ITV has issued a statement after the latest episode of Big Brother was removed from its streaming service.
Tuesday evening’s episode (23 October), as well as the Late & Live spin-off, were pulled from ITVX while online clips were deleted from social media websites.
It followed the show finding itself at the centre of a heated controversy after housemate Ali wore a T-shirt that depicted a map of Israel as a watermelon.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) lodged a formal complaint with Ofcom, voicing concerns over the imagery.
In a statement on X, the group said: “This graphic has caused significant distress among the British Jewish community, who regard it as a genocidal message similar to the slogan ‘From the River to the Sea’ which calls for the elimination of the world’s only Jewish state.
“How did the show’s staff allow this shirt to be worn, let alone broadcast it on national television? This incident represents a serious violation of broadcasting standards.”
In a statement, ITV said: “All housemate items are checked by our production team before they go into the Big Brother House to ensure they comply with the rules and compliance requirements.
“Big Brother does not allow any personal items into the house that could be deemed harmful.
“We regret that the implications of this particular item of clothing were not fully understood in our bag checks or prior to broadcast of (Tuesday)’s show.
“We apologise to any viewers who have been offended by the broadcast and assure viewers that Big Brother was unaware of the implications of the image.
“The item of clothing has been removed from the house. The housemate has been spoken to and they have expressed that they are unaware of the implications and did not wish to cause any harm or offence.
“Any offensive messaging associated with the image does not reflect the values or beliefs of Big Brother.”
The episode and clips have since been replaced, with Ali’s t-shirt edited out.
In the episode, tensions in the Big Brother house spiked as several housemates, including Ali, Khaled, Segun, and Hanah, were called out for breaking rules on nominations.
A divide deepened between Hanah and “the boys,” with Ali feeling personally targeted.
Meanwhile, hunger added to the chaos, leading to a heated argument between Marcello and Sarah over a chicken found in the oven.
Big Brother airs nightly on ITV2 and ITVX.
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