More than 11,000 complaints have been submitted to media watchdog Ofcom regarding an episode of Celebrity Big Brother in which former Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas was given a formal warning for physical contact with fellow housemate Roxanne Pallett.
The incident occurred on Thursday's show, where Thomas was seen approaching Pallett in the kitchen and appeared to punch her in the ribs. Pallett later told producers she felt uncomfortable and claimed she had been 'punched repeatedly, unprovoked'. Thomas insisted there was 'no anger or malice' in his actions, describing them as playful.
Ofcom confirmed it had received 11,215 complaints about the episode and stated: 'We are assessing these complaints against our broadcasting rules, before deciding whether or not to investigate.' Channel 5 declined to comment when approached by Newsbeat.
The controversy has divided viewers, with some uploading footage arguing Thomas was play-fighting. Ryan's brother, Scott Thomas, accused Pallett of trying to damage his 'brother's reputation over what was blatantly some harmless play fighting'. Others, however, warned that dismissing her claims could deter domestic abuse victims from coming forward.
