Big Brother final sparks over 900 Ofcom complaints after Rochelle Rackham was crowned winner - as her co-star files lawsuit against ITV over 'racist tweets' scandal

The Big Brother final sparked more than 900 Ofcom complaints after Rochelle Rackham's controversial win. Rochelle, 57, was declared the winner to a shocked and jeering crowd last week, after past 'racist' posts were uncovered by the Daily Mail during her time in the house. Ofcom told the Daily Mail that 925 viewers complained about the live final. The majority of complaints related to Rochelle being crowned champion. Rochelle won with 37.65 per cent of the votes, while runner-up Twinks was just 1.3 per cent behind on 36.62 per cent. The Big Brother reunion show sparked a further 59 complaints. The broadcasting watchdog said they related to 'alleged bullying behaviour between the housemates'. The one-off episode saw Rochelle call her rival Johanne a 'nasty piece of work', to which Johanne replied: 'Who are you calling a nasty piece of work?' Rochelle also told her: 'You have a f*****g screw loose!' It comes after Big Brother star Trish Balusa filed a lawsuit against ITV plc, Banijay UK Productions Limited, and Initial TV, alleging she is a victim of negligence, breach of contract and misrepresentation. The Big Brother final sparked more than 900 Ofcom complaints after Rochelle Rackham's controversial win It comes after Big Brother star Trish Balusa filed a lawsuit against ITV over the 'racist tweets' scandalTrish appeared on the ITV reboot of the series in 2023, being evicted from the show by public vote a week before the final. Days later, old 'racist and homophobic' social media posts resurfaced online, and she was subsequently removed from the spin-off show Big Brother: Late & Live and was the only housemate not to be invited to the final.Trish, who now works as a keynote speaker and social justice advocate, has accused ITV of double standards following Rochelle's win. Trish, 35, is seeking a six-figure settlement, alleging that there was deliberate misrepresentation of the scope of social media vetting conducted prior to her participation in Big Brother, and she has been left in 'psychological turmoil' as a result. Trish told the Daily Mail: 'I've always been driven by injustice when it happens to others. Trying to survive my experience with ITV forced me to turn that same advocacy towards myself, because I'm worthy of fighting for too. 'I realised that asking for change behind closed doors had no impact, so I brought this claim, because broadcasters must be held accountable for their part in the trauma participants experience. 'Like many people, especially from marginalised communities, I went in naïve about what I was signing up for. I didn't realise it could become an exploitative journey that drains you, then leaves you to fend for yourself without the duty of care you were promised.'I may be at the centre of this, but it isn't only about me. Reality TV needs structured, consistent duty of care policies that apply equally to everyone. The Big Brother reunion show sparked a further 59 complaints. The broadcasting watchdog said they related to 'alleged bullying behaviour between the housemates''Executives and production teams also need extensive training. They remain faceless, but their decisions have the biggest knock-on effect, and it's participants who are left to face the public's rage. 'Time and again, we've seen microaggressions toward some communities used as entertainment, while other groups are protected.'How many more lives must be lost? How many more reality TV stars must we watch lose their minds before we accept that the only reforms worth championing are the ones that change the very obvious disparity in the system? 'Things have to change so every reality TV participant gets the protection, opportunities, grace and duty of care they accessible.'She added in a statement to Reality Tea: 'What played out on screen shows exactly how race and identity shape the way a person is treated, received and humanised. 'I faced a brutal narrative over past comments, so relentless that even the support I was offered fell short. 'Now I’ve watched a contestant face allegations of discriminatory behaviour, past and present, and be protected, defended and, ultimately crowned by the very public that demanded accountability from me.'Britain needs to be honest about how it treats black women on reality TV. Duty of care training can’t stop at contestants. 'Producers and production teams must be held to the same standard, or they will keep amplifying the very racism they’re meant to protect us from.'Accountability isn’t reserved for participants. Production companies have a duty to protect contestants from others who display harmful behaviour; run a properly-informed and adequate vetting process; and apply a structured, consistent disciplinary process. When they fail on any of these, they must be held accountable, too.'I always knew what happened to me was less about my words and more about who I am. I was gaslit, and three years on, I’ve been proven right. The accountability everyone demanded of me must now apply to others. 'What has been an ongoing psychological turmoil for me will now be a legal and financial learning point for those responsible, and hopefully can trigger genuine reform in duty of care, race relations, and reality TV.'The Daily Mail contacted ITV, Initial/Banijay and Trish's representatives for comment.