‘Celebrity Big Brother’ contestant Roxanne Pallett has said she “got it wrong”, after accusing Ryan Thomas of “punching” her in the house.
Last week, during an incident which producers described as “almost play-fighting”, Roxanne and Ryan were involved in an exchange, when he approached her in the bedroom and began making punching movements and sounds.
Over the course of the day, Ryan was issued with a formal warning, while Roxanne asked to sleep in a separate bedroom, and called for her fellow housemate to be removed from the show entirely.
After choosing to leave the show of her own accord on Friday evening, Roxanne has now given her first interview since her ‘CBB’ exit on ‘Jeremy Vine’, admitting she “massively regrets” the way she behaved in the house.
“I doubted [Ryan’s] intention,” she told the presenter. “There was no malicious intention behind that, and that’s what I apologise for. I shouldn’t have doubted his motivation. I got it wrong.
“Since I’ve been out of the house, the first thing I did was view the clip and reflect in a normal environment, because it’s not a normal environment [in the ‘CBB’ house]... my mind was clouded and my sensitivity was heightened, I wasn’t thinking straight, and that’s something I need to go away and work on. I need to become a better person.”
Reflecting on her own history of domestic abuse, Roxanne suggested this could have been a factor in the way she reacted, noting: “In my life I have been conditioned and I am oversensitive to things like that.
“All I can say is in that moment my emotions and thought process was greater than the action, and looking back I absolutely overreacted and I got it wrong.”
She added: “All I want to do now is reassure everyone that I’m well aware that I overreacted, I apologise massively to every single person that I offended, everyone that I disappointed, and the fact that I doubted the intention.”
When the host pointed out some people doubted her motivation for doing the interview at all, Roxanne insisted: “I chose to be here today, in fact I was advised not to. I’ve not been paid for this interview. In fact it’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, be here today.
“This is my reality now, and I’m here today to acknowledge a mistake.”
Since the episode aired, Ofcom has received more than 11,000 complaints over the incident, while the ‘Coronation Street’ actor’s girlfriend, Lucy Mecklenburgh, has criticised Channel 5 for not stepping in to set the record straight over what actually occurred between Roxanne and Ryan.
‘Jeremy Vine’ airs from 9.15am every weekday on Channel 5, while ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ airs nightly on the same channel.
- Refuge- Domestic violence help for women and children - 0808 2000 247
- Visit Women’s Aid- support for abused women and children – or call the National Domestic Violence Helpline, run by Women’s Aid and Refuge, on 0808 2000 247
- Broken Rainbow- The LGBT domestic violence charity - 0845 2 60 55 60
- Men’s Advice Linefor advice and support for men experiencing domestic violence and abuse - 0808 801 0327