Here’s how many people complained about Perez Hilton on Celebrity Big Brother

Mar 04 2015
Written by Nick Duffy

Nearly 1200 people complained to Ofcom about Perez Hilton’s actions on Celebrity Big Brother.

The controversial gossip blogger appeared on the latest series of the Channel 5 reality show, which finished last month.

The blogger continuously attracted complaints from fellow housemates and viewers due to his outlandish behaviour and outspoken remarks during his time on the show.

At one point, Hilton made an ill-judged comparison between taking part in the show and the 1980s AIDS crisis which claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

He compared being shunned by Katie Hopkins to being “diagnosed with AIDS in the early 80s”, saying: “She was trying to get everybody to be afraid of me and ostracise me”.

RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage took offence to the comments, saying: “Having lost 20 plus friends to AIDS, that is a bit extreme!”

Statistics released by Ofcom showed that of the 2736 complaints about the show, 715 were about Perez Hilton’s “sexualised behaviour” and 480 about his “threatening behaviour”.

An Ofcom spokesperson told the Guardian: “We were satisfied Channel 5 had broadcast clear and appropriate warnings about the potentially offensive content, and that it intervened in heated exchanges and situations at appropriate times.

“We also took into account audience expectations for this reality format and the fact that the series was broadcast after the watershed.”