Rochelle Rackham's racist social media posts

After revealing Rochelle Rackham's racist Facebook post from 2015, insiders now tell Molly Clayton why she will stay on Big Brother.

“Experience bungee jumping only £35 a jump. Muslims go free. No strings attached.”

ITV knew about posts before she entered house

Sources say ITV’s production team were aware Rochelle had shared a meme to her social media account that she later deleted.

Racist meme details

Rochelle reshared an image of a person bungee jumping with the caption: 'Experience bungee jumping only £35 a jump. Muslims go free. No strings attached.'

“Experience bungee jumping only £35 a jump. Muslims go free. No strings attached.”

Rochelle deleted post after acknowledging offense

Rochelle deleted the post after acknowledging its offensive nature and underwent respect and inclusion training for new housemates.

ITV’s past handling of racist posts

Tamsin Dodgson oversaw exits of Ellis Hillon and Trish Balusa after their racist social media posts surfaced.

Ellis Hillon’s case

Ellis Hillon was removed in 2018 over a 2014 tweet about 9/11 with a racial slur, evicted two days after show started.

Trish Balusa’s case

Trish Balusa was evicted in 2023 after racist and homophobic tweets resurfaced, barred from final or spin-off shows.

ITV’s response to Rochelle

ITV said each scenario is different, allowing Rochelle to stay despite past incidents.

Rochelle’s controversial comments

Rochelle told Charlotte Nott she had 'a bit of a fear' of people with 'no arms' and made comments about trans rights and racism.

Housemate reactions

Lynx Noumey voted for Rochelle to leave, saying her comments were 'really out of order on so many different levels.'

Rochelle’s impact on show

In one week, Big Brother attracted 1,654 Ofcom complaints after Rochelle caused explosive rows.

Ofcom complaints

Rochelle’s comments about trans rights, feminism, and racism prompted 493 Ofcom complaints from fans accusing her of racism and bullying.

Rochelle’s recent controversy

Rochelle upset trans activists by saying she wouldn’t be happy with a transgender person in the toilet with her.

Microaggression incident

During a conversation about microaggressions, Rochelle argued with Johanne Cade over cooking dinner, leading to Big Brother intervention.

ITV’s welfare package

ITV created a welfare package requiring social media blackout and respect and inclusion training for housemates.

Rochelle’s defense

Rochelle said she regretted sharing the post, would never want to cause hurt, and is genuinely sorry to anyone offended.