Celebrity Big Brother star Ryan Thomas has been issued an official warning for allegedly punching his co-star Roxanne Pallett.
The former Coronation Street actor was summoned to the diary room by Big Brother, where he was reprimanded for hurting Pallett while “play fighting” and warned he would be removed from the show if it happened again.
Thomas said there was “no malice or anger in anything I did”.
Ex-Emmerdale star Pallett had earlier told Big Brother she was upset by the altercation.
"I'm just a little bit in shock." #CBB pic.twitter.com/IqSva15C1g
— Big Brother UK (@bbuk) August 30, 2018
In tears in the diary room, Pallett said she was in shock, adding: “I went from being upset to being angry, because a boy has punched me repeatedly unprovoked, he actually punched me like a boxer would punch a bag.
“And we weren’t play fighting, there was no banter, it wasn’t a joke.”
Big Brother told her the footage was being reviewed and the matter was being “taken very seriously”.
She asked to sleep in a separate bedroom because she was “suffering” and “didn’t feel comfortable” sleeping in the same room.
After being called to the diary room, Thomas was told: “Before you entered the Big Brother house, rules regarding unacceptable behaviour were explained to you. You have broken this rule.
“At 3.55pm today, Big Brother noticed that whilst almost play fighting, you punched Roxanne in the ribs.
“This caused Roxanne to say ‘ow, that bloody hurt’. Whether you intended to hurt Roxanne or not is irrelevant.”
Thomas said: “I think we both know, and Roxanne, that there was no malice or anger in anything I did.”
He apologised for punching her.
Big Brother said: “Big Brother is issuing you with a formal warning in regards physical contact in the house.
“Any repetition, and you will be removed from the house.”
Elsewhere in the episode housemates including Nick Leeson, Hardeep Singh Kohli and Gabby Allen revealed they have become irritated with Pallett’s “attention seeking” behaviour.
Celebrity Big Brother continues on Channel 5.