out loud, “I need an af**,” and gestured towards the wrinkles, “I'm not talking to you.”
Hughes jumps in and says he shouldn't say Rourke.
After Rourke returned home, Big Brother said on the speaker: “This is Big Brother, will Mickey come to the diary room?”
“Mickey, do you understand that this language is offensive to your housemates and viewers?” Big Brother asked Rourke when he was in the diary room.
“Big Brother thinks your language is offensive and unacceptable,” Big Brother told Rourke. “As a result, Big Brother is giving you a formal warning.”
“Yes, I understand that. I apologize. I have no disgraceful intentions. I'm just talking about Smack, right?” Rourke said.
In a statement to Variety, a spokesman for ITV, which airs celebrity Big Brother UK, said:
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“Housemates are monitored 24 hours a day, and cases of inappropriate behavior are handled appropriately and in a timely manner.”
After Rourke began making headlines for comments on the show, actress Bella Thorne accused him of sexual misconduct on the set of the film they worked on together. She did not specify a project, but the pair cooperated with Horror Film Girl, which was released in 2020.
“This f****ing dude. Gross,” the throne wrote in a photo of Rourke. “I had to work with this guy, I'm on my knees, tied to my back with my hands. He's supposed to bring a metal grinder to my patella hat.
“Working with Mickey was one of the worst experiences of my life as an actress,” added Thorne.
In another post, Thorn continues to explain her experience with Rourke, “I've speeded up his engine and spinned it, including the last scene of him, allowing him to completely cover me with dirt.”
“I think he found it funny to humiliate me in front of the entire crew. He refused to talk to the director or producer, so he absolutely had to go to the trailer alone. He cried out the crazy demands he wanted from the producer, so he had to yell and complete his work.
“Because the film wouldn't have ended without him. Everyone's job would have been lost and they would have done absolutely nothing. I didn't want to do it. I was uncomfortable, but I did what was asked to do and what was perfect for the film,” she said. “Mickey shouldn't have put anyone in that film in any of the positions he's made.”
In response to Thorn's allegations, Rourke's representative told the Hollywood Reporter:
“Mr. Rourke has defied intentional misconduct. He had not previously been contacted with claims of this nature and was unaware of the discomfort that Thorn expressed at the time,” the official continued. “We respect all involved parties and in light of the gravity of the claim, Mr. Rourke will refrain from making further comments at this point.”
“He is ready to work fully together with proper research and expand his support to all professionals who deserve safe and respected in the workplace,” added a Rourke representative.
“Celebrity Big Brother UK” will air weekday nights on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm on BST.
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