By Salma El-Sakka
Essex housewife Rochelle Rackham, 57, won the £100,000 cash prize on Thursday's Big Brother UK finale, but her victory was met with sustained booing from the studio audience that nearly drowned out hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best during the exit interview.
Controversial Journey in the House
From day three, Rackham sparked outrage by telling fellow housemate Charlotte, who lost all four limbs as a child, that she had "a bit of a fear" of people with "no arms." She later made divisive comments about evictee Millie's weight, suggesting she could lose weight in other ways. Charlotte left the show after two weeks, while Millie later said her experience was defined by Rackham's remarks.
Clashes and Allegations
Rackham engaged in repeated showdowns with housemates Johanne Cade and Pauline, often rallying against "cancel culture" and feminism. She survived an eviction vote against Johanne after claiming to have overheard a conversation about herself, which Johanne and Pauline denied. As Johanne left, Rackham declared, "Ding dong, the witch is dead." Evicted housemates later alleged on TikTok that Rackham used racist language toward contestants Lynx and Omar, comments ITV chose not to broadcast.
Finale Reaction and Aftermath
During the final weeks, housemates including Phillip, Rihanna and Yasmin distanced themselves from Rackham, citing hurtful comments. When chants of "Get Rochelle out" erupted, she dismissed the crowd as "saddos." In her exit interview, Rackham acknowledged she had not been "very nice" to finalist Twinks Burnett, claiming she was "egged on" by others. She described the experience as "the worst holiday" of her life but thanked voters for the win.
Series Success and Reunion
This series became the most-watched since ITV rebooted Big Brother in 2021. A reunion episode filmed after the finale is scheduled to air on Friday.
