Celebrity Big Brother star Patsy Palmer refused to speak during an awkward moment in her exit interview when hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best questioned her about former housemate Mickey Rourke.
The EastEnders actress, who became the fifth celebrity to be evicted from the house on Wednesday, went completely silent when Rourke’s criticism of her cooking became a point of conversation.
The tense exchange occurred after Palmer’s initial joy at being evicted quickly dissipated when the hosts mentioned what fans have dubbed “broccoli gate”.
The 52-year-old soap star’s stony-faced response left viewers squirming as she clearly signalled her unwillingness to discuss the controversial actor who was removed from the show for unacceptable behaviour.
The moment came after hosts had recapped Palmer’s highlights from her time in the house as Best said: “There were a few tricky moments you had to deal with in there. People complaining about your broccoli, that was one.”
Palmer immediately went straight-faced and sat in total silence, refusing to respond, leading to an uncomfortable moment before Best nervously added: “You don’t want to talk about the broccoli, do you… Absolutely fair enough.”
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Odudu attempted to rescue the situation by asking: “Did it really upset you when Mickey complained to your face about the food?” leaving Palmer to bluntly reply: “Erm, not really that,” making it clear she wouldn’t entertain any questions about Rourke.
The incident that sparked Palmer’s reluctance occurred earlier in the series when Rourke openly criticised her cooking skills as he slammed: “What do you know, you can’t cook.”
When Palmer questioned his comment, he responded: “No, not even a little bit,” and whilst Palmer initially tried to laugh off the remark, telling housemates she was “used to” such comments as a mother, she later broke down in tears in the Diary Room.
“I tried to talk that one out but it didn’t really work,” she told Big Brother. “I feel like I let myself down there. I always want my kids to always stand up for themselves.”
Rourke’s six-day stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house ended abruptly on 13 April after displaying threatening and aggressive behaviour, with the actor making a homophobic remark to co-star JoJo Siwa.
He told the 21-year-old, “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore,” before later making inappropriate sexual comments towards Ella Rae Wise and threatening Chris Hughes during a task, accusing the reality star of “eyeballing” him.
The Oscar-nominated actor’s behaviour sparked controversy from the moment he entered the house, with viewers noting how he ogled presenter Odudu, with Best doing all he could to help her in the awkward exchange.
After the awkward moment with Palmer during Wednesday’s show, fans took to social media to speculate about what might have happened between her and Rourke.
“Need to know the lore behind Mickey and Patsy, she was seething at the sheer sound of his name,” one viewer wrote on X.
Another added: “I think she, along with all the women in there, were repulsed by his sexist misogyny and volatile behaviour.”
“I haven’t seen any posts about Patsy’s interview. I thought it was as clear as glass that she was uncomfortable talking about his behaviour. More went down with Mickey than the viewers were shown – for sure!!” commented a third.
“The look of fear from AJ and Will as Patsy Palmer stared into their souls after they brought up broccoli gate,” another observed.
Palmer reflected on the social experiment aspect of the show, noting: “It’s a great experiment, mixing a lot of people together that are all very different.
“It just shows what we need now in the world, that we can all live together despite our differences.”
