AN episode of Big Brother in which a housemate wore a t-shirt in support of Palestine was removed from the ITV Hub.
Contestant Ali Bromley, a forensic psychologist, wore a T-shirt depicting a map of Palestine and Israel as a watermelon.
ITV is yet to confirm the reason for the episode being removed although many have took to Twitter/X to share their reaction.
In response to viewers asking when the episode would be available, ITV insisted it was being replaced and would be available again on Wednesday night.
The watermelon symbol is often used to symbol Palestine’s resistance to occupation and is used as a global sign of solidarity online.
It is understood the Tuesday episodes of Big Brother and Big Brother Late & Live were edited to remove the footage of her wearing the top.
The episode was pulled off ITVX on Tuesday night, before being re-uploaded on Wednesday.
In response to a viewer asking where it had gone, the broadcaster said: “Thank you for reaching out to us today. Hope you are well.
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“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.”
It also said the episode had been pulled due to “compliance issues”.
A number of people took to Twitter/X to criticise the decision with one saying: “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.”
Another added: “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.”
Another said the decision was “absolutely ridiculous” while another said it was “truly unbelievable”.
However, the Campaign Against Antisemitism said it had submitted a complaint to Ofcom and said: “How is this becoming the norm? How did the show’s staff allow this shirt to be worn, let alone broadcast it on national television?”
Bromley has since said she was unaware of the hurt she had caused or the symbolism on her t-shirt with the garment removed.
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 prior to broadcast of last night’s show.
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“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.”
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