Ex-MP Michael Fabricant becomes first to be voted off Celebrity Big Brother

By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Former Tory MP Sir Michael Fabricant has become the first contestant to leave Celebrity Big Brother this year, after a public vote.

The politician had been concerned he would be the one evicted on Friday evening after being nominated by his fellow housemates earlier in the week.

Other nominated contestants such as Coronation Street star Jack P Shepherd and Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke were saved thanks to the public vote.

When he left the house, Sir Michael said he was “sad”, adding that he “didn’t know whether I’d get on” with the contestants, who he said had become “close friends”.

During Thursday’s episode, Sir Michael, 74, said he was “more upset” about being put up for the public vote “than losing the general election”.

He told housemates: “I’m quite enjoying this… I’ll be quite sad (to go), (I’m) up against a Hollywood star and then a Corrie star. I don’t fancy my chances for remaining.”

After arriving in the house earlier in the week, Oscar-nominated The Wrestler actor Rourke was given a warning by Big Brother for “homophobic” comments towards former Dance Moms star JoJo Siwa.

Rourke apologised to Siwa in an earlier episode for making comments about her sexuality, telling housemates that he would “vote the lesbian out real quick”.

The actor, known for romance 9 1/2 weeks, Marvel movie Iron Man 2, and action movies Expendables, Sin City and Man On Fire, said during Friday’s episode that he thought he would be evicted.

The actor also appeared to make EastEnders actress Patsy Palmer tearful in the diary room.

Rourke told Palmer: “What do you know, you can’t cook.”

She replied that she hoped he was making a “sarcastic joke” before she got up to leave the dinner table.

In the diary room, she broke down in tears and said “I felt like I let myself down there” and she does not “want my reactions to be like that”.

Rourke also told Big Brother that when David Bowie was alive, the British singer advised him to stock up on gold and silver.

He said he “should have listened to David” after he admitted earlier in the week that being cash-strapped was the reason he went on the show.

Rourke said he had to borrow 500,000 US dollars (£390,000) to pay his bills after the Covid pandemic and the actors’ strike paused movie-making in Hollywood.