Big Brother star Trish Balusa was ‘uninvited’ from the Big Brother final by ITV following her scandal involving old tweets.
The 33-year-old mum from Luton was a hot favourite to not only make the final, but to scoop the £100,000 prize in the first revival series of the social experiment.
But, following a turbulent few weeks in the house, the fan favourite was evicted, leaving Jordan, Yinrun, Henry, Olivia, and Noky as the finalists.
When Trish left the house and her social media accounts were made public again, BB fans were left extremely disappointed to uncover tweets – many of which were written several years ago – with offensive language.
As a result, Trish’s follow-up appearance on BB spin-off show Late & Live was cancelled, and the reality star kept a low profile for a few days before issuing an apology.
Viewers hoping to catch her in the crowd at tonight’s grand final shouldn’t be optimistic, though, as the channel has reportedly decided it was best for her not to be there.
This decision was made by ITV, with insiders saying: ‘Trish was keen to attend but production decided it was best if she didn’t come and told her she was no longer invited.
‘They didn’t want to look like they were endorsing Trish’s opinions and felt it would be a distraction from the final five.’
Reacting to the news, Big Brother fans were divided, with many throwing support behind Trish and claiming ITV themselves should have checked her social media more thoroughly prior to the series launch.
One person tweeted: ‘so ITV refuse to take any accountability for their part of not properly checking her social media but will just erase her ? hmmm ok’.
‘In other news tune into ITV1 on Sunday to see why ITV have paid Nigel Farage 1.5 million… hypocrites’, blasted another.
‘That’s unfair. She’s apologised’, argued another.
One person did add: ‘Why would she? Housemates who have behaved inappropriately are never asked back.’
Tweets previously posted by Trish included racist and homophobic comments, with one reading: ‘There are Asian people everywhere but why do the ones in Ilford/EastHam/Upton Park and Barking smell like this kmt (kiss my teeth). Shame on you.’
That was posted on March 13, 2012.
Another of Trish’s tweets from October 20, 2012, read: ‘The smell of Pondu cooking is so strong, I hope I don’t leave my house smelling of it like Asian people smell of Curry at times.’
On June 12, 2014, Trish tweeted: ‘I follow this anti Islam page and I’m not gonna lie as funny as some posts are, I’m scared to retweet them.’
While most tweets were written 10 years ago or more, one was actually sent on April 23, 2019, and it appeared to be a reply to someone.
Trish wrote: ‘Asian. Don’t mind them, it’s the useless ones who complain’.
In 2012, Trish also wrote tweets including this one posted on May 8: ‘Justin Bieber is TOO pretty, he looks like a lesbian.’
On 26 May 2012, she wrote: ‘Today a lesbian was making a move on me at work, I don’t know how I feel about that.’
The tweets were deleted, but screenshots quickly circulated.
In an apologetic statement, Trish later told her followers how ‘ashamed’ she felt.
She wrote: ‘I’m aware that some very concerning old tweets of mine have resurfaced, and I would like to sincerely apologise for the harmful stereotypes I perpetuated and the pain I have caused to the marginalised communities and groups of people mentioned.
‘There are no excuses for the ignorance that I showed and I am deeply disappointed, embarrassed and ashamed that I once made such comments. I have come a very long way since by educating myself and being educated by others on the impact and harm these views cause.’
She continued: ‘It is part of the reason why I am so passionate about standing up for others and holding myself to a high standard of responsibility and accountability for my actions.
‘I appreciate the support you’ve all given me on the show and I understand you feel disappointed. I know apologies can seem convenient in these circumstances, but I mean it from the bottom of my heart: I am truly sorry. I hope it is possible for you to offer me grace and believe that people can change.’
Trish concluded: ‘I am committed to being the person I am now, the person you have known me as – someone who speaks up, stands for what they believe in and always open to growth and accountability.’
Following her Instagram statement, Trish broke her silence in her first interview.
‘One day I am going to have a conversation with my son about stuff like that,’ she explained.
‘I’ve always planned on having conversations with him about these important topics because I am very passionate about social changes and standing up for marginalised groups and now I am conscious that the conversation I am going to have to have with him is going to have to look a little bit different,’ she added when speaking to Indy100.
The scandal also sparked difficult conversations with her brother, who is transgender, with Trish saying she was ‘really apologetic’ towards him.
On the difficult chats she’ll need to have with other people, she added: ‘Hopefully, I could rely on the fact that they know my heart. They know who I am.’
A spokesperson for Big Brother previously told Metro.co.uk: ‘This weekend, we have been made aware of concerning historical tweets.
‘We are currently looking into why they were not identified by the independent supplier we engage to review the digital footprint of potential Housemates as part of our pre-checks.’
ITV has been contacted for comment.
Big Brother airs tonight at 9pm on ITV and ITVX.
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