Celebrity Big Brother contestants felt “vulnerable” and a “bit scared” after Mickey Rourke made threats of physical violence during a task, the show’s co-host Will Best has said.
The Bafta-winning star of The Wrestler, 72, agreed to leave the ITV1 show on Saturday after “further use of inappropriate language” and “instances of unacceptable behaviour”.
Rourke caused upset in the house from the start and was warned by Big Brother over “unacceptable language and behaviour” towards former Dance Moms star JoJo Siwa following comments about her sexuality.
The Oscar-nominated actor’s exit came after he used “sexual language” towards The Only Way Is Essex star Ella Rae Wise, and “language and behaviour” that “was threatening and aggressive” towards Love Island star Chris Hughes.
AJ Odudu and Will Best, co-hosts of Celebrity Big Brother (Lucy North/PA)
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Best told This Morning that Rourke’s quick exit was not “something entirely unexpected, just because it’s an extreme environment”, and “Mickey is prone to certain types of behaviour, I guess there’s always a danger”.
He added: “Where I was surprised was that he crossed the line again so quickly, and the way that it happened.
“So (there were) two instances on Saturday. First of all, he got threatening. He threatened Chris Hughes with physical violence, basically, which was totally out of proportion, they were all dressed as pirates, just messing around in a task.
“I can’t repeat exactly what Mickey said, but it was bad, and it made not just Chris – Chris handled it very well – but it made the rest of the house feel vulnerable, a bit scared.”
He added that “sadly”, the same day he made “totally inappropriate” remarks to Wise that “made her feel understandably vulnerable, and that is the point where you’ve got to go”.
Best said that “hopefully he will learn from it”, and added that Rourke is not an “evil man”.
“He behaved in a way that is not right when you’re living in a house with people and it’s supposed to be an entertainment show,” he added.
Best also said that felt “a bit sorry for him. I know he’s had a really difficult life in some ways” and wanted in a way to “educate him”.
Dance Moms star and CBB participant JoJo Siwa (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
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Rourke, known for the movies Iron Man 2, 9 1/2 Weeks and Sin City, admitted before he left the house that he tried his “hardest to get out of here”.
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“I always went against the machine, and I don’t want to go through life, like, with a clenched fist any more,” he told Big Brother.
“I spent my whole life like this, and it gets hard. It wears you out.”
Rourke also apologised and said: “I stepped over the line. And I take responsibility for doing the wrong thing. Because I lost my temper, and I’ve been trying to work on it my whole life and 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.
“Maybe some feelings got hurt or maybe others have feelings about others getting upset but, you know, I’m sorry about that.”
Rourke had been put up for eviction on Friday, alongside former Tory MP Sir Michael Fabricant and Coronation Street star Jack P Shepherd, but was saved by the public vote.
Sir Michael was the first contestant to leave the show this year.
