Big Brother evictee Trish Balusa has spoken out after a series of “concerning” posts from her old X account resurfaced.
Over the weekend, posts shared by Trish between 2012 and 2019 in which she made derogatory comments about a number of minorities including Asian people and the gay community were widely shared online after her shock eviction.
In a statement posted on Sunday, the 33-year-old said she was “sincerely” sorry “for the harmful stereotypes I perpetuated and the pain I have caused to the marginalised communities and groups of people mentioned”.
She continued: “There are no excuses for the ignorance that I showed and I am deeply disappointed, embarrassed and ashamed that I once made such comments.
“I have come a very long way since, by educating myself and being educated by others on the impact and harm these views cause. It is part of the reason why I am so passionate about standing up for others and holding myself to a high standard of responsibility and accountability for my actions.”
During her time in the Big Brother house, Trish was vocal about her passion for social justice, and after her eviction, spoke out about “microaggressions” she felt she faced from other contestants based on both her gender and race.
Trish continued: “I appreciate the support you’ve all given me on the show and I understand you feel disappointed. I know apologies can seem convenient in these circumstances but I mean it from the bottom of my heart: I am truly sorry. I hope it is possible for you to offer me grace and believe that people can change.
“I am committed to being the person I am now, the person you have known me as – someone who speaks up, stands for what they believe in, and always open to growth and accountability.”
An ITV spokesperson told Sky News: “This weekend, we have been made aware of concerning historical tweets.
“We are currently looking into why they were not identified by the independent supplier we engage to review the digital footprint of potential Housemates as part of our pre-checks.”
After posting her apology, Trish was noticeably absent from Sunday’s edition of Big Brother companion show Late & Live.
During her time in the house, per Big Brother’s welfare guidelines, she and her fellow housemates’ social media accounts were deactivated.
Trish then reactivated her old X (formerly Twitter) account after her eviction, but now appears to have deleted it once again, and launched a new page instead.
Following this weekend’s double eviction, just eight contestants remain in the house, with a winner set to be crowned during Friday’s live final.
Big Brother continues on Monday night at 9pm on ITV2.