THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE HOUSEMATES WHO FORGOT THEY WERE BEING FILMED

LORD, this year’s Celebrity Big Brother has been astounding viewing. Utterly bizarrely a couple of notable housemates have behaved, on a perpetually filmed television show, as if there were no cameras involved.

First footballer Jermaine Pennant succeeded in flirting kidnap victim Chloe Ayling into his bed without bothering to mention the fact that he is married. His subsequent attempt to pass off his behaviour as “banter” was bewildering. Did the chap fail to realise every second of his conduct was being observed by the show’s horrified viewers?

Next former Emmerdale actress Roxanne Pallett accused Coronation Street star Ryan Thomas of punching her repeatedly and violently in the ribs and called for him to be removed from the house. Like Pennant she appeared not to realise the whole non-event had been caught on camera.

The audience clearly saw the actor play-fighting with her for a matter of seconds, barely making contact before she giggled and continued with her day. Her tearful histrionics were ridiculous. His shock and discomfiture when he discovered the accusations she’d levelled against him were agonising to behold. I don’t get it.

I’ve been on the programme twice and the cameras are visible and whirl round to capture what you’re up to. It’s downright impossible to forget about them. What’s afoot? As Alice in Wonderland declared and housemate Hardeep Singh Kohli quoted: “Curiouser and curiouser.”