What’s particularly troubling is how such loaded imagery managed to slip past multiple levels of production screening.
A contestant on the UK’s version of Big Brother is causing controversy after appearing on a recent episode wearing a T-shirt that effectively erased Israel’s existence.
Contestant Ali Bromley was seen wearing a black T-shirt displaying a watermelon -a popular social media symbol used by pro-Hamas demonstrators- while sitting in the garden of the Big Brother house.
Bromley, who previously boasted about her confrontational nature, claimed ignorance about the shirt’s meaning when confronted by producers.
ITV2, the network behind Big Brother, scrambled to contain the fallout by editing the offensive footage from both the main show and its late-night companion Big Brother Late & Live program.
In a subsequent statement that raises more questions than it answers, ITV2 claim’s it was “unaware of the implications” of the T-shirt Bromley was wearing before going on air.
“We regret that the implications of this particular item of clothing were not fully understood in our bag checks or prior to broadcast of last night’s show. We apologize to any viewers who have been offended by the broadcast and assure viewers that Big Brother was unaware of the implications of the image.”
What’s particularly troubling is how such loaded imagery managed to slip past multiple levels of production screening.
Despite Big Brother’s insistence that all housemate items undergo thorough compliance checks, it suggests a concerning lack of awareness and a troubling gap in their vetting process.
“How is this becoming the norm? This graphic has caused significant distress among the British Jewish community, who regard it as a genocidal message similar to the slogan ‘From the River to the Sea’, which calls for the elimination of the world’s only Jewish state,” the Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote on X.
“This incident represents a serious violation of broadcasting standards.”
For those unfamiliar with the show, Big Brother UK throws strangers into a house filled with cameras, where their every move is broadcast live to millions.
Bromley had warned viewers before entering the house that her “direct” communication style might ruffle feathers.