‘Celebrity Big Brother’ bosses have come under intense fire from fans, after failing to step in when Tiffany Pollard mistakenly believed David Gest had died inside the house.
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A huge row erupted during Tuesday (12 January) night’s episode, when the US reality star misunderstood Angie Bowie, who had just informed her of her ex-husband David Bowie’s death.
Tiffany Pollard was at the centre of the misunderstanding
When Tiffany hysterically told the rest of the house that it was housemate David Gest who had “died from cancer in the Diary Room”, it then took a long time for them to establish that she had actually misinterpreted what Angie was telling her.
Angie became highly emotional and appeared frightened as Tiffany shouted at her, and many fans took to Twitter, claiming that producers should have intervened before the events escalated to such an emotionally-charged level.
Others claimed that it was disrespectful to David Bowie’s memory.
However, there were some fans who saw light of the unfortunate “comedy of errors”, as Angie herself called it.
A 'CBB' spokesperson later defended the episode, telling Buzzfeed UK: “It is always the show’s aim to represent and reflect the day’s events accurately to viewers.
“After being told of the tragic news off-camera yesterday by her own representative, Angie made the decision – entirely of her own accord – to remain in the 'Celebrity Big Brother' House and to continue participating in filming. The option to leave the house remains open to Angie at any time.”
Angie Bowie was distressed by the row
It wasn’t the first time this week that the programme had come under scrutiny.
Viewers also blasted bosses following Monday's show, which included a teaser trailer for Tuesday that featured footage of Angie in the Dairy Room reflecting on her ex-husband’s death.
It also attracted complaints to broadcasting regulator Ofcom, who are currently deciding whether to investigate.
‘Celebrity Big Brother’ continues tonight at 9pm on Channel 5.
