A launch night gone wrong

Big Brother returned to ITV on Sunday with a live show for its 23rd series. One housemate's entrance turned into the story of the night.

Meet Charlotte

An 18-year-old student from Oxford, one of 16 housemates walking into the west London house. She is a quadruple amputee.

Meningitis at three

Charlotte lost her hands and feet to meningitis when she was three years old. She wears prosthetic legs day to day.

She forgets people stare

In her introductory VT, Charlotte joked about misreading the looks she gets in public.

“I'll be like, 'Oh my God, I must be looking quite nice today!' and then I remember it's actually because I've got no limbs”

The standard entrance

Every housemate got the same routine. Driven to an outdoor stage, then up a short flight of steps to be greeted by hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best.

The heel came off

As Charlotte got out of the car, her high heel slipped off her prosthetic foot. The moment stalled the whole arrival.

Will rushes in

Presenter Will Best hurried over to try to put the shoe back on, live on air, before the camera cut away.

No, my legs

AJ came over to help too. What Charlotte asked for next was not what the hosts expected.

“can you take them off?' before clarifying 'no, no my legs”

Up the stairs without legs

With Will's help, Charlotte climbed the steps to the stage having removed her prosthetics entirely.

“My legs! My shoe came off. I'm so sorry, I had to take my legs off.”

Nothing to apologise for

AJ reassured the teenager on the spot as the studio crowd cheered her onto the stage.

Her own entrance line

Charlotte walked in and owned it, then explained the situation to her new housemates without missing a beat.

“I'm in the Big Brother House with no legs!”

Viewers turn on the show

Fans on X said casting a disabled housemate meant nothing if the front door was not built for her.

“Big Brother being quick to cast disabled people but failing to make the house entrance accessible is just an absolute mockery”

Pure disbelief online

The criticism was less about the accident and more about whether anyone had planned for it at all.

“No are you actually joking?! THEY DIDN'T PLAN AN ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE FOR CHARLOTTE????”

The show responds

A Big Brother spokesperson said the production worked with Charlotte and a specialist access co-ordinator to agree her arrangements in advance.

“A plan was put in place based on those discussions and agreed with Charlotte; however, she had an unforeseen issue with her shoe.”

A ramp was offered

The Daily Mail understands ITV offered Charlotte a ramp and she said she would rather take the stairs. Will had rehearsed the entrance with her.

The house was adapted

ITV made a number of changes inside the house to meet Charlotte's access needs, again after consulting her and the access co-ordinator.

Checked on afterwards

Big Brother is thought to have spoken to Charlotte after the live launch, and she confirmed she was fine.

Already the favourite

Coral put Charlotte at 5-1 to win the show and the £100,000 prize, the shortest odds in the house. Fans called her an icon within minutes.

“Okay Charlotte is already an icon”

What £100,000 buys

Charlotte said she would split any winnings between savings and new prosthetics. Each leg costs around £25,000.

“my prosthetic legs are about £25,000 per leg, so probably put half in savings and half on that”

The ordinary is the point

Cameras run 24 hours a day, and Charlotte expects the mundane stuff to land hardest with viewers.

“people are surprised at anything I do, even normal things like cooking, doing my makeup, getting dressed”