Big Brother introduced a familiar face back into the game as 2023 evictee Farida Khalifa made a comeback through a secret room. Farida didn’t hold back as she made some explosive comments about current housemate Nancy Nocerino to fellow secret housemate Sam Ashby upon her return.
After the fake eviction of Sam, co-hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best disclosed that Sam, Farida, and former controversial housemate Emily Hewertson would observe the other housemates from a secret room before rejoining them.
In the secret room, Farida didn’t hesitate to label Nancy as a “mean girl” following a recent feud where Nancy and Sam criticized fellow housemate Jenny Baird. This led to Nancy and Sam being nominated for eviction by their housemates, resulting in Sam’s “eviction” and transfer to the secret room.
Commenting on the situation, Farida expressed her views on Nancy’s behavior, cautioning Sam about aligning himself with the wrong people. She highlighted the consequences of such associations, emphasizing the need for careful choices in the house dynamics.
While in the secret room, Sam, Farida, and Emily will engage in behind-the-scenes tasks and influence aspects of the main house before rejoining the group.
Emily was the first housemate eliminated this season, facing public eviction alongside Sam and Caroline Monk in the initial episode. Sam and Caroline voted for Emily to leave after failing to convince others to keep her.
Emily’s controversial return stirred mixed reactions, with some viewers criticizing her vocal support for political figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage. Many fans expressed disappointment and questioned the decision to bring her back to the show.
The audience reactions varied from disbelief to disappointment, with some viewers expressing their displeasure with ITV and Big Brother for giving a platform to someone with controversial views. The debate over Emily’s return sparked strong opinions among loyal viewers of the show.