Mickey Rourke Faces Backlash Over AJ Odudu Encounter on Big Brother
Mickey Rourke stirred some controversy when he stepped into the Celebrity Big Brother house and couldn’t help but gaze at host AJ Odudu.
The 72-year-old actor made his appearance on the U.K. game show on Tuesday, April 8, alongside other celebrities like JoJo Siwa, but it was his interactions with Odudu, who is 37, that grabbed the most attention.
“You’re really flirtatious,” Odudu remarked as Rourke drew her in for a spin. Her cohost, Will Best, chimed in with a warning for Rourke to “be careful.”
Meanwhile, the Wrestler star was captivated by Odudu, who wore a striking feathered brown bodysuit.
“Stop looking at me!” Odudu finally scolded him. “You need to go inside the house.”
As she guided him toward the door, Rourke turned and said, “No, I want to stay with you.”
British TV host Alan Carr discussed the incident on the aftershow Late & Live, asking, “Can we talk about Mickey Rourke looking at you? Wow, his eyes.”
Carr, 48, joked, “Find someone who looks at you the way Mickey looks at you [AJ]. His tongue was hanging out.”
Odudu agreed, saying, “It literally was. I thought, ‘You can’t afford these feathers. Mickey, no!’”
Controversies are no stranger to Big Brother. The show has faced backlash for issues like racism and discrimination over the years, notably during season 15, when Aaryn Gries made offensive comments.
Some viewers expressed discomfort with Rourke’s actions, with several people on X commenting that Odudu seemed uneasy fending him off.
“Mickey Rourke made AJ very uncomfortable when he entered the house,” one viewer tweeted. “I hope he leaves soon because that behavior was inappropriate and unprofessional. … I hope AJ is okay.”
Another user remarked, “I was a fan of Mickey Rourke for a brief moment, then he grabbed the host. 🤢 The crowd was quick to turn on him.”
Jokingly, one viewer suggested that Rourke could be penalized before even starting the competition, saying, “The producers are probably reviewing the rule book to see if Mickey Rourke deserves a warning for this incident before entering the house.”
Everyone has off days, but for celebrities, those days sometimes unfold on set. Many stars, including Kelly Rowland, have made headlines for storming off during the filming of TV shows and movies.
Once inside the house, Rourke made a memorable entrance by expressing that he has a short fuse, cautioning his housemates to be mindful around him.
“I don’t take orders very well, but if everyone behaves kindly and respectfully, we can enjoy ourselves,” he stated. “As long as nobody crosses the line, because that line is very sensitive.”
He further admitted he wasn’t familiar with the show before signing up. “I have no idea what Big Brother is about,” he confessed. “I thought Big Brother was related to the government.”
