Big Brother evictee Trish Balusa has spoken out for the first time after facing a widespread backlash over unearthed social media posts.
Trish, who had a favourite to win the current series of Big Brother, left the show during Friday night’s double eviction.
While her social media accounts were shut down during her time in the house, in accordance with the show’s welfare guidelines, she reactivated her page on X (formerly Twitter) after her eviction, and it didn’t take long until old posts began to resurface.
Among these were derogatory comments about a number of minorities including Asian people and the gay community, for which she said she was “sincerely sorry”.
Trish did not appear on Big Brother companion show Late & Live after the backlash, but has now given her first interview since her eviction to Indy100.
Reflecting on the past week, Trish admitted she was “shocked” when the tweets first began circulating, to the extent she even questioned whether or not they were real.
“When I realised [they were], I was literally devastated, and I can’t explain the embarrassment I felt, and still feel,” she said.
“But also, I think I’m really grateful about how people perceived my apology. When you’re writing an apology like that, you’re almost conscious that it almost doesn’t matter why you did what you did, you’re just sorry. And that’s the part that I’m struggling with.
“People want you to explain why you said what you said, but I think explaining is almost justifying it. There are no explanations for this, there are no excuses for this, it just shouldn’t have happened.”
During her time in the house, Trish was vocal about her passion for social justice, and after her eviction, addressed “microaggressions” she felt she faced from other contestants based on both her gender and race.
“I think for the first time I looked in the mirror and I saw in myself the people that I criticise,” she said of the backlash, later stating: “I have also been complicit in perpetuating views that are very hurtful for others, that are very oppressive to others, that perpetuate stereotypes.
“It’s been very shocking, but it’s been a mirror to me, because it’s highlighted that actually, as I teach people, I came from a place of being taught.”
“However,” she added. “I do want to remind people that I couldn’t fake who I was on Big Brother for that long.”
Trish went on to say that she is “going to have to have a conversation” with her housemates, including Yinrun, Jordan, Henry and Matty, about her past posts when they leave the house.
“You have to think about the people that it does affect in your life, and I definitely thought of them,” she said.
“This is a conversation I’m going to have to have with a lot of people who are in those marginalised groups that are hurt by the comments that I made in the past.”
In her initial apology, Trish wrote: “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.”
An ITV spokesperson previously 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.”
The current series of Big Brother comes to an end on Friday night, with just five contestants now remaining in the house of the original 16.