Celebrity Big Brother producers were alarmed when the results of a secret eviction were accidently ‘leaked’ to a live studio audience.
The reality series is nearing its end, with only six renowned faces remaining in the house ahead of Friday night’s finale.
They include former X Factor judge Louis Walsh, Strictly professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin, former This Morning host Fern Britton, reality TV personality David Potts, Heartstopper star Bradley Riches, and Coronation Street’s Bradley Riches.
This week, West End singer Marisha Wallace and YouTube personality ZeZe Mills were ousted in a double eviction, but viewers were stunned on Wednesday night when host AJ Odudu announced that someone else had also been removed.
The night before, she and co-host Will Best announced that another eviction will take place before the finals.
However, nothing was televised the next night, leaving many people wondering whether the event would go forward.
However, in the opening seconds of the next night’s Late & Live, AJ indicated that they would use the show to speculate on who had gone, despite the fact that the eviction had already occurred.
She then announced that the footage will be screened the next night, on Thursday.
‘Earlier today Big Brother unleashed a surprise eviction on the housemates and one more celebrity has already left the Big Brother house,’ she said.
After sharing the news the evicted housemate was ‘already in hiding’, she then said viewers would have to wait another day to find out who ‘had fallen at the last hurdle’.
The celebrity exited through the diary room, missing their grand departure in front of the live audience.
To keep the outcome a secret until it airs tonight, producers turned off the live stream and blocked the glass to the gallery in the Late and Live studio.
However, it has been stated that they were left concerned last night when workers working on the spin-off lifted the blackout while part of the audience remained in the studio.
In an attempt to keep the eviction result from leaking members of the audience were ‘forced’ to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), as reported by The Sun.
According to a source, executives ensured that the gallery, which is visible in the Late and Live studios, was covered so that the audience and viewers at home could not observe the monitors and anticipate the outcome.
‘But after AJ Odudu wrapped the episode the crew immediately started to remove the blackout sticker, making the gallery once again visible and eagle-eyed fans got glimpse of the live feed,’ they said.
‘While the audience thought it was amusing bosses held them back and forced them to sign NDAs, preventing them from revealing the result – or even mentioning the mishap.’
Viewers expressed their dissatisfaction shortly after learning that they would have to wait for the results.
‘Nobody likes these secret backdoor evictions. Even if you do a backdoor, it should be live. Very unfair on viewers and the evicted housemate. What’s even the point?’ one person posted on X.
‘ITV have got it wrong. The back door eviction should be shown live … for the shock effect … #cbbuk … turn back time,’ someone else shared.
Another added: ‘Swear they said about shock eviction tonight?! Late & Live just said they’re already out and it’ll be revealed tomorrow. We’ve been bamboozled by CBB.’
Others stated they were ‘gutted’ after watching the episode to find out who was departing.
Zeze, Marisha, Lauren Simon, Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, Gary Goldsmith, and Levi Roots have already left the house. Sharon Osbourne also departed once her term as a lodger ended.
Celebrity Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on ITV1.
Source My Celebrity Life.