Rhianna Collins, a housemate on Big Brother, has addressed the "controlling and coercive behavior" exhibited by her boyfriend, Omar El Maai, which has resulted in a record number of complaints against a contestant in the show's history.
Following her eviction, Collins stated that she has reviewed footage of her time in the house, including contentious moments with El Maai. She expressed surprise at her own reactions in certain situations but also indicated a desire to partially protect him while he remains on the show. "I'm not gonna lie, I got told by a lot of production, by everyone to watch it back, cause in there my mind was so messed up that when I watched it back. I was like, even me, I was like 'why am I apologising right now?'" Collins shared in a TikTok livestream.
She added that she believes she is "young" and needs to "navigate" such experiences. Collins also advised viewers to "wait for the reunion because there's somethings that I've watched back that I'm like 'I wouldn't, I would not ever, ever let a boy speak to me like that.'"
While acknowledging her affection for El Maai, Collins emphasized the need for self-protection, noting that "during my arguments with him, no other housemates were there." She plans to be stronger with the support of her family and friends and hinted at further revelations at the reunion, balancing a desire to protect El Maai with her own well-being.
More than 22,000 viewers have lodged complaints about El Maai's conduct towards Collins. His behavior included using phrases such as "don't talk about me," "don't cry," "don't look away from me," "sort yourself out," and "fix up." After her eviction, Collins mentioned that she had spoken to El Maai about his behavior and felt he had changed afterward. Hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best informed her that some viewers were unhappy with the situation but assured her she had done nothing wrong.
This level of complaints makes it the most for any contestant in the civilian series of Big Brother across all its iterations. It also ranks as the third-highest number of complaints for a single incident in the show's history, following Jade Goody's racism row and Roxanne Pallett's "punch-gate."
Last week, El Maai was reprimanded by show bosses after an episode featuring an argument between him and Collins generated over 7,000 complaints to Ofcom. In the Diary Room, Big Brother addressed El Maai about his language and behavior, noting that he appeared to dismiss fellow housemates' feelings and their impact. El Maai responded by stating he had never dismissed a housemate's feelings and believed he had been looking out for Collins.
Big Brother concluded the conversation by reminding El Maai to "always be mindful of the impact your language and behaviour can have on others." Following the episode, viewers expressed discomfort and accused El Maai of "trying to coercively control Big Brother." The charity Women's Aid also issued a statement calling his behavior "worrying."