Big Brother viewers slam "disgusting" Rochelle comment in "rude" chat with Charlotte

Big Brother fans have voiced their disapproval of housemate Rochelle after one particular conversation in tonight's episode (16 September). The 57-year-old told Charlotte, who lost her limbs as a child after battling meningitis, that she has "a bit of a fear" of people with "no arms".

Rochelle added that she feels "so ashamed" for her feelings, adding: "Now, I don't even look at it."

Charlotte relayed the conversation to some other housemates, telling them: "I'm not, like, offended but obviously it was rude."

Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 – including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV

Rhianna then went to reprimand Rochelle, with Rochelle explaining: "I wanted to say [it] because think [Charlotte] is f**king amazing and I'm really ashamed that I even thought like this.

"I genuinely was really worried because I'm not good, and it's made me realise that I don't know what I was worried about. She's so sweet."

"I just don't think you should've said that," Rhianna said.

Reacting online, one person on Instagram wrote: "That was disgusting what Rochelle said about Charlotte, just because she has a disability doesn’t mean she is different from anyone else!! She is really mean. Praise to Rihanna for what she said."

Related: From Philip to Rochelle: Big Brother's new 2026 cast, ranked by icon status and potential to win

Another said: "What a hurtful thing to admit to someone." "Sometimes what we think.. should be kept as a thought," another wrote.

On X, meanwhile, someone said: "Rochelle could have 'complimented' Charlotte and her ability without having to say what she thought. Charlotte didn’t know her inner thoughts. I know she meant it to be honest, but she didn’t think of Charlotte and that’s the issue."

"I know Rochelle wasn't being nasty but you can't walk up to a disabled person and speak to them like that. It was very patronising, Charlotte took it amazingly well," another posted.

Speaking in the Diary Room later, Charlotte said: "Obviously it's a rude thing to say... but in no way at all am I taking it personally. I'm not insecure in any way... It was a nasty comment but I'm not going to be upset about it and take it to heart."

Following this week's House of Chaos twist, Rochelle faces eviction alongside Millie and Pauline. On Friday, one of them will become the first to be eliminated.

Big Brother airs on ITV2 and ITVX.

Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.

The new edition of Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Ariana Grande, is here! Buy Ariana Grande in newsagents or online.

Shaun is an Evening News Editor at Digital Spy, with over a decade of experience reporting on all things pop culture. He has written for outlets including Metro, Attitude, Huffington Post, The Mirror, Yahoo!, Pink News and Express Online, specialising in TV, movies, soaps, music and LGBTQ+ issues. He is also a BAFTA Rocliffe-winning scriptwriter, having written episodes of the soap Hollyoaks, the official Steps musical Here & Now and multiple Offie Award-nominated plays. He studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia, and will happily talk at length about Desperate Housewives to anyone who'll listen.