Table of Contents
ITV stops supporting Palestine on Big Brother
ITV has removed a pro-Palestinian symbol from a Big Brother episode after it was noticed on a housemate’s T-shirt.
During the episode on Tuesday night, Ali Bromley, a contestant, was observed sporting a black T-shirt with a watermelon design resembling Israel, while she was in the garden of the Big Brother house.
The watermelon symbol has been utilized as a sign of support for Palestinians amidst the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The episode was updated and ITV mentioned that the contestant informed them she was “unaware of the implications” of the symbol and “did not wish to cause offence”.
Following the broadcast, ITVX removed the episode and re-uploaded it on Wednesday without the watermelon symbol on Bromley’s shirt.
Big Brother Show; Statement
According to a Big Brother spokesperson, no personal items that could be considered harmful are permitted in the house.
“We regret that the implications of this particular item of clothing were not fully understood in our bag checks or prior to broadcast of last night’s show,” the broadcaster stated.
“We apologise to any viewers who have been offended by the broadcast and assure viewers that Big Brother was unaware of the implications of the image.”
It was mentioned that the clothing item was taken out of the house and the housemate stated they were unaware of the consequences and did not intend to cause harm or offense.
The footage of Bromley wearing the top was also removed in Tuesday’s episode of Big Brother Late & Live.
The number of Palestinians killed has surpassed 42,000 since the Hamas assault on 7 October, with approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 individuals being held captive.
The watermelon symbol is connected with the pro-Palestinian movement because the colors of the fruit match those of the Palestinian flag.
Following Tuesday’s episode, charity Campaign Against Antisemitism said it had submitted a complaint to Ofcom as the “incident represents a serious violation of broadcasting standards”.
In a statement on X, the organisation said the graphic was anti-Semitic and “caused significant distress among the British Jewish community, who regard it as a genocidal message similar to the slogan From the River to the Sea which calls for the elimination of the world’s only Jewish state.”
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign and other activists contest this, saying the slogan refers to “the right of all Palestinians to freedom, equality and justice”.
Also Read: Lil Durk Arrested in Los Angeles Murder Case 2022
