Celebrity Big Brother certainly didn’t hold back this year with its controversial casting choices. It was only a matter of days before actor Mickey Rourke received a formal warning for his behaviour towards Dance Moms star Jojo Siwa, and while many viewers were questioning if the warning was enough— and whether men like Mickey should in fact be platformed at all— he was recently officially axed from the ITV show for yet another altercation.
Here’s everything you need to know about why the Academy Award nominee was asked to leave.
Why was Mickey Rourke kicked off Celebrity Big Brother?
The official reason for Mickey being booted out of the CBB house was his inappropriate sexual remark towards TOWIE star Ella Rae Wise and threatening language aimed at former Love Islander Chris Hughes.
During a pirate-themed challenge, Mickey told Chris, ‘Don’t f***ing eyeball me, you c***,’ after he felt like Chris looked at him the wrong way.
Later, Ella Rae Wise admitted that Mickey had also made some comments to her which made her feel ‘very uneasy.’ In the diary room, she revealed, ‘[It] just makes me feel on edge. I don’t like the jokes, like the sexual jokes being made towards me. I’m a young girl and I’m not a piece of meat.’
Will Mickey Rourke still be paid for appearing on Celebrity Big Brother?
While Mickey will still be getting paid for his appearance on CBB, reports from The Sun allege that his £500,000 show fee has been slashed by ITV bosses following his dramatic exit. It has not been revealed exactly how much the actor will now be taking home.
What did Mickey Rourke say about being kicked off Celebrity Big Brother?
When told that part of the reason he was being asked to leave was due to his sexual comments to Ella Rae Wise, Mickey said, ‘Oh, I’m not aware of that but OK.’
He then admitted to feeling ‘ashamed’ after his behaviour caused him to be axed from the show.
He said, ‘I did wrong, I apologise, I can’t take it back. I stepped over the line. I take responsibility for doing the wrong thing.’
‘I think I lost my temper and I’ve been trying to work on it my whole life. I wish I would have had better self-control and I’m very sorry. I’m ashamed of myself for losing it for a few seconds there. Nobody got touched or hurt, or maybe some feelings got hurt or maybe others have feelings about others getting upset but, you know, I’m sorry about that.’
‘I blame myself, I know it was my bad. You know, I’ve got a short fuse, and I know I upset a lot of people out there, you know. And I’m sorry for that. I’m actually ashamed of myself for getting that hot.
‘I went over the line, you know, I did wrong. I guess, I’m a work in progress. I just want to pack my bags and leave, you know. I wanted to leave yesterday actually but I wasn’t chosen. But I’d like to leave now, actually.’
What did Mickey Rourke say to Jojo Siwa on Celebrity Big Brother?
Mickey had already offended a number of housemates during his first days in the Celebrity Big Brother House. He told dancer and singer Jojo Siwa— who is currently in a relationship with Dakayla Wilson,— ‘If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.’ In the same episode, Mickey said he was ‘going to vote the lesbian out real quick’. He then shouted that he needed ‘a fag’ before pointing to JoJo and saying, ‘I’m not talking to you’.
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.