Big Brother's Omar El Mayer says his background fuelled backlash over 'controlling' behaviour row and confirms he's still dating Rhianna Collins after becoming show's most complained-about contestant ever

Big Brother star Omar El Mayer has responded to the backlash over his time in the house, saying while he takes accountability for his behaviour he believes a housemate from a different background would have been treated differently. Omar, 21, became the most complained about civilian contestant ever after Ofcom received more than 22,000 complaints regarding his 'coercive and controlling' behaviour towards fellow housemate and girlfriend Rhianna Collins. Big Brother warned Omar that the 'language and behaviour' he used 'could cause offence to housemates or the viewing public', and he had lengthy chats with the show's psych team that were not broadcast. Reflecting on his relationship with Rhianna in the house, Omar said: 'There were times where I didn't really listen to her, and I should have listened. But in my defence as well, I did try to listen. There were countless times where I did listen. 'And for me, it was also navigating risk. I was worried for myself, because at the end of the day, I know the way the world is, and I know the way things are, so I feel like I was trying to over-engineer my behaviour.'And that's when it gets dangerous, when you try to navigate the risk instead of just being yourself, and I felt like I was slipping away from that at certain points.'Which is when I found myself taking part in toxic behaviours, like, not listening, or saying "don't talk about me", things like that. But at the end of the day we all argue.'Omar claimed that a lot of the backlash stemmed from seeing him as a stereotype, saying: 'I felt like had it been someone else of another background, they wouldn't have treated it the same way. And that's just the way the world is.' Big Brother star Omar El Mayer has responded to the backlash over his time in the house Omar, 21, became the most complained about civilian contestant ever after Ofcom received more than 22,000 complaints regarding his 'coercive and controlling' behaviourOmar revealed he was warned by Big Brother that he was coming across negatively and was also briefed about the backlash when he left the house in a backdoor eviction. Yet that didn't stop him being shocked by the reaction of the public – after thousands signed a petition for him to be removed from the show and Women's Aid released a statement claiming Big Brother was 'presenting abuse as a form of entertainment'. Omar explained: 'We all make mistakes, we all say mean things, we all argue, we all display toxic behaviors, we all display behaviors that aren't great. 'So why have we now taken that and made it seem like I'm Stalin or like Kim Jong-un? It was very upsetting seeing that but it's a lesson that you have to learn...'I'll take accountability where it's due. I apologise. We had a lot of chats in there and not everything was shown.' During his time on the show, Omar was seen engaging in conversations about being a Muslim, yet he has now revealed that he asked Big Brother not to air footage of him praying, because he did not want to be defined by his religion. He explained: 'I didn't come here to represent a whole religion. I'm Muslim, that's my faith, and it's personal to me, and I'm on my own personal journey.'But also, I understand now that the more I elevate in my life, I'm going to become a representation of everything that I am, whether I like it or not. I am who I am, and I have nothing to hide.'Unfortunately there's so much negative stigma around being a Muslim in today's day and age, our communities are always getting penalized.'Hopefully one day, there'll be more representation and stigmas can change.'Despite the backlash over his relationship with Rhianna, Omar insisted that everything is fine between them now, with the couple still romantically involved and seeing each other regularly. Despite the backlash over his relationship with Rhianna, Omar insisted that everything is fine between them now, with the couple still romantically involvedOmar revealed that the couple had moved on from the scandal but he had received a grilling from her friends, which he confessed was 'hard and sad' to take.He has been in touch with Big Brother's psych team since leaving the house and has also had talks with producers to offer feedback on how they can support the welfare of next year's contestants. 'They have been taking care of me, and they've given me a lot of support,' Omar confirmed. Omar also claimed that his time with Rhianna was still one of his highlights from his time on the show, although he caveated 'when we weren't arguing obviously'. The couple's relationship wasn't the only scandal on the show, with the Big Brother final sparking 925 Ofcom complaints after Rochelle Rackham's win.But the controversies did nothing to dampen ratings, with this series exceeding 56million streams – an increase of more than 22million streams compared to Big Brother and Big Brother: Late & Live last year.The final alone brought in 770,000 viewers, a huge boost on last year's finale which drew in 516,000 overnight viewers.Housewife Rochelle was booed on exit after she beat rival Lucinda Burnett, known as Twinks.The pair clashed on many occasions, with far-Left housemate Twinks – who identifies as a witch – having opposing views to Rochelle who often rallied against cancel culture and woke behaviour, and said that she 'hates' feminism. 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.She won with 37.65 per cent of the votes, while 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'.Since the show ended, housemates have alluded to Rochelle making offensive comments that weren't aired. Addressing the rumours, Omar confirmed: 'She said a lot of discriminatory and derogatory things, but in all honesty, over eight weeks, every single person said things that were offensive to the viewing public. 'Big Brother can't necessarily broadcast it, because it's going to offend the viewers. It's not that they're protecting people, it's that they'd get in trouble for airing it, so they're protecting their program.'And it's not my place to go out there now and say, "they said this, they said that".' The couple's relationship wasn't the only scandal on the show, with the Big Brother final sparking 900 Ofcom complaints after Rochelle Rackham's controversial win Despite the highs and lows, Omar said he was grateful to have had the chance to live with such a diverse bunch of people and he'd do the experience again five times over. Now Omar wants to focus on making 'Louis Theroux-style' documentaries for his YouTube channel that he hopes will educate the wider public. He explained: 'I want it to be personal to me, all the different walks of life that I've seen around me. I come from such a diverse, insane place that people will never even comprehend. 'I sound a bit different. I just dress a bit, but I'm not different to you, bro. I'm as multifaceted as any other human being. I'm not two-dimensional, I'm not from a parallel universe.'I want to show people that you can come from a difficult upbringing and a difficult background, and still be great, and still have all these crazy, interesting things about you, and I want to document that in other people.The series proved to be one of the most contentious in the show's 26-year run.Running at eight weeks, it seemed an extended run led to tensions between housemates being more heightened than ever, as the series has become one of the most complained about in reality TV history.With a lengthy list of drama, this year's Big Brother could go down in history, for all the wrong reasons...Omar's 'coercive and controlling' behaviour The majority of Ofcom complaints were relating to Omar's 'coercive and controlling behaviour' towards his girlfriend Rhianna CollinsJewellery designer Omar was the latest housemate to find himself in a romantic entanglement, with him and Rhianna growing close just days after joining the show.But while the pair were declaring their love, cracks between them became so vast, that Omar's treatment of his girlfriend sparked thousands of Ofcom complaints.Omar's behaviour included scolding Rhianna for speaking about their fallout to other housemates, using worrying language such as 'don't talk about me', 'don't cry', 'don't look away from me', 'sort yourself out' and 'fix up'.Women's Aid called for Omar to be removed from the house after concerning scenes between him and Rhianna aired.Omar was also reprimanded by Big Brother in the Diary Room, as they told him: 'Omar, Big Brother wants to speak to you about some of your language and behaviour in the house. 'Big Brother wants to bring to your attention that at times, it appears that you are dismissing your fellow housemates' feelings and experiences, and not acknowledging the impact such behaviour could have on your fellow housemates and the viewing public.''Some of your language used on more than one occasion and the behaviour you have exhibited could cause offense to your fellow housemates or the viewing public.'Omar responded: 'I fully understand. Just, I've never dismissed a housemate's feelings, in all honesty. If I felt like a housemate was feeling something towards me which was incorrect, I would say it was incorrect.''Not necessarily dismiss it, or tell them they don't deserve a feeling and they don't deserve to feel like that.'He added: 'Let's be honest here. We're not talking about housemates, we're talking about my conversations with me and Rhianna. I've done nothing but look out for her. I've done nothing but try to accommodate her and be there for her and care for her.''At the end of the day, I didn't walk in with any bad intentions or any malice and I didn't attempt to exercise anything malicious towards anyone. Like I said, I've acknowledged my housemate's feelings.'Big Brother then replied: 'Omar, you must always be mindful of the impact your language and behaviour can have on others.'Rhianna and Omar did agree to 'tone down' their romance after their tense exchange but she stressed that she didn't feel he was being 'controlling towards her'. Rochelle's 'ableist' remarks With a record 29 nominations, Rochelle has proven to be one of the most divisive housemates in Big Brother history Among them was a conversation with Charlotte Notts, who lost her limbs after contracting meningitis at the age of three, where she said she was 'scared of people with no limbs'With a record 29 nominations, Rochelle proved to be one of the most divisive housemates in Big Brother history, and many of her comments sparked backlash among viewers.Among them was a conversation with Charlotte Notts, who lost her limbs after contracting meningitis at the age of three, where she said she was 'scared of people with no limbs'.She said: 'Can I tell you something? I feel really ashamed. I have got a bit of a fear... 'Just like, no arm. When I saw you, I was like, "Oh my god", and I feel so ashamed because now I don't even look at it [now].'Social media was soon flooded with reaction from viewers, with anger over her 'disgusting and outrageous' comments, having seen Charlotte discuss the exchange with fellow housemate Lynx Noumey. Following Rochelle's confession, Charlotte relayed the conversation to fellow housemates, saying: 'She was like "I've always had a fear of people with no limbs". And she was like "when I saw you like, I was very, I was scared".'Lynx replied: 'What the f*** is that?' before Charlotte continued: 'She was like "when I came in I was quite scared".' before Lynx said: 'Oh Rochelle.' Chelsey Ammari then said: 'I think she needs to learn to shut her mouth, a bit.'Keen to resolve the scenario, Rhianna then said: 'Yeah. Now I think it's just a bit much. I think it's best if I say something' and went on to confront Rochelle. Yasmin's 'fat-shaming' ordeal Rochelle was reprimanded by Big Brother for her 'language' after appearing to mock plus-sized housemate Yasmin's weightRochelle's ill-timed remarks continued, as later in the series she was reprimanded by Big Brother for her 'language' after appearing to mock plus-sized housemate Yasmin's weight.In what began as a light-hearted exchange, Rochelle suggested that Yasmin, who works as a teacher, would 'eat all the children's packed lunches' behind their backs.She went on to do an impression of Yasmin eating the children's food whilst denying involvement, and later made another comment saying that her bed was 'going'.Yasmin laughed off the remarks at the time but later told her housemates that Rochelle kept calling her 'fat'.The comments sparked huge backlash from viewers, who said: 'No that was so uncalled for omfg';'What's her issue with plus size women?; Rochelle is so mean';'Rochelle needs to wind it down now; One joke is funny but constantly going on is just too much.'Big Brother called Rochelle into the Diary Room the following day and warned her comments to Yasmin could 'offend' her housemates and viewers, and said she was not allowed to discuss it again. Micro-aggression row Earlier in the series, Rochelle was involved in a dispute with Johanne and Pauline, over comments the pair made about their experiences with micro-aggressionsEarlier in the series, Rochelle was involved in a dispute with Johanne Cade and Pauline Adeyemo, over comments the pair made about their experiences with micro-aggressions.In the conversation, Johanne referenced Rochelle as someone she felt whose conduct could be seen as microaggressive.She said: 'My situation with Rochelle felt like a microaggression because I feel like if anybody else was over there heating up their food, say Rhianna, would [Rochelle] have reacted like that? 'And that's how you can really decipher a microaggression a lot of times – is just put anybody there that looks like that person, would their behaviour still be the same?'Rochelle overheard Johanne's remarks, with her interpretation sparking a sea of speculation about what was actually said, with even some viewers calling for the conversation to be re-aired to the house.Johanne then branded Rochelle 'stupid, dumb and a trouble maker', with the row contributing to more than 500 Ofcom complaintsPhilip's 'transphobic' remarks Philip's comments about the transgender community raised eyebrows, as said: 'If you want to be classed as a fridge, you're classed as a fridge'Prior to his Big Brother stint, Philip Regan had a huge social media following as his Scouse alter-ego The Queen Of Scotty Road.But along with his dislike of new arrival Twinks, his comments about the transgender community also raised eyebrows.During a discussion with Twinks about pronouns, Philip said: 'Me growing up my generation it was him and her. Now everything is different.'When Twinks asked him to clarify, he said: 'Just not that, everything. You can't talk about nothing. If you want to be classed as a fridge, you're classed as a fridge.'Philip's remarks led to backlash from several former BB stars, including last year's housemate Sam Ashby, who uses they/them pronouns.They wrote: 'You are a gay man and you are pressed about people who call themselves they/them. Get a fucking life.'Celebrity Big Brother star Danny Beard also called out Philip while appearing on spin-off Big Brother: The Group Chat.He said: 'Don't get me started on him, because I loved the Queen of Scotty Road when he came in.'And the fridge comment... I'm not into anyone from any kind of community pulling up the ladder behind them. Language changes, communities change, we should fight for all of our community and not try to alienate... certainly not our trans siblings.'And we look back, 2004, one of the best winners ever, Nadia (Almada). Proud trans woman. And then we cut to 2026 and we've got people making fridge comments? Get in the bin!'Bullying drama Philip clashed with housemate Twinks on several occasions, with viewers begging bosses to reprimand him for his comments after he called her a 'c**t' Twinks broke down in tears in the Diary Room, saying: 'It's not nice, they're not nice people'Philip clashed with housemate Twinks on several occasions, with viewers begging bosses to reprimand him for his comments.One particular row came after housemate Catrin complained to Lynx she was growing uncomfortable with all of the housemates being 'nasty about each other'.As Twinks noted that Catrin was upset with the 'hierarchy' in the house, Rhianna relayed the conversation to Philip, who rushed to confront her.Philip told Twinks to 'keep your f***** mouth shut', and while venting his frustrations later on, he referred to her as a 'c***'.Twinks broke down in tears in the Diary Room, saying: 'Why would I put myself through this? It doesn't feel nice. "Grow thick skin, it's the big Brother house." Maybe I don't want a thick skin, maybe I had to have a thick skin growing up and I've spent the last 15 years trying to feel soft and feel things.'It's not nice, they're not nice people. I really genuinely feel like Cat would have such a better chance if I wasn't here. She's such a sweet, kind, and empathetic person.'Viewers were furious that Philip didn't receive a formal warning from Big Brother for his remarks, as he later declared 'war' on Twinks. Religion row Rochelle and Johanne's relationship in the Big Brother house was tumultuous, and the pair locked horns a mere 24 hours after joining the showRochelle and Johanne's relationship in the Big Brother house was tumultuous, and the pair locked horns a mere 24 hours after joining the show, in a conversation that raised eyebrows among the Christian community.Johanne took offence when Rochelle began to share her love of dogs.She said: 'Dog is God backwards. Dogs worship you and... they're, you're their whole world. And you're meant to like love God, and you love your dogs don't you?'Johanne noted that associating a dog with God was 'a bit much', but Rochelle hit back: 'God does horrible things to you, for no reason.'Johanne insisted God 'has never done anything horrible to her', and when Rochelle questioned her again, she said: 'Well, you should go pray, or maybe you deserved it.'Tensions between Rochelle and Johanne then hit fever pitch that evening during a question game, leading Rochelle to scream at Johanne to 'f**k off', and she hit back 'not to get loud with her', leading the other housemates to step in to try and calm the situation.