The Celebrity Big Brother Moment That People Think Went Too Far
The following article includes allegations of assault.
A house full of people locked together for a prolonged period of time, with cameras all around them and the threat of eviction constantly looming overhead — what could go wrong? The reality TV competition series "Big Brother" began in the Netherlands in 1999 and quickly grew into a globally loved TV phenomenon. If for some reason you've never come across it, the show puts a random assortment of people into a house and they're filmed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Sure, there's a big cash prize at the end of it, but it's not easy living with strangers and having to do challenges or tasks to win extra food and drinks throughout the week.
Since "Big Brother" only got more popular as the years went by, a celebrity edition was created, with reality TV stars, actors, and singers taking part in a shorter version of the series. As entertaining as the "Big Brother" franchise is, it hasn't gone without controversy over the years. A number of housemates got into dramatic arguments, fights, and relationships, and occasionally, tumult and tension boiled over into real life. In particular, most people remember a specific moment from the U.K. version of "Celebrity Big Brother" that went way too far.
The playful punches from Ryan Thomas
Back in the 2018 edition of "Celebrity Big Brother," actor Ryan Thomas punched soap opera actress Roxanne Pallett in the ribs as she was carrying a pile of dirty washing. Thomas meant for the light punches to be playful jabs, circling Pallett and pretending like he was a boxer. Pallett quipped in what sounded like a joking tone, "Ow! Woman-beater!" She then joked that she was going to ask Thomas if he had any laundry that needed to be washed, but that she "might shrink them instead" as payback.
The pair both laughed at the time, but in reality, Pallett didn't see the funny side of the incident. The actress headed straight to the diary room — a place where contestants can share their feelings without others around — to explain on camera that "[Thomas] actually punched [her] like a boxer would punch a bag," before claiming that wasn't a joke and that he deliberately meant to hurt her (via Her.ie).
She later demonstrated on another member of the house how hard she felt Thomas punched her, drawing a shocked gasp from them. The "Emmerdale" actress also took aim at the "Big Brother" producers for not kick Thomas off the show following the incident.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support attheir website.
Audiences were outraged at Roxanne, who later apologized to Ryan
Audiences in the U.K. were in uproar over Roxanne Pallett's allegation of assault against Ryan Thomas, since the footage didn't appear to show Thomas using any force against her. Metro reported that Pallett's accusation against Thomas became the most complained-about incident of the decade, with 25,327 complaints made to Ofcom, the United Kingdom's government-approved regulator of TV series, radio programs, and other shows.
Pallett eventually exited "Celebrity Big Brother" of her own accord — but not after audiences made it very clear how much they disliked her during eviction night, as housemates could hear chants of "get Roxanne out!" from the crowd. The actress later apologized for the accusations she made against Thomas.
"I massively apologize to not only Ryan, but [also to] his friends, his family, his fans, every single person who watched that and who justifiably saw an overreaction to what wasn't a malicious act. Because I am sensitive, I mistook what was playful [as something serious]," Pallett said during an appearance on "Jeremy Vine" (via Facebook). "There was no malicious intention behind that, and that is what I apologize for because I shouldn't have questioned his motivation. I got it wrong."
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.