Celebrity Big Brother has barely even begun and already we have our first scandal. The perpetrator is none other than Academy Award nominee and former boxer, Mickey Rourke, who has starred in hit films like 9 ½ weeks (1986), Barfly (1987) and more recently, The Wrestler (2008).
Now, Mickey is one of the housemates for series 25 of Celebrity Big Brother, and although he is one of the show’s biggest signings, he has had a turbulent career full of public feuds— including one famously with Robert De Niro— meaning he's sure to cause a stir in the house.
However, Mickey didn't wait to enter the house before causing controversy. As the actor walked on stage, he was greeted by hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best. While Will Best received a handshake from the actor, Mickey Rourke gave AJ Odudu a twirl and pulled her close, to which Will joked, ‘Careful Mickey!’ and AJ said, ‘you’re very flirtatious!’
As AJ continued to talk, Mickey could be seen clearly ogling the host and eyeing her up and down, leading AJ to joke, ‘Stop looking at me!’ The pair tried to push Mickey towards the door, but he was rooted firmly in place and heard saying to AJ, ‘I want to stay with you.’
Now, AJ Odudu has finally commented on the star’s behaviour. On the CBB aftershow, Late & Live, guest Alan Carr said, ‘Can we talk about Mickey Rourke looking at you? Wow his eyes. Find someone who looks at you the way Mickey looks at you. His tongue was hanging out.’
AJ responded, ‘It literally was. I was like, “You can’t afford these feathers Mickey, no!”’
Viewers were quick to express their disgust at the actor's behaviour. One X user wrote, ‘I put money on Mickey Rourke getting kicked out within the next few days. How he treated AJ was totally unacceptable’ with another commenting, ‘And every woman just cringed in horror at Mickey Rourke ogling AJ like that.’
Another wrote, ‘Jokes aside. Mickey Rourke made AJ very uncomfortable when he was entering the house. I do hope he goes out soon as that behaviour was unpleasant & unprofessional. We all know what Kim Woodburn would say. I hope AJ is okay,’ accompanied by the iconic gif of Kim Woodburn screaming, ‘Dirty! Filth!’
Many don’t see his CBB journey lasting long, with one viewer posting, ‘Mickey Rourke is going to be this year’s chauvinistic pig. Calling it now. Going to be scandal and booted out.’
With weeks of the show left to go, only time will tell how long Mickey will last in the Big Brother house.
Sarah O'Byrne is a content creator for Bauer Media, writing celebrity news and features across six of the company’s brands – heat, Closer, Grazia, Crime Monthly, Bella, and Yours. Sarah has worked at Bauer Media since May 2023.