Roxanne Pallett backed by domestic abuse charity who say ‘play fighting can seem frightening’ after Ryan Thomas ‘punch’

CELEBRITY Big Brother’s Roxanne Pallett has been backed by a leading domestic abuse charity, who say that ‘play fighting can be frightening’.

The former Emmerdale actress has been slammed by fans of the show after she accused Ryan Thomas of ‘punching her in the ribs’ during a play fight and refused to sleep in the same room as him.

Now, Women’s Aid have backed Roxanne, saying that if you have suffered abuse in the past, it can be scary.

Sian Hawkins, Head of Campaigns and Public Affairs at Women’s Aid, tells The Sun Online: “Play fighting may not seem serious but if you have been in an abusive relationship it can seem frightening and even trigger memories of the abuse.

“Domestic abuse means you don’t feel safe in your home environment, and as a woman who has previously spoken about being in a violent and abusive relationship, Roxanne clearly did not feel comfortable going to sleep in the same room as someone who had physically hurt her, even if that was not his intention.

“An estimated 1.2 million women experienced domestic abuse last year alone; while you might not think you know someone who has experienced domestic abuse, it is highly likely that you do.

“That’s why it is so important for us to show understanding and empathy for someone who is clearly upset by certain behaviours rather than blaming them for overreacting.

“For any survivors out there, you are not alone. Women’s Aid is always here to listen to you, believe you and support you.”

Roxanne described the terrifying abuse she received at the hands of her ex-boyfriend in a new interview, reliving how he’d pull her hair, hit her and was so violent, a neighbour who witnessed it called the police.

“After a row he threw my phone and it smashed. I remember being on my hands and knees trying to piece the sim card and battery etc back together. He then kicked and stamped on it while it was in my hands and my knuckles and fingers were throbbing in pain,” she said.

"He grabbed me by my hair and said 'get up you're making a show of yourself' through gritted teeth and I remember he was walking whist holding onto me by my hair as I tried to find my feet so I was ultimately being dragged for a few metres by my hair." She was eventually rescued when her mum picked her up and drove her home.

The Celebrity Big Brother incident kicked off last night when Roxanne and Ryan appeared to be play fighting in as Roxanne was walking to the bedroom.

Ryan, 34, seemed to catch her a little bit too hard, as she called out to him: ";Ow that bloody hurt," before calling him a "woman beater".

She later went to the diary room and demanded to speak to a producer about something that made her "feel very uncomfortable".

Later in the show, Roxanne explained what happened and called for Ryan be removed from the house. She said: "A boy who's punched me repeatedly, deliberately... he punched me like a boxer punches a bag. There was no banter, it wasn't a joke... I can't believe you're letting someone stay in that's done that, it's not on.

Big Brother tried to reassure the star they are taking the matter seriously. Ryan was then called into the diary room and given a formal warning about "unacceptable behaviour."

If you are worried about your relationship or that of a friend or family member, you can contact the Freephone 24-hour National Domestic Violence Helpline, run in partnership between Women’s Aid and Refuge, on 0808 2000 247 or visit www.womensaid.org.uk

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