Former Big Brother contestant Johanne Cade has criticised Rochelle Rackham over her past social media activity and alleged behaviour inside the reality television house, questioning why the 57-year-old has been allowed to remain on the programme.
Cade, 44, was evicted from the show’s 23rd series earlier this month. In an interview with the Daily Mail, she said the revelations about Rackham’s online history were consistent with her own experiences of living alongside the contestant.
“I don’t think she should be in that house. I feel like she has said so much and done so much,” Cade said.
She also questioned why Rackham had not been removed from the programme following the controversy.
“I don’t know who’s protecting her [Rochelle]. I don’t know why, I don’t know what’s going on,” Cade said. “It made me feel very sad.”
2015 Facebook Post Sparks Racism Controversy
The renewed scrutiny follows the publication of a Facebook post Rackham reshared in 2015. The image showed a person bungee-jumping alongside a message offering Muslims free jumps with the words “No strings attached”.
Rackham, who was working as a nail technician at the time, captioned the post “Love this”, tagged friends she believed would appreciate the joke and added “Lol”.
Cade said she did not consider the post an isolated incident, alleging that she had witnessed other behaviour during their time together that she believed reflected prejudice towards marginalised groups.
“I don’t think that there’s anything people can tell me about this lady that would make me go, ‘Oh my gosh’,” she said.
“There are so many ‘isms’ that I’ve seen her express. Adding this on top is very much in line with the character I have lived with for 24 hours a day every single day.”
The report said ITV had been aware of Rackham’s previous social media posts before she entered the house.
Further Complaints Over Comments About Disability and Transgender People
Rackham has also faced criticism over remarks made during the series about other contestants and transgender people.
She previously told Charlotte Nott, an 18-year-old quadruple amputee from Oxford, that she had “a bit of a fear” of people with “no arms”. She also attracted criticism over comments concerning fellow housemate Millie Jarrett’s weight.
In another discussion, Rackham expressed views about women’s rights, healthcare and transgender people, telling housemates: “I wouldn’t be happy with a transgender in the toilet with me.”
Cade said she believed Rackham’s behaviour towards other contestants reinforced her concerns about the former housemate.
“I’ve watched her make fun of so many different people from marginalised classes,” Cade alleged, referring to the incidents involving Nott and Rackham’s comments about transgender people.
She added: “I’ve never seen anybody like this. I haven’t. I think she’s an awful person.”
Cade Alleges Rackham Repeatedly Threatened Physical Violence
Cade also alleged that Rackham threatened to physically assault her several times while they were living together in the Big Brother house.
“She said to me that she would punch my throat. And then she went on to talk about physically assaulting me multiple times, at least three or four times,” Cade told the Daily Mail.
During the programme, Rackham was filmed in the Diary Room saying that she wanted to punch Cade in the mouth. The report also cited a separate remark in which Rackham said she wanted to hit Cade over the head with a chicken.
Big Brother responded to the threats by describing such behaviour as “unacceptable”.
Cade insisted she had never threatened to respond with physical violence.
“Never once in any of my arguments have I ever talked about physically assaulting her or punching her,” she said.
Heated Confrontation Prompted Nearly 500 Ofcom Complaints
The dispute between the two contestants became one of the series’ most discussed moments after a confrontation over what Cade described as micro-aggressions.
Cade and fellow housemate Pauline Adeyemo had been discussing their experiences as Black women and an earlier disagreement with Rackham concerning cooking dinner.
Rackham overheard their conversation and became involved in an increasingly heated exchange with Cade. Big Brother subsequently called Cade to the Diary Room.
Cade accused Rackham of escalating the disagreement and using the conversation against her and Adeyemo.
“Rochelle took the conversation…and then she weaponised it against us,” Cade said.
She also alleged that some of Rackham’s behaviour involved indirect remarks that viewers might not have recognised.
“There’s some dog-whistling going on over there and some people are definitely hearing it,” she said.
The confrontation reportedly prompted nearly 500 complaints to media regulator Ofcom.
Former Housemate Questions Big Brother’s Contestant Vetting Process
Cade also raised concerns about the selection process used by the programme’s producers, saying she had undergone several interviews and assessments before being accepted as a contestant.
The Los Angeles-born reality television personality, who has lived in Manchester for almost four years, said her selection process included approximately five interviews, psychological assessments and meetings with an ADHD specialist.
She added that producers reviewed her medical records and asked questions about potential triggers.
“I felt, from my part, they did their due diligence, which is why I felt comfortable to go in, like, they’re really putting in a lot of work to vet people,” Cade said.
She questioned why she had expected similar standards to apply to everyone selected for the show.
“I felt like the vetting process was very thorough on my part… So you would expect that everybody else’s was too. You expect to be living with people who are just decent.”
Cade Says She Has Received Support Since Leaving the Show
Despite the controversy surrounding her time on Big Brother, Cade said she had received encouraging responses from people since her eviction.
“I’ve gotten great feedback about it,” she said. “I’ve met people who are just like: ‘Thank you for calling it out. Nobody talks about this stuff.’”
Cade also expressed interest in pursuing further television opportunities, including a possible appearance on The Real Housewives of Manchester if the programme is commissioned. She identified television presenter Alison Hammond as a role model.
Reflecting on the controversy surrounding Rackham, Cade said: “If that’s who people feel represents the UK and the Big Brother house, we live in a very sad world.”
Saffron Barker Makes Brief Appearance in Christmas Advert
Elsewhere in the entertainment report, YouTuber Saffron Barker has made a brief appearance in Debenhams’ Christmas advert, which features Emily Atack and Mathew Horne.
Barker, who recently moved to the United States to study at two drama schools in New York, appears at a Christmas party in a short scene in which she laughs and talks with another guest.
The influencer previously spoke about rediscovering her interest in acting after concentrating on building her social media career. The advert marks a brief on-screen appearance as she pursues those ambitions.
Hannah Eyerman’s Parma Ham Brand Trip Raises Questions
Influencer Hannah Eyerman recently travelled to Italy on a promotional trip with Parma Ham UK and shared three videos documenting her visit to Parma and her experiences sampling local food.
The report noted that Eyerman did not appear to follow the brand on social media, despite receiving the sponsored trip.
Eyerman previously worked in public relations before leaving her job to pursue social media work full-time.
Bite or Bin Creators Raise Money for Homelessness Charities
Dean Alex Dodd and Shae Navarro, known for Bite or Bin, have begun a 10-day challenge involving sleeping outdoors in cities across the UK to raise awareness of homelessness and collect donations for charities.
The challenge began in Newcastle. Dodd said he recognised that his experience was different from that of people who face homelessness without a safe place to return to.
“I know this is something I’m choosing to do, and I can go home afterwards. Many people don’t have that choice,” he said.
He added that donations would go directly towards supporting homelessness organisations. The report said he had raised close to £5,000 at the time of publication.
Influencer Accused of Stealing Perfume at Sephora Event
The report also criticised an unnamed influencer over an alleged theft at SEPHORiA, Sephora’s UK beauty festival.
The columnist said a perfume stand had been unable to offer a fragrance sample because an influencer had reportedly stolen it during the event.
The incident was highlighted despite the event offering influencers free products and gift bags.
Yasmin Ameelia Launches YouTube Career
Yasmin Ameelia, the girlfriend of YouTuber George Clarke, has launched her own YouTube channel focused on lifestyle content.
Ameelia previously worked as a lingerie model with J’adore Models. The couple went public with their relationship at the TikTok Awards last year, following Clarke’s appearance on Strictly Come Dancing.
Rochelle Humes Launches Antibacterial Hairbrush
Former The Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes has partnered with KILLABRUSH to launch an antibacterial hairbrush described as the world’s first of its kind.
The product is reportedly designed to reduce hair bacteria and fungi by up to 99.9%.
The launch follows Humes’ introduction of her skincare brand, Eulah.
