Viewers complain of low blow to BB Audley
CELEBRITY Big Brother bosses came under fire yesterday over their treatment of housemate Audley Harrison.
Last night the boxer was called to the diary room, where he received his second warning about his behaviour towards former boxing manager Kellie Maloney.
Show bosses claimed his comments to Kellie, 61, who is undergoing a sex change, were offensive.
Audley, 42, who knew Kellie for 20 years as boxing promoter Frank, said he was having trouble getting used to the fact she is now living as a woman.
But fans leapt to his defence, saying the source of the dispute was a boxing rift between the pair.
Some have even claimed that Kellie is using the sex change as a way to turn Big Brother against heavyweight champion Harrison.
Last night she was heard admitting: “I was Audley’s biggest enemy in boxing, I set out to bring him down.”
The revelation has put the show under further pressure to apologise to the boxer. Enraged viewers took to Twitter to share their disdain about his treatment.
One called Karin said: “Not being funny, but Audley was being honest not nasty! Kellie is a drama queen!”
Speaking with fellow housemates James Jordan and George Gilbey, Kellie claimed Audley had a “phobia about trans-people”, adding: “Audley tolerates me, he doesn’t accept me.”
Kellie told Audley she would have preferred him to tell her straight away that she made him feel uncomfortable.
Audley said he needed more time to adjust, adding: “If you can’t get past it, you can’t get past it.”
Last night saw the second celebrity eviction from the Channel 5 show. Kelly Brook’s fiance David McIntosh was first to go on Wednesday.