Big Brother 2012: Ofcom launches investigation into Conor's rant
July 9, 2012 13:11 by Josh Darvill
TV watchdog Ofcom has confirmed it has launched in investigation into Big Brother.
The telly regulator is investigating the show broadcast on June 25, which featured Conor’s ranting against fellow housemate Deana.
He had ranted: “Get your epilator and stick it up your a*se. We don’t give a f**k! Stick it up her f**king m*nge stupid b**tard.”
He continued: “I’m gonna play loads of pranks on her [Deana]. F**king piece of s**t, I don’t give a f**k if I’m pulled up to the diary room.”
Ashleigh asked him what he would do if Deana threw water all over him. Conor said that he would “punch” her.
Big Brother issued Conor with an official warning via the Diary Room, which was broadcast the same night.
Many viewers had complained however that Conor should be kicked out of the show.
“Housemates are closely monitored at all times in the Big Brother house and following Conor’s reaction to Deana failing the food-based task he was immediately called into the diary room, warned and reprimanded in accordance with the programme’s procedures,” a statement from Channel 5 said last month.
It continued: “He has fully acknowledged that this was unacceptable. We felt it was important to show that Conor’s behaviour was not condoned by Big Brother or any of the housemates, and that this kind of conduct will not be tolerated in the house.
“Having spoken to Conor, and bearing in mind our duty of care to the other housemates, we are satisfied that he should continue to participate in the programme.”
Ofcom are also investigating an episode of Big Brother’s Bit On The Side that aired on July 4.
However they are not investigating complaints made against Caroline’s use of the term “gorilla” to describe fellow housemate Adam.
They said that the comments, dealt with by a warning from Big Brother, did not raise issues warranting investigation
Read more: http://tellymix.co.uk/reality-tv/big...#ixzz208HRw3Pd
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BIG Brother hunk Arron Lowe turned on best pal Conor McIntyre last night over his aggressive rants.
The model watched a series of clips showing Conor’s outbursts which have made him a hate figure for viewers.
In his only newspaper chat since being evicted on Friday, Arron, 23, said: “I’ve been shocked by the footage I’ve seen of Conor. I can’t justify some of the stuff he’s said.
“If I’d heard it while I was in the house I would have said something to him. He’s let his tongue slip and it hasn’t done him any favours. I’m really disappointed.”
Viewers saw Conor, 24, reprimanded over his rants after Big Brother stepped in.
Admitting he had warned Conor to behave, Arron said: “I kept reminding him what we did in the house would affect our life on the outside. I only saw the good in him when I was in there.
“I knew a lovable character but the stuff he said under his breath, I didn’t see that stuff until I came out. He’s got a week to redeem himself.”
Arron was booted out of the house after some viewers branded him a bully. But he insisted: “I felt victimised in there – I was the one being bullied. That’s why I’m glad to be out.
“I woke up most mornings with a horrible feeling. It was like waking up in a nightmare.
“I hid my emotions because I didn’t want to become an easy target but I was still surrounded by people who hated me.”
Arron claims Luke Anderson, 31, Deana Uppal, 23, and Adam Kelly, 27, made his life hell by targeting him.
He said: “I was intimidated by them. They asked me questions so I’d say an uneducated answer and then they’d just let rip, laughing at me.
“They didn’t care about the consequences. I felt like a victim.”
Arron is devastated that fans dubbed him a bully on the Channel 5 show.
He said: “I’ve usually got a big smile on my face but hearing people think that about me has hit me quite hard.”
Meanwhile, the Turf Wars task continued yesterday as rival teams played Chinese Whispers.
Housemates were given stinky foods to eat before breathing towards a teammate who had to guess the dish.
Access to a secret room was on offer to the team that won the most rounds. Meanwhile, Lauren Carre, 20, has emerged as the new favourite at 10/3. dramatically after polling the most public votes last week, and is now 7/2.
Funny Aron ,you were sitting right next to Conor when it happened
Anyone who has been following Chris Brown's continuing career will look at the Connor situation and go like this.....
Meanwhile it's all very well trying to blow this situation up and get some much needed publicity for C5 and it's pisspoor product, however the GBP don't seem to be interested. I do hope that in future series C5 consider a wider and interesting range of contestants.
741 people complained to Ofcom about this programme.
Ofcom launch an investigation into any programme where complaints have been made and where Ofcom thinks that the programme may have breached its codes. It is likely to be weeks before they make any announcement as to if the programme has breached the codes.
It is possible that Arron has made a complaint under the fairness and privacy parts of the code. That would not be included in the main complaint but would be treated separately. Ofcom would not announce this publicly until they made a decision.
Not that it matters but I wonder why the Independent and the Guardian are showing higher figures than Ofcom's 741 complaints 
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org....omplaints/040712.pdf
This is the same point I made when there was a huge fuss about Russell and Rossie, they end up with more complaints than punters.
Originally Posted by El Loro:
Not that it matters but I wonder why the Independent and the Guardian are showing higher figures than Ofcom's 741 complaints
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org....omplaints/040712.pdf
I only put the links up as a source .I do believe the articles have a combined number of complaints.
The media regulator is investigating three incidents, which have attracted a total of 1,225 complaints, to see they breach the UK broadcasting code
theyre taking their time deciding int they, the show will be over when they decide
Originally Posted by justafriend:
theyre taking their time deciding int they, the show will be over when they decide
Ofcom took 4 months to make a decision on that racism complaint on BB back in 2007 and I doubt they will decide this time until the autumn.
I do look at the Ofcom bulletins which generally come out every 2 weeks, so if and when I come across their decision, I can report it back here. Quite often though if they conclude there isn't a breach of the code, they give minimal details.
Originally Posted by Baz:
Not before time ! And I see Aaron is jumping ship
but not before he's accused Adam, Luke A and Deana of bullying him
Originally Posted by Baz:
Not before time ! And I see Aaron is jumping ship
Jumping? It's a mad scramble to get as far away as possible.
Big Brother sponsor refuses to rule out dropping £2m deal over abuse row Schwarzkopf 'closely monitoring' Ofcom as it investigates 1,225 complaints over aggressive behaviour and racist language
Big Brother: Conor McIntyre was allegedly abusive to Miss India UK title holder Deana Uppal. Photograph: Channel 5 Schwarzkopf has refused to rule out dropping its £2m headline sponsorship of Big Brother, admitting that it is closely monitoring the outcome of Ofcom's investigation into more than 1,200 complaints about instances of abuse and racism on the Channel 5 reality TV show.
The media regulator is investigating three incidents, which have attracted a total of 1,225 complaints, including abusive behaviour, a black contestant being called "a gorilla" and housemates labelled as "retards".
The official sponsor of Big Brother, the celebrity edition that will air later this summer and spin-off show Bit on the Side is hair colour giant Schwarzkopf.
The brand – which has used presenter and former singer Louise Redknapp in its advertising, although she does not appear in the TV idents made to support the Big Brother sponsorship – signed a £2m tie-up with the Channel 5 franchise earlier this year.
A spokeswoman for the Richard Desmond-owned broadcaster was keen to point out that the brand has no control over what the housemates do or what it chooses to air.
"We are prevented by law from influencing editorial content or policy as this responsibility rests firmly with the makers of the show," she said.
She refused to be drawn when asked whether Schwarzkopf was definitely standing by its sponsorship, or is reconsidering its relationship with the show.
"We will continue to closely monitor the situation, but it would not be appropriate to comment any further at this stage of Ofcom's investigation," she said.
The media regulator is expected to take at least several weeks to decide whether the incidents were in breach of the UK broadcasting code.
Schwarzkopf's deal, struck by parent company Henkel, included product placement for sister brands such as Right Guard deodorant and Theramed toothpaste.
The main focus of the £2m deal is the Schwarzkopf brand – as well as TV idents stunts have included the housemates and presenter Emma Willis dying their hair the brand's distinctive red colour.
One senior media buying executive said that there is as yet no sign, to his knowledge, of TV advertisers pulling back their campaigns in light of the investigation.
"It is a case of innocent until proven guilty," he said. "There are no rumours of anyone set to pull a campaign. However even though there were only a few complaints about racism if that turned out to be upheld by Ofcom then I would expect there to be a definite advertiser reaction."
The incident that prompted the most complaints from viewers, 1,108, involved housemate Conor McIntyre being abusive to Miss India UK title holder Deana Uppal.
McIntyre was warned about his behaviour by Big Brother, in which he used a string of expletives and called her "a piece of ****". The incident occurred at 9.40pm on 25 June on Channel 5 show.
The second incident involved housemate Caroline Wharram calling Adam Kelly, a black contestant, a "ridiculous gorilla ... with no sanitation".
Ofcom received 114 complaints from viewers about the perceived racial slur which occurred on 28 June at 10.25pm.
On 4 July, a former Big Brother housemate, Victor Ebuwa, appeared on spin-off show Big Brother's Bit on the Side.
Ebuwa referred to the housemates as "functioning retards", which prompted three complaints to Ofcom. The incident occurred at 11.20pm.
"Channel 5 is committed to complying with Ofcom's broadcasting code and will help to facilitate a speedy investigation into this particular episode of Big Brother and Big Brother's Bit on the Side," said a spokesman for the broadcaster.
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