Big Brother episode pulled from ITV hub after housemate wears 'controversial' top

An episode of Big Brother was pulled from the ITV hub after sparking debate due to a housemate's choice of clothing.

Ali Bromley, a forensic psychologist, was seen sporting a T-shirt that featured an image combining the outline of Palestine and Israel with the design of a watermelon. While ITV hasn't officially confirmed the specifics behind the move, a statement issued on X, formerly known as Twitter, explained that the episode was withdrawn "due to compliance reasons."

Nevertheless, following queries by viewers about when they might be able to watch the episode, ITV assured them it was set to return. The motif of a watermelon holds deep significance for Palestinians, symbolising their fight against oppression, and it has gained recognition online as a universal gesture of support for their cause.

The use of watermelon-themed visuals has become a popular method to show backing for Palestinian rights, as its hues echo those of the Palestinian flag. Following the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1967, any public display of the Palestinian flag within Israeli territory was deemed illegala prohibition eventually 'null'ified by the Oslo Accords of 1993.

However, last year witnessed Israel's then National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir commanding the eradication of Palestinian flags from public places, reports the Mirror. Ali, who identifies as a "late-in-life lesbian" has previously shown her support for the transgender community by wearing a T-shirt stating, "Trans rights are human rights."

When Ali wore a watermelon T-shirt on the reality television show, there was a mixed reaction; some criticised her and ITV for permitting the garment to appear on air, while others commended her for demonstrating solidarity with Palestine.

According to the Campaign Against Antisemitism, the image emblazoned on the T-shirt caused considerable upset within the British Jewish community. They reported that they had presented a formal complaint to Ofcom about the matter, questioning, "How did the show's staff allow this shirt to be worn, let alone broadcast it on national television? This incident represents a serious violation of broadcasting standards."

Nonetheless, several viewers expressed admiration for Ali, with one commenter heralding her choice of apparel: "Ali should be applauded for these t-shirts btw, first a trans rights are human rights shirt and a Palestine one. Honestly queen s**t right there." Another supporter shared their appreciation for Ali: "I love how she's brought in both pro-Palestine and pro-trans shirts, I just love this woman actually."

Speculation about why the episode was removed from viewing has also been rife online. A tweet from one viewer raised concerns: "I hope this has nothing to do with Ali's pro-Palestine t-shirt. Big Brother is a social experiment, all walks of life with different views and opinions (Ali happens to have very good ones) Don't go down this road."

One individual took to social media to express their outrage, stating: "Shame on @ITV if this is about Ali's Palestine t-shirt. There is literally a Palestinian refugee in the house who has talked about his struggles and you wanna edit out a watermelon. After an audience member had their Palestine flag ripped off them too, this is disgusting."

ITV's removal and later upload was due to "compliance reasons". They did also respond to a viewer's query about the missing episode. The broadcaster assured that it would be accessible again within a few hours.

In a tweet, the broadcaster said: "Thank you for reaching out to us today. Hope you are well. Regarding your question about last night's Big Brother show, we have some news, it will be available to view later this evening. We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this but the wait will be worth it."

In addition to this, a spokesperson for Big Brother said: "All Housemate items are checked by our production team before they go into the Big Brother House to ensure they comply with the Rules and compliance requirements. Big Brother does not allow any personal items into the House that could be deemed harmful. We regret that the implications of this particular item of clothing were not fully understood in our bag checks or prior to broadcast of last night’s show.

"We apologise to any viewers who have been offended by the broadcast and assure viewers that Big Brother was unaware of the implications of the image.

"The item of clothing has been removed from the House. The Housemate has been spoken to and they have expressed that they are unaware of the implications and did not wish to cause any harm or offence. Any offensive messaging associated with the image does not reflect the values or beliefs of Big Brother."

Big Brother airs Sundays-Fridays at 9pm on ITV1.