Celebrity Big Brother evictee Tory MP Michael Fabricant has made no secret of his disappointment over being the first celebrity to leave the iconic house. So it’s no surprise that the 74 year old star cut a downcast appearance when he was pictured for the first time leaving an after-show party, shortly after the spin-off show, Late & Live.
During his exit interview, Michael said he was “sad” to be leaving and saying goodbye to the friends he made during his short stay. Sat in the back of the car, Michael kept his head down seemingly preoccupied with content on his mobile phone.
Dressed in a black blazer and denim jeans, he completed his look with a salmon pink shirt. But at one point during his drive from the studio, he appeared startled.
With his eyes open wide, Michael placed his phone on his lap as he was pictured staring out of the windscreen window of the car. But it remains unknown what had caught his attention.
Michael was only a housemate for four days before his exit. And while in the house, he managed to cause a stir after clashing with a few housemates including Trisha Goddard and EastEnders star Patsy Palmer.
During the show’s shopping task, former pop star Chesney Hawkes asked the former politician his thoughts on immigration, which prompted Trisha to put him in his place.
Chesney shared his experience of being of Jewish descent. To which, Michael responded: “Jewish people when they usually come to this country believe, do in Rome as the Roman’s do.”
He added: “Do not come to this country if your aim is to change everybody to your way of thinking.”
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Sparking outrage in Trisha, she immediately jumped in and asked: “Hang on! Are you slipping into Islamophobia? Because you’re going to have trouble.”
Defending his comment, Michael added: “Who mentioned Islam?” And it was at this point Olympic champion Daley Thompson made a quick exit from the conversation.
Listening to Michael’s defence, Trisha told him, “It’s getting dangerous,” as she stood firm that Michael was not being misunderstood.
Continuing with his defence, Michael said: “I’m trying to explain this country has benefited from wave upon wave of immigration.”
Meanwhile, fans wasted no time in commenting on the heated discussion. Taking to X, one person said: “Why is Trisha saying Islamophobia during Michael’s speech?! He didn’t even say that.”
Another said: “Bit confused as to why Trisha deemed it appropriate to accuse Michael of Islamophobia when he never even mentioned Islam?”
However, balancing the views, one fan added: “I like Michael but tbh, that’s what sprang to my mind when he said migrants should adapt to the UK and not expect the opposite. It’s obvious, innit? So I don’t blame Trisha for thinking he meant that.”
Another penned: “Sorry but Trisha was right. That is what Michael was implying, and he was skating on that idea. She knew that a common Tory argument was that muslims don’t ‘integrate’ and don’t ‘do as the Romans do when in Rome’ and called it before he could say it.”
And a third said: “‘Do not come to this country if your aim is to change everybody to your way of thinking,’ is that exact same rhetoric that racists have used over the years, so it wasn’t hard, for me at least, to see why Trisha leapt to such a supposition.”
Michael was up for eviction along with Mickey Rourke and Coronation Street actor Jack P. Shepherd.
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