Ofcom finally clear Christopher Biggins over biphobic comments on Celebrity Big Brother
Investigation deemed TV personalities words were "within the audience's expectations"
SHAMED Celebrity Big Brother star Christopher Biggins has been cleared by Ofcom over biphobic comments he made during his time on the reality TV show.
The 67-year-old was removed from the Channel 5 reality show in August following a number of biphobic and anti-semitic remarks, many of which were cut before broadcast.
However in one exchange that did make it to air, the pantomime star was discussing the LGBT community with fellow housemate Renee Graziano and said: "I think the worst type though, I’m afraid to say, the bisexuals.
“What it is is people not wanting to admit they are gay.”
His comments provoked 44 complaints, but Ofcom has now given its verdict, stating Biggins' words were "within the audience's expectations".
A spokesperson continued: "We investigated whether a discussion between Christopher Biggins and Renee Graziano about the sexual orientation of bisexual people was offensive.
“We accepted that these remarks made in Celebrity Big Brother were capable of causing offence, but they were likely to be
of this programme.”
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However it wasn't Biggins' only conversation which caused offensive, and during another chat he claimed HIV had been spread by bisexuals who had sex with infected people abroad “and brought it back to their own families in America, and that’s how it became a worldwide disease”.
The watchdog was not able to investigate the star's comments about the Holocaust, as it was unable to consider complaints about material that has not been broadcast.
While in the house, Biggins had said to housemate Katie Waissel, who is Jewish: “You better be careful or they’ll be putting you in a shower and taking you to a room”, as the celebrities queued for the bathroom.
He later apologised to Waissel and Big Brother for the “trite, ridiculous remark” and upon his removal from the Celebrity Big Brother house, he defended himself, stating he had lots of bisexual and Jewish friends.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Biggins said: "I love Jewish people. Listen, my best friend is Lesley Joseph. You can’t get much more Jewish than that.
“I have a lot of bisexual friends and I’m not in any way a bigoted person.
"I’m 67 and I love everybody. I live in Hackney and I have a lot of black neighbours who are fantastic.
“It’s just not in my vocabulary that word. So to be chastised for those sorts of things is very sad.”