A Gavin and Stacey star has declared it was ‘heartbreaking’ to watch Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke’s comments to dancer JoJo Siwa in the Celebrity Big Brother house
A Gavin and Stacey’s star has said he was “deeply disturbed and disappointed” by Mickey Rourke’s Celebrity Big Brother row.
Mickey’s remarks have sparked anger and now Scott McGlynn – who played one of the stags ahead of Smithy’s (James Corden) wedding in Gavin and Stacey – has now said he stands with JoJo Siwa after their bust-up.
Hollywood star Mickey is a housemate on the ITV show and was slapped with a formal warning for making “offensive and unacceptable” comments to fellow contestant JoJo.
The dancer had shared that she was a lesbian and had a non-binary partner and the actor told her: “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.”
“I can guarantee I’ll still be gay and I’ll still be in a very happy relationship,” she replied. Mickey also told the others he was going to “vote out the lesbian” and used the word “f**” when he was talking about a cigarette.
He said sorry and insisted he didn’t have any bad intentions, and after leaving the Diary Room he approached JoJo and the pair appeared to work things out and make up. “I want to apologise,” said the actor.
“I’ve got a habit of having a short fuse,” he said. “And I don’t mean nothing by it.”
The Gavin and Stacey star said that hearing Mickey’s comments was “heartbreaking”. “As someone who has personally experienced homophobic abuse growing up, I was deeply disturbed and disappointed by the comments made by Mickey Rourke on Celebrity Big Brother last night,” he said.
“Jokes or remarks that belittle someone’s identity especially around sexuality or gender are not just unacceptable, they’re dangerous! Words carry weight, especially on a platform as visible as Big Brother.
“Casual homophobia, masked as humour or offhand remarks, fuels real-life bullying and discrimination. Something I know all too well.”
Scott said that when he was growing up he was “called names, isolated, physically abused and made to feel ashamed just for being myself”. “Watching that kind of language being used so casually on national TV was heartbreaking to watch, not just for me, but for every young person watching who might be questioning their identity,” he said.
The actor said JoJo is “confident, successful, and unafraid to be who she is”. “She deserves respect, like every member of the LGBTQ+ community,” said Scott.
“No one should be made to feel ‘less than’ for who they are or who they love not on TV, not in life, not ever. This moment is a reminder that we still have a long way to go when it comes to equality and representation.”
“I stand with JoJo and with every person who’s been made to feel like they don’t belong,” he added. “Enough is enough.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
