Big Brother contestant faces racism allegations over past posts

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 17:29 · Archive

Big Brother contestant Rochelle Rackham, 57, has faced nearly 500 complaints over racism and bullying allegations during the show.

Rochelle Rackham, a 57-year-old Essex-born mother of three, has become one of the most controversial contestants in recent Big Brother history. A clash between her and co-star Johanne Cade, a Black woman, prompted nearly 500 complaints to Ofcom from viewers accusing Rackham of racism and bullying. Johanne described one kitchen interaction with Rackham as feeling like a 'microaggression'.

A racist social media post from 11 years ago has come to light in which Rackham reposted an image of a person bungee jumping with text reading 'Experience bungee jumping only £35 a jump. Muslims go free. No strings attached.' She captioned it 'Love this'. The Daily Mail notes that at the time Rackham was working as a nail technician, including for actress Laila Rouass, who saw the post and publicly distanced herself from it on Facebook.

A family source said Rackham later deleted the post after becoming aware of the offence it could cause, and that she regretted sharing it and would 'never want to cause anyone hurt or upset'. The source stated the language used does not reflect her values. Metro reports that a racist anecdote Rackham told during filming, about a Black man on a train, was cut from the episode. ITV has confirmed awareness of the historic post but stated Rackham will remain in the house, although all contestants attend Respect and Inclusion training before entering.

How it is being reported

• Big Brother star Rochelle Rackham’s ‘racist anecdote axed from episode’Rochelle reportedly shared a ‘racist’ anecdote that was cut from the episode (Picture: Shutterstock for Big Brother) Big Brother star Rochelle Rackham has found herself at the centre of a racism row on the ITV reality series. The contestant, 57, has proved a divisive figure in the house, with…Metro · 15 Oct, 17:00
• Big Brother star Rochelle Rackham's 'racist' social media activity revealed: She's prompted hundreds of complaints over her 'bullying' on the show... and now insiders tell MOLLY CLAYTON about previous behaviour ITV bosses missedShe's the Essex-born mother of three who has proved one of the most controversial Big Brother contestants in recent years.Daily Mail · 15 Oct, 02:00

In this story: Rochelle Rackham · Johanne Cade · Laila Rouass · Ronnie O'Sullivan · ITV · Ofcom · Big Brother

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