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Celebrity Big Brother has become engulfed in more controversy after Trisha Goddard accused housemate Michael Fabricant of “Islamophobia” during Friday night’s show (11 April).
The former Tory MP, 47, was made to give a political speech as part of a task on the show, and was asked by housemate Chesney Hawkes for his opinion on the topic of immigration.
Fabricant explained that he is not originally of English origin, adding that his surname is French and he is of Jewish descent.
He said: “Jewish people, when they usually come to this country, believe: do in Rome as the Romans do.” (The phrase “Do as the Romans do” refers to adapting yourself to the customs and behaviour of the people in a certain place.)
Fabricant added: “Do not come to this country if your aim is to change everybody to your way of thinking.”
TV host Goddard interjected, saying: “Hang on – are you slipping into Islamophobia? Because you're going to have trouble. It's getting dangerous.”
Fabricant replied: “Who has mentioned Islam?”
He continued: “Don’t misunderstand me. I’m trying to explain this country has benefitted from wave upon wave of immigration.”
Later in the Diary Room, Fabricant said Goddard was “jumping at conclusions”.
“She was stereotyping me as a Conservative MP, then she suddenly jumped onto the topic of Islamophobia, which is not what I was getting at, because I made it very clear.”
“I thought it was a bit simplistic for her to jump onto that, and I didn’t like it.”
The tense exchange left viewers divided, with many siding with Goddard, while others said her words were “uncalled for”.
"Trisha was simply reading in between the lines no??? We all know what Michael was getting at,” wrote one viewer on X/Twitter.
Another added: “Trisha is absolutely on the money, the ‘don't try and change our way of thinking’ is 100% an Islamophobic trope, she has some balls to say it so directly!”
However, others argued she “took it too far”, with one viewer stating: “I’m not one to defend a Tory but why did Trisha just randomly accuse Michael of being an Islamophobe?”
Another said: “I think Trisha is incredibly brave being on cbb with cancer….. however you really shouldn’t say someone could be being Islamophobic just because you don’t share your political views, to me she knew what she was doing and that’s really not cool at all.”
The Independent has contacted ITV and representatives for Goddard and Fabricant for comment.
Later in the episode, the politician faced the public vote alongside The Wrestler actor Mickey Rourke, 72, and Coronation Street star Jack P. Shepherd, 37, after receiving the most nominations from fellow housemates. It was Fabricant who was chosen to be evicted and left the house to a mixture of cheers and boos.
Rourke remains in the competition despite calls from the public to have him eliminated after he made homophobic comments directed at 21-year-old Dance Moms star JoJo Siwa.
The actor was given a formal warning by Big Brother after he suggested he could turn Siwa straight, before announcing he “needs a fag” and pointing at Siwa, saying, “I’m not talking to you.” He also remarked that he would “vote the lesbian out” of the show.
It comes after Rourke faced criticism for “grabbing” and “ogling” Big Brother host AJ Odudu during the launch episode of the programme on Monday night (7 April), in which Odudu told him, “Stop looking at me!”
One viewer wrote on X/Twitter: “He should be removed for this. It’s disturbing, particularly after how he was with AJ, too.”
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