Big Brother’s Trish has broken her silence after old ‘racist and homophobic’ social media posts resurfaced following her departure from the show.
The 33-year-old stay-at-home mum was evicted from the ITV Big Brother house along with Chanelle on Friday.
Viewers were shocked by the outcome as Trish was considered a fan favorite.
But since her departure, shocking historical tweets referencing minority groups have resurfaced, with homophobic, racist and ableist comments.
Trish will now not appear on spin-off show Big Brother: Late & Live as expected after a contestant was kicked off the show.
Shock: Big Brother’s Trish has broken her silence after old ‘racist and homophobic’ social media posts resurfaced following her departure from the show
Exit: The 33-year-old stay-at-home mum was evicted from the ITV Big Brother house with Chanelle on Friday
Trish broke her silence following the scandal on Sunday morning, posting a statement of apology on her social media feed.
The ex-housemate said: ‘I am aware that some very disturbing old tweets of mine have resurfaced, and I would like to sincerely apologize for the harmful stereotypes I have perpetuated and the pain I have caused to marginalized communities and groups of people.
“There are no excuses for the ignorance I have shown and I am deeply disappointed, embarrassed and ashamed that I ever made such comments. I have come a very long way since then in educating myself and others about the impact and harm these views cause.”
The comments especially impacted viewers when Trish accused the other housemates of microaggressions during her time in the house.
She added in the statement, “It’s part of why I’m so passionate about standing up for others and holding myself to a high standard of responsibility and accountability for my actions.
Full statement: Trish apologized for her past tweets in a lengthy statement, saying she is ‘always open to growth and responsibility’
“I appreciate the support you all gave me during the show and I understand your disappointment. I know an apology may seem convenient, 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.
‘I do everything I can to be the person I am today, the person you know as someone who speaks out, stands for what he or she believes in and is always open to growth and responsibility.’
The 2012 messages were only discovered after Trish left, as all the participants had set their social media profiles to private while in the house.
Since his departure, Trish has been active on social media, meaning the tweets were discovered by fans.
She wrote after her departure: “Going big brother was actually one of the best decisions I’ve made. That experience taught me so much.’
Her original Twitter account has since been deleted – although the statement has now appeared under a different username, as posted on her Instagram profile.
After the tweets came to light, one Big Brother viewer wrote: ‘Just saw the Trish tweets that have come to light. We all rooted for her….”
Reaction: Big Brother fans were shocked after the historic tweets resurfaced
Another said: ‘That was a rollercoaster of an evening, first Trish got applause, then she was BRUTALLY evicted, and less than five hours later she was canceled due to racist, homophobic and ableist tweets.’
On their decision to ax Trish from the show, ITV said: ‘This weekend we were made aware of historic tweets.
‘We are currently investigating why they have not been identified by the independent supplier we engage to assess the digital footprint of potential Housemates as part of our pre-checks.’
Speaking on Late & Live after her eviction, she said: ‘I’m still a bit shocked. At the same time, part of me thought: this is my third nomination.’
Trish also talked about some disagreements she had at home, especially with Chanelle, Jenkin, Tom and Olivia’s group.
She said: ‘I felt there was a lot of micro-aggressions and judgement. It was pretty constant. Before Chanelle, it was someone else.
When asked if she ever expected an apology from Chanelle after the disagreements they had, Trish said, “I started to understand that with Chanelle, Tom and Jenkin, they had lost so many people.
‘When I spoke to Olivia she was so genuine, there was a lot of reflection. With Chanelle it was like mmm, no. I don’t really feel the sincerity.’
Big Brother continues at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
Sent Home: Chanelle was the first contestant to leave during the episode before Trish was also evicted despite the crowd outside the house chanting ‘Trish to win’