ITV has defended its safeguarding procedures for Big Brother contestants following confrontations between housemates Omar El Mayer and Rhianna Collins.
The dispute, shown in the October 19, 2026, episode, left Collins in tears and renewed questions about how reality television producers handle potentially harmful behavior.
In a statement reported by Radio Times and Digital Spy on October 20, ITV said contestants receive behavioral guidance, remain under continuous monitoring, and have access to welfare support throughout their participation.
The broadcaster did not announce Omar's removal from the house in the statements published by those outlets.
A Big Brother spokesperson outlined the show's preparation and monitoring procedures in a statement to Radio Times.
"All housemates receive respect and inclusion training and an extensive briefing from the Big Brother senior team to prepare them for living in the house and to set out Big Brother's expectations for appropriate behaviour and language."
The spokesperson also described how the production responds to concerns involving contestants.
"Housemates are monitored 24 hours a day and any instances of inappropriate behaviour are responded to appropriately."
The broadcaster said safeguarding remains central to its production arrangements.
"Welfare and safeguarding are prioritised throughout the production, with a dedicated welfare team available to support housemates before, during and after their time in the house."
The controversy intensified after the October 19 episode showed Collins questioning the state of her relationship with Omar.
She apologized for her own behavior and said she had been struggling emotionally, while Omar challenged her account and questioned whether she was mature enough to have the conversation.
During a subsequent exchange, Collins said she wanted their relationship to improve but felt it was going nowhere.
Omar criticized her decision to discuss their difficulties, and Collins became visibly upset. Big Brother then summoned her to the Diary Room to check on her well-being.
Radio Times reported that Collins told Big Brother she was not feeling particularly well but believed she would be fine.
Digital Spy also reported that she expressed frustration about how Omar spoke to her and said she still cared deeply about him.
Earlier disagreements had also emerged over Collins asking fellow housemate Lynx to cook for her.
Omar objected to how she had made the request, and Collins was subsequently seen crying while other contestants checked on her, according to Radio Times.
Women's Aid Raises Concerns Over On-Screen Behavior
Women's Aid responded to the televised exchanges on October 20, with Veronica Oakeshott, the charity's head of external affairs, warning that controlling behavior can precede other forms of abuse.
The organization said viewers had contacted it with concerns about the scenes.
"The nature of abuse means that it often begins with 'red flag' coercive and controlling behaviours like isolating you from friends or repeatedly putting you down, before escalating into other forms of abuse."
Oakeshott explained that such behavior can have far-reaching consequences for survivors and raised concerns about its presentation in entertainment programming.
"Coercive control creates invisible chains and a sense of fear that impacts every element of a survivor's life."
She also questioned the potential effect of broadcasting these interactions to a large audience.
"It's worrying to see behaviours like this being given a platform in popular media like Big Brother."
Oakeshott said the charity was concerned that audiences could interpret potentially abusive dynamics as entertainment rather than recognize warning signs.
"Not only does Big Brother risk minimising survivors' experiences, it also risks presenting abuse as a form of entertainment."
She emphasized that television producers have responsibilities toward contestants who participate in emotionally demanding environments. "Producers should understand their responsibility to keep contestants emotionally and physically safe.
The women in these programmes are real people and need real support."
Women's Aid called on broadcasters to consult specialists when developing contestant welfare policies and responding to concerns about behavior on screen.
"We continue to urge television companies such as ITV to engage with experts like Women's Aid to understand the nature of abuse and how they can do better to protect contestants.
We would welcome a discussion with the Big Brother team."
Former contestant Chelsey Ammari also expressed concern after watching the episode.
The 29-year-old, who had shared the house with the current contestants before her eviction, said she wished she could support Collins directly.
"That was really uncomfortable to watch.
I struggled to watch that and I wish I could speak to Rhianna and be like 'This is not okay'.
That was really, really hard to watch."
Her reaction followed scenes in which Collins attempted to explain why she felt Omar's behavior had changed.
Omar maintained that their dispute stemmed from miscommunication, while Collins struggled with the prospect of ending their relationship.
The Sun separately reported claims from an unidentified production source about bedroom consent procedures.
According to the report, housemates sharing a bed were required to indicate their consent each night using a thumbs-up or thumbs-down signal, with the production intervening when necessary.
The outlet's source alleged that Omar had repeatedly signaled that he did not consent to the sleeping arrangement and had consequently been called to the Diary Room.
These claims were not independently confirmed in the other reports.
Viewer criticism continued across social media, with some users calling for producers to intervene and others expressing discomfort about the exchanges.
Digital Spy reported that some viewers had also discussed contacting Ofcom, the UK's television regulator.
ITV's published response emphasized its existing training, monitoring and support arrangements, while Women's Aid urged the broadcaster to consult domestic abuse experts about contestant protection.
