Mickey Rourke ‘has £500,000 pay cheque slashed by ITV’ after heated row sparked removal from CBB house
MICKEY Rourke won’t be paid his entire £500,000 fee after being kicked out of Celebrity Big Brother, insiders told The Sun.
A source said ITV would be revising his pay cheque now he has been removed from the house following a heated exchange with Chris Hughes.
The Hollywood wildman joins stars including Roxanne Pallett and Jeremy Jackson who had their their big-money fees slashed after they got the boot.
A source said: “Mickey won’t be receiving all his money from ITV.
“If a celebrity gets removed from the house, they don’t get the full fee. It’s as simple as that and they will be discussing that with him.
“Mickey was ready to leave the house and it ended up feeling like a mutual decision between him and ITV in the end. It was getting too much.”
Today, The Sun On Sunday revealed Mickey, 72, had been repeatedly warned about his behaviour by Celebrity Big Brother bosses in scenes that weren’t aired.
Hours before his shock exit, a source said: “Some of them had hoped he’d be booted out in the first eviction because there is only so much they can do to protect him.
“He has been called into the Diary Room on multiple occasions because of his language or his behaviour.
“None of this has been shown on camera because it would end up like The Mickey Rourke Show.”
Mickey, who won a Bafta and was Oscar-nominated for 2008 film The Wrestler, first fell foul of his fellow housemates when he directed offensive slurs at US singer JoJo Siwa, who is a lesbian.
The insider added: “The production team are concerned Mickey is going to push it too far. He’s completely off the scale in the house and he’s not calming down.
“Mickey has also been threatening to break down the fire door to get out. They’re at their wits’ end with his antics.”
ITV issued a statement when Mickey was removed and said: “Mickey Rourke has agreed to leave the Celebrity Big Brother House this evening following a discussion with Big Brother regarding further use of inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behaviour.”
It is believed Mickey displayed “threatening and aggressive” behaviour towards his housemate Chris Hughes during a disagreement in a task.
The Sun understands that no physical altercation took place.
Celebrity Big Brother 2025 line-up
Celebrity Big Brother is back for a brand new series, with a whole host of stars set to live it up in the famous compound.
Here’s the FULL line-up of star housemates:
Trisha Goddard – Talk show host
Mickey Rourke – Hollywood actor
Donna Preston – comedian and TV star
JoJo Siwa – influencer and singer
Chris Hughes – Love Island hunk
Jack P. Shepherd – Coronation Street star
Patsy Palmer – EastEnders legend
Daley Thompson – Olympic athlete
Chesney Hawkes – 90s singer
Ella Rae Wise – Towie star
Michael Fabricant – former Tory politician
Angellica Bell – former CBBC presenter
Danny Beard – Drag queen and Britain’s Got Talent
KICKED OUT
Mickey survived the first eviction of the series on Friday night, which saw Tory MP Michael Fabricant leave the house.
Fans are now demanding ITV producers show exactly why Mickey was booted off the show when the series returns on Sunday night.
A show insider told The Sun: “Mickey was never going to last the distance, but no one expected him to leave quite so soon and certainly not under these circumstances.
“He clearly decided it wasn’t for him. Everyone’s been left shocked.”
The actor’s time on the reality show was marred by awkward moments and he was slammed by his fellow housemates before his exit.
On day three he was seen asking fellow American celeb JoJo Siwa: “Where’s the smoke room? Where’s the cigarette room?”
Mickey then asked the 21-year-old influencer: “Do you like girls or boys?” prompting her to explain: “Me? Girls. My partner is non-binary.”
The actor then said: “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.”
Shortly after that exchange, Mickey said: “I need a fag,” then gestured at JoJo saying “I’m not talking to you.”
JoJo was then seen crying as Love Island star Chris comforted her in the bedroom.
Mickey was also overheard saying in the garden that he’d “vote the lesbian out real quick” a remark fellow housemates branded “homophobic.”
The Iron Man 2 star was hauled into the Diary Room where he was reprimanded by show bosses.
Big Brother issued him a formal warning for “offensive and unacceptable” language.
At the time, suspicious fans then claimed Mickey was deliberately flaunting show rules in order to be booted off – and scoot away with his fee.
Michael Fabricant – who was evicted on Friday – then suggested the American had “wanted to leave since day one.”
In turn, viewers have now demanded the former Tory MP – who lost his seat in 2024 – return to the compound.
‘OFFENSIVE AND UNACCEPTABLE’
Mickey apologised for his words towards JoJo and said he was “just talking smack” and “didn’t mean it with bad intentions”.
Later, the ageing American actor said he “got chewed out” in the Diary Room and admitted to the group: “I didn’t say it out of meanness.”
Housemates tried to help him understand the impact of his words, with Drag Race star Danny Beard offering support while encouraging Mickey to see things “from another point of view.”
But, that wasn’t the last controversy sparked by the 72-year-old’s behaviour.
On Friday night’s show EastEnders star Patsy Palmer broke down in tears in the diary room after Mickey complained about her cooking.