The American version of Big Brother has found itself in a fresh controversy this week, after the show expelled contestant Luke Valentine for being the first player to be punished for violating its no-tolerance policy on racial slurs and other hate speech. (Given that the zero-tolerance version of the policy has been around, as far as people can tell, for about three years at this point, it’s actually kind of shocking that Valentine is the first to be expelled for it.) Valentine was heard using a slur on the show’s 24/7 feeds, which broadcast constantly from the Big Brother house, on Tuesday night.
Big Brother has a long and complicated history of guests using racist language and other objectionable behavior on the feeds; the combination of constant surveillance, TV show pressure, and good old-fashioned racism has led to a number of problematic instances. (Last season’s winner, Taylor Hale, has spoken about experiencing numerous microaggressions and other bullying from other cast members on the series.) But while previous BB U.S. expulsions have typically been related to acts of physical violence, Valentine’s is the first expulsion for using a slur, which he used while in conversation with his fellow contestants, later calling the moment—while talking to fellow player Jared Fields, who’s Black—”a slip of the tongue.”
As noted by The Daily Beast, Big Brothers issues with racism came prominently to light back in the 2020 season, which featured multiple instances of people using slurs—once, while singing the lyrics of a song, and another time during an argument between contestants. (It was around then that the show issued a tweet saying that “hate speech will not be tolerated, and those who violate the policy will be removed from the Big Brother house.”)
The show has issued a statement about Valentine’s expulsion, noting that it’ll be addressed on Thursday night’s episode.
