Danny Beard, a prominent drag queen contestant on Celebrity Big Brother, plans to confront fellow housemate Daley Thompson about perceived hostility during Thursday’s episode of the ITV reality show.
Beard, 32, previously expressed concerns to Donna Preston, 38, regarding Thompson’s behavior, stating they felt “intimidated” after a comment from the former Olympian suggesting that not everything should be centered around them. The incident arose when Beard mistakenly believed another housemate, Mickey Rourke, was addressing them directly. Further contributing to their discomfort was Thompson’s apparent staring while Beard was in drag.
Later, Beard confided in Big Brother, admitting they find “masculine men” intimidating.
“I’m overthinking it,” the performer admitted to Preston. “I’m going to totally make an effort with him tomorrow, that’s it.” In a separate conversation in the Diary Room, they elaborated: “I think I’ve tried to make an effort with everybody, but I heard Daley make a comment like, ‘Well, not everything revolves around you.’ And, I don’t know if I’m overthinking it… I can sense or feel like he’s a bit wary of me, and that’s fine because maybe I’m also a little bit wary of him.”
The upcoming episode will see housemates gathered at the dining table, with Beard visibly anxious about recent eliminations.
Thompson then offered reassurance: “It’s not something that you can do or change,” to which Beard responded, “It’s not but it would feel s*** if you thought the whole house didn’t like you.”
Thompson countered with:
“But that’s not going to be true. They only know a little bit of you and also I suspect everybody really struggled. There is no chance it’s you.”
Beard expressed gratitude: “Thanks Daley. I really appreciate you, you know.”
“I’m going to be honest when I first came in I thought, ‘he’s going to hate me,’” Beard admitted.
Thompson replied, “Why? I am so not that,” to which Beard responded: “It was my own thing. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that to you there.”
Thompson then pledged his support:
“Danny don’t you worry. I’ll even be coming to one of your shows. I promise.”
Beard replied, “You’ll make me cry.”
Beyond Beard and Thompson’s interaction, controversy surrounds fellow housemate Mickey Rourke, 72, whose remarks have drawn significant criticism. JoJo Siwa, 21, a singer and housemate, accused Rourke of homophobic behavior following his questioning her about her sexual orientation. Rourke then made further problematic comments, including suggesting he would “tie [Siwa] up” and expressing a desire for a “f—.” Chris Hughes, 32, intervened to point out the inappropriateness of Rourke’s statements.
Rourke’s behavior has also been previously criticized for making host AJ Odudu feel uncomfortable due to his prolonged staring.
The controversy surrounding Rourke’s actions led to a significant backlash from viewers, with many threatening to boycott the show after Big Brother issued only a warning to Rourke despite the severity of his comments. Calls are growing for his removal from the competition.
