Mickey Rourke’s Celebrity Big Brother future at risk after homophobic comment
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Mickey Rourke’s future on Celebrity Big Brother is at risk after he was chosen by Jojo Siwa as a killer nomination ahead of the first live eviction.
The Hollywood actor, 72, has sparked fury from viewers after numerous incidents in the first few days of the ITV reality series.
During the launch episode, he left people horrified over his behaviour towards host AJ Odudu, after he grabbed her and pulled her towards him before eyeing her up and down.
His actions were branded ‘creepy’ and ‘vile’, with some even saying it was ‘harassment’.
Just 48 hours later, Rourke was given a warning by Big Brother for using a homophobic slur.
While speaking to popstar Siwa, 21, he made comments about her sexuality, beginning the conversation by saying: ‘If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.’
He then said he would ‘vote out the lesbian real quick’, and said he needed a ‘fag’, meaning a cigarette, while gesturing to Siwa, adding: ‘I’m not talking to you.’
He later apologised for his comments, after being told his language was ‘offensive and unacceptable’.
Viewers have claimed the warning simply isn’t enough, calling for him to be removed, and their wish may be about to come true.
After being granted the power of a killer nomination, Siwa put Rourke’s future on the show at risk, explaining: ‘I choose to killer nominate Mr Mickey.
What did Mickey Rourke say to JoJo Siwa on Celebrity Big Brother?
On Celebrity Big Brother 2025, Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke sparked uproar with homophobic comments that he made towards internet sensation JoJo Siwa.
Speaking in the House, Rourke, 72, asked Siwa, 21: ‘So do you like girls or boys?’
‘Me? Girls,’ Siwa answered, to which Rourke responded: ‘I know, I could tell.’
After the dancer shared that her partner is non-binary, the housemates who were in the garden started to talk about the eviction due to take place that week on Friday night.
‘If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore,’ Rourke remarked, as Siwa said back to him: ‘I can guarantee I will still be gay and I will still be in a very happy relationship.’
‘I’ll tie you up,’ The Wrestler actor replied.
‘I can promise you that won’t happen,’ Siwa stated. ‘I dare you to try, you’ll be the one tied up.’
Rourke then spoke to some other housemates, asking about the process of voting out other contestants on Celebrity Big Brother.
‘I’m going to vote the lesbian out real quick,’ he said, as Siwa – who was lying on a sun lounger – turned her head towards him and declared: ‘That’s homophobic.’
‘Eh?’ Rourke asked, as Siwa continued: ‘That’s homophobic if that was your reasoning.’
After the actor repeated that he was going to ‘vote the lesbian out’, he then exclaimed: ‘I need a fag’ in reference to wanting a cigarette.
However, he then gestured towards Siwa and quipped: ‘Not talking to you,’ seemingly referencing the f word that’s used as an anti-gay slur.
Love Island star Chris Hughes, who was sitting next to Rourke, told him: ‘You can’t say that Mickey,’ while Siwa kept her composure and said: ‘One breath at a time troops, one breath at a time.’
After Hughes repeated his warning to Rourke, the actor insisted that he had been talking about a cigarette before walking off on his own.
The reality TV star went over to check on Siwa, consoling her as she cried in his arms over the upset. At the same time, Rourke was called to the Diary Room, where he received a formal warning for his remarks.
Later on inside the lounge, Rourke went over to Siwa as he told her: ‘I want to apologise,’ telling her that he has a ‘bad habit of having a short fuse’.
‘I don’t mean nothing by it. Ok sorry,’ he said as he shook her hand, while she told him that she appreciated his apology.
Rourke’s homophobic comments towards Siwa happened a day after he was criticised for touching presenter AJ Odudu ‘inappropriately’ on stage.
‘Mickey’s comments towards me were effective and he said some pretty hurtful things.
‘And I think one thing you really have to do in the Big Brother house is care about others, and him saying that flat out today honestly made the killer nomination choice pretty easy.’
She then added: ‘I feel like a lot of the public isn’t going to be too happy with Mickey after seeing how this day went so I do think it’s possible that he could be evicted from the house.
‘But his time being cut short, that is the best case scenario for me.’
Recent odds have also revealed Rourke is tipped to be kicked out the house by ITV before the first public eviction.
Data from Card Player, using Brandwatch social listening, shows the Sin City star received a flood of negative reaction following his actions towards Odudu, before the homophobic comment he made.
Rourke’s mentions on X were 31% negative, compared to just 11% positive, leaving him with a net sentiment score of -20% – the worst of any housemate by a clear margin, the data reveals.
Card Player have subsequently priced Rourke at 6/4 to be removed from the house by ITV or Big Brother before the public get the chance to vote.
Spokesperson for Card Player, Liam Solomon, said: ‘Mickey Rourke’s explosive start has certainly grabbed headlines, but not in the way he might’ve hoped.
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‘The numbers show just how unpopular he’s been with UK audiences – scoring well below every other housemate in terms of social sentiment since the programme started, including fellow controversy magnets like JoJo Siwa and Michael Fabricant.
‘With odds of 6/4 to be removed by ITV, it’s now a waiting game to see whether producers intervene or if Rourke can turn public opinion around.’
Rourke had earlier claimed he wasn’t convinced he’d last more than four days in the Celebrity Big Brother house.
After his warning from Big Brother, he apologised to Siwa, saying: ‘I don’t have dishonourable intentions – I’m just talking smack you know. I wasn’t taking it all so serious. I didn’t mean in it any bad intentions and if I did, sorry.’
This comes after Rourke revealed his intention for signing up to the programme – despite having never watched the show before.
‘It was between this or a really bad independent movie, and I’ve had it up to here with really bad independent movies.
‘So I said, you know what? Let’s go do that thing in England. I want to go to London anyway.
‘I know nothing about this show. I’m not worried — I don’t care about any bad habits I might have for the world to see,’ he told The Sun.
Celebrity Big Brother continues tomorrow night at 9pm on ITV1.
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