TV watchdog Ofcom has cleared Channel 5 and Celebrity Big Brother over Roxanne Pallett’s punch row.
The regulator launched an investigation into the now-defunct reality show last year, after over 25,000 people complained when Roxanne wrongly accused fellow housemate Ryan Thomas of deliberately hurting her with a ‘punch’ to the stomach last August.
Many of those who contacted Ofcom complained at the way show bosses had handled the situation, with Ryan’s housemates left to wrongly believe Roxanne’s accusations, which caused distress to the former Coronation Street star.
However, following the investigation, the watchdog has ruled there will be no further action taken, as they claim the incident did not breach broadcasting guidelines.
Ofcom said the it was “unlikely to have exceeded audience expectations for the majority of viewers”, and appropriate action was taken to “minimise the degree of potential offence which could have arisen”.
In their full report, they also noted that producers had “included a large amount of information and signposting which explained Ryan’s viewpoint, indicated the support he was being given in the House and provided additional potentially relevant context for Roxanne’s behaviour.”
The former Emmerdale actress quit the show following the incident, and in a later interview with host Emma Willis, claimed she had got the situation “massively wrong”.
Ryan went on to win the series, later insisting he did not want to be part of the public backlash against Roxanne.
Meanwhile, the actress recently broke months of media silence after having left her daily radio show and stepped down from a pantomime role in order to “take time” to reflect on her actions in the house.
In an interview with The Sun, Roxanne detailed the suicidal feelings she experienced in the wake of the scandal, claiming she’d “lost everything”.
“I don’t expect anyone to feel sorry for me, because it’s my fault, 100%. I take full responsibility,” she said.
“But like everyone who makes a mistake I just want to be allowed to learn from it and move forward because nobody can punish me more than me.”
