Celebrity Big Brother star Mickey Rourke made a major demand before signing up. The actor is the highest-paid housemate on the ITV show this year, but even the jaw-dropping fee wasn’t enough to get him on board.
Marvel star Mickey, 72, is reportedly earning £500,000 for his stint in the Big Brother house. In contrast, The Only Way is Essex star Ella Mae Wise is making just a fraction of Mickey’s wage, at £25,000.
CBB bosses seemed like they’d do anything to get Mickey on board, with an insider saying: “Mickey is considered a loose cannon, and producers think he is worth getting their big cheque book out for. He is unpredictable, and they know lots of people will tune in to see if he cracks under the pressure.”
Even before signing on the dotted line for half a million, however, Mickey made sure changes were made to the house for him, with bosses bending over backwards to make sure he got a special request fulfilled.
Speaking to The Sun before making his controversial entrance into the house, Mickey revealed that he had a gym made on site to his specifications. The former boxing legend is on a health kick after his wild partying days, and shared that keeping fit is vital for his mental health.
“I’ve asked for a certain amount of gym equipment, a couple of benches and some weights and some sit up benches and stuff,” he said.
“Fitness is really important to me as it helps my anxiety. I have panic attacks too but training really helps settle my mind.”
Mickey outlined his plans to reinvent himself and “make the fourth quarter in life,” meaning he works out twice per day and eats like Victoria Beckham with a diet of veggies and fish.
The Hollywood star also described 11-day fasts living on only water, and gushed: “I feel amazing afterwards – re-energised. I don’t get angry. It focuses me.”
Mickey’s new clean lifestyle is a huge contrast to his past, after he admitted to taking steroids alongside downing huge amounts of food in order to gain weight for the 2008 film The Wrestler.
After denying turning to steroids for years, Mickey finally came clean in an Instagram post detailing his regret and explaining that it took him several years to drop the pounds again.
“It was not a great well thought out plan, I of course used steroids and ate enormous amounts of food six times a day. Was very stupid on my part, my only real accomplishment was long hrs in gym. I regret it but I’ve made many dumb ass decisions in my life. I cringe when I see photos of myself.”
Mickey lamented: “I never said I was the sharpest pencil in the box. Oh well I was thinking out loud and thought perhaps I could get this message out to some young dude who wants to get bigger and bigger.”
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