Big Brother issued housemate Sarah with a formal warning during Thursday’s show, after she sparked fury with a ‘racial joke.’
The spa accounts manager was called into The Diary Room after she appeared to put playful turn on the slogan Stop The Boats, leading to some furious fans to claim she should be removed from the house.
Sarah first made the comments in a previous shopping task, when she called housemate Hanah ‘gloaty.’
During a task, she also chanted the phrase ‘Stop the gloats!’, a spin on former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s campaign to ‘swiftly remove’ anyone who entered the country illegally on small boats.
The comments came to light during Thursday’s episode as a result of a shopping task, and later in the evening, Hanah, Khaled and Segun expressed their concerns about racial sensitivity surrounding them.
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Big Brother issued housemate Sarah with a formal warning during Thursday’s show, after she sparked fury with a ‘racial joke’
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Viewers have called for Sarah to be removed from the house after she put a playful turn on the slogan Stop The Boats, with Hanah later admitting she ‘didn’t think it was funny’
Confiding in Segun, Hanah first said: ‘I don’t know how I feel about that one. I don’t like that.’
Later in the Diary Room, she went onto say: ‘I don’t think that’s funny, if I’m being honest with you.
‘I studied international politics; I graduated with 2:1, babes. I’m not stupid.’
Sarah was then called into the Diary Room by Big Brother, who told her: ‘Sarah, Big Brother wants to talk to you about language you have been using in the house.’
‘Hanah, Khaled, and Emma had been aware that you previously used the term ”gloaty” about Hanah. This was referring to a conversation you had with Emma where you described Hanah as gloaty in a reference to Marcello becoming the Head of House.
‘On a separate occasion prior to this, during the Vampires and Villagers task, together with Nathan, you chanted, ”Stop the gloats”, which you confirmed was a reference to the political phrase, ”Stop the boats”.’
Sarah, who once admitted to voting UKIP, replied: ‘For me, it was just funny because it rhymed, and I don’t really talk about politics that often because it’s not something I’m interested in, but it was a joke.
‘It had no racial connotations, I have no connotations about boats or immigration, or anything like that. It was just making funny of political slogans.’
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Confiding in Segun after Sarah explained the context of her joke, Hanah said: ‘I don’t know how I feel about that one. I don’t like that’
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Sarah was then called into the Diary Room by Big Brother, who noted that her language ‘had an impact on her fellow housemates’
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Asked if there was anything she would like to say, Sarah said: ‘I’d like to say that if I’ve offended anybody by making that kind of joke, I am genuinely 100% remorseful’
Viewers were quick to share their own fury on social media, with some calling for Sarah to be removed from the house for her comments
Big Brother went onto explain the context of the chants saying: ‘When Hanah questioned you about you calling her gloaty, you referred to the ‘Stop the gloats’ chant you had created with Nathan during the earlier task,’ Big Brother told her.
‘Your use of language around this political reference has had an impact on your fellow housemates.
‘As you know, the Big Brother house is made up of people from all walks of life with different life experiences.’
Visibly confused, Sarah then replied: ‘Sorry, I’m not disagreeing with you, there is lots of walks of life, but I did not mean that with anything towards immigration or racial intent.
‘For me, it was just a funny wordplay.’
Asked if there was anything she would like to say, Sarah said: ‘I’d like to say that if I’ve offended anybody by making that kind of joke, I am genuinely 100% remorseful.
‘That is down to my own stupidity and selfishness, me making a joke with wordplay and being like, ”Haha! Good joke!” and not thinking about how that would affect other people.’
Big Brother then went onto tell Sarah: ‘Big Brother cannot permit language that is likely to be considered offensive by housemates or the viewing public.’
Saying she understood, Sarah responded: ‘Yes, very, very much so.’
Viewers were quick to share their own fury on social media, with some calling for Sarah to be removed from the house for her comments.
Posts on X included: ‘STOP THE WHATT??? Not Sarah baiting herself out to being a racist… she needs to get EVICTED immediately that ain’t no joke;’
‘I wasn’t joking. Sarah crossed a line;’
‘In the space of five minutes, Sarah has made an ignorant racial ”joke” body-shamed a 20-year-old girl and has humiliated her in front of the entire group;’
‘What did Sarah just say…? She needs to be next to go I’m so serious;
‘Come on Big Brother just remove Sarah, she deserves it and you’ve removed people for less before;
‘Watching Sarah get told out by Big Brother, now kick her out; Sarah talking about ”stop the boats” oh I really don’t like her.’
MailOnline has contacted a representative for ITV for further comment.
Elsewhere in the episode, Lily also sparked fury among her housemates by appearing to break the rules yet again, declaring ‘she was going to nominate’ Sarah after a disagreement.
Friday’s episode will see Lily, Ali, Khaled, Emma and Baked Potato set to face a double eviction, with two housemates set to bid farewell during the next live show.