“We all celebrated” — Celebrity Big Brother UK fans react to Mickey Rourke’s exit after using a homophobic slur

The abrupt departure of Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke from the Celebrity Big Brother UK house has sparked intense reactions across social media platforms. The 72-year-old star was removed from the reality competition following multiple incidents involving inappropriate language, most notably a homophobic slur directed at fellow contestant JoJo Siwa.

Since the announcement of his exit, fans have flooded platforms like X with comments ranging from relief to disappointment. Celebrity Big Brother UK, a popular reality show where famous personalities live together under constant camera surveillance while competing for public favor, often generates controversy.

However, Rourke's brief stint on the show created an unusually heated atmosphere both inside and outside the house. The situation has divided viewers, with many celebrating his removal as necessary enforcement of basic respect, while others feel it's a loss for the show because according to them he was the show's most entertaining personality.

Fans react to Mickey Rourke’s removal from Celebrity Big Brother UK

Many fans approved of the production team's decision to eliminate Rourke, suggesting that the actor's behavior crossed important boundaries. These viewers emphasized that reality television entertainment shouldn't come at the expense of participants' dignity.

“We all celebrated,” one fan commented on X.

“Bro got kicked out for wildin’ with the mouth… Big Brother said “pack it up, Mick.”” another fan said.

“And water is wet lmao what did they expect” a fan remarked.

“i’ve been scared of mickey rourke for years thanks to 30 rock but this is my first time witnessing his insanity irl somebody gotta put that dog DOWN,” another fan said online.

“Man, I used to like Mickey Rourke. But here is another example why celebrities aren't role models,” a fan commented.

“He is so weird! I bet they are happy,” another fan commented.

Many pointed out that Rourke's language and threatening remarks directed at Siwa represented unacceptable behavior that warranted immediate action, rather than the delayed response that eventually occurred.

“should have happened sooner,” a fan of the show said.

“His old a*s had no business on that show spreading hate. Good riddance,” another fan said.

“Sorry but it took them way too long, people have been kicked off much sooner for way less terrible things,” a fan said.

Conversely, a minority of viewers expressed disappointment about Rourke's removal from Celebrity Big Brother UK. These fans typically framed their argument around concepts of authenticity and entertainment value.

Some suggested that the producers should have anticipated Rourke's controversial personality when casting him.

“Not defending his behavior at all but Mickey Rourke was invited and the authentic Mickey Rouke showed up. If you thought he’d be someone else; that’s on YOU!” a fan commented.

“Unfortunately he's the only interesting person in the show. Now there will be no viral clips.” a fan said.

“So she could be herself, but he couldn’t? Snowflake behavior makes for horrible television. Gen Z has been an utter disappointment.” another fan commented.

“So instead of trying to have him talk it out with jojo we just cancel him and DQ him? Yea, this is a brilliant way to allow a different perspective and using it as a teaching moment, no matter how tough it may be,” another fan said.

In general, while younger viewers of Celebrity Big Brother UK generally seem to be supporting Rourke's removal, some older fans have defended his presence on the show.

What led to Micheal Rourke’s removal from the show?

Rourke's troubles on Celebrity Big Brother UK began shortly after entering the house following an interaction he had with JoJo Siwa, the 21-year-old singer and dancer. According to available YouTube footage from Big Brother UK, Rourke told her:

"If I stay longer than four days, you won't be g*y anymore."

Siwa firmly responded:

"I can guarantee I'll still be g*y, and I'll still be in a very happy relationship."

Rourke replied:

"I'll tie you up."

The situation worsened when Siwa overheard Rourke telling fellow housemate Chris Hughes that he was "going to vote the le*bian out real quick." Siwa immediately confronted him about these comments, stating directly:

"That's homophobic, if that was your reasoning."

Following these incidents, Rourke was summoned to the diary room where producers issued a formal warning, stating his "language was offensive and unacceptable" and cautioning that further violations could result in removal from the house.

Despite the warning and a subsequent apology to Siwa, Rourke apparently continued using inappropriate language over the weekend. The exact nature of these final comments have not been publicly disclosed, but they reportedly proved sufficient for producers to take action.

A Celebrity Big Brother spokesperson confirmed the departure in a statement to Us Weekly:

"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."

Reports indicate that Rourke left the Big Brother compound overnight after this discussion.

The situation has affected more than just social media discourse. Siwa's partner, Kath Ebbs, publicly condemned Rourke's behavior as "beyond disgusting." Meanwhile, Siwa's mother, Jessalyn Siwa, expressed concern about sending her daughter into such an environment.

"I'm really sad, though, that I sent my kid — and she is my kid [because] I am her mom and she is my kid — to a foreign country to do a TV show and she got treated like that right away, right out of the gate," Jessalyn Siwa shared on Instagram.

Rourke's abrupt departure from Celebrity Big Brother UK has spurred more extensive discussions regarding the accountability of reality TV producers for candidate selection and conduct monitoring. The criteria for what is deemed appropriate on-air are subject to shift in tandem with viewer expectations.

Celebrity Big Brother UK producers are now treading carefully. Drama and personality conflicts are common in Celebrity Big Brother UK, but this instance serves as a reminder that actual people with actual feelings are hidden behind every story and contentious situation.

For viewers, the controversy has opened up a broader discussion about what kind of behavior we’re willing to accept on our screens. Whether this will impact the show's ratings or who gets cast in the future isn’t clear yet, but one thing’s for sure: Celebrity Big Brother UK isn’t leaving the spotlight anytime soon.

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You can watch Celebrity Big Brother UK live on ITV1 or stream it for free on ITVX