Roxanne Pallett has issued a public apology to Ryan Thomas for accusing him of ‘punching’ her on Celebrity Big Brother.
The former Emmerdale star, 35, appeared on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine on Monday morning to say she’d been wrong in how she handled the controversial situation.
She said: “I massively apologise to not just Ryan, but his family, his friends, his fans and every single person that watched that and completely and justifiably saw an overreaction to what wasn’t a malicious act.”
“I can’t apologise enough to Ryan and everybody attached to him.
“I hope people can forgive me and Ryan can forgive me in time.”
“In that moment, because I am sensitive and I was emotional I mistook what was playful. And he did apologise for it and say his ring caught me. It was the word ‘deliberate’ that I regret. Because I doubted his intention and there was no malicious intent behind that.
“And that’s what I apologise for. I shouldn’t have questioned his motivation. I got it wrong.
“Looking back I absolutely overreacted and I got it wrong.”
Read more: Secrets behind Roxanne Pallett and Ryan Thomas’ decades-long feud
Roxanne said the first thing she did when she quit the show was look back at the video footage of the alleged ‘punch’.
She said: “I got it wrong. I really got it wrong.”
“After it happened, I just felt like my mind ran away with me. I am a sensitive person. Only my family and friends can vouch for that and everything in that house becomes so heightened. A look, a comment, an action. Your insecurities are heightened, your sensitivity and all I can say, the only thing I can explain it with was in the moment it felt worse than it was. I can’t prove a feeling, show you a feeling.”
Roxanne said she was “devastated and mortified” to think people felt she was making a mockery of domestic violence, as she has been in an abusive relationship herself.
“I understand that view and agree fully with every single person who was outraged by my reaction. I have been a victim of domestic violence years ago. I have worked with Women’s Aid because of my own experience and perhaps they were right in their recent comment that my reaction was a tell-tale sign of the fact I’ve been in a situation like that,” she said.
“In my life I am oversensitive to certain things because of that. I am devastated and mortified to think even one person out there felt I’d discredited or undermined abuse as that wasn’t my intention.”
She added: “I want to reassure everyone I am well aware I overreacted. I apologise massively to every person I offended, everyone I disappointed and the fact I doubted the intention behind the action.”
Roxanne said she’d been advised not to do the interview, she wasn’t paid for the interview and she wasn’t speaking out in a bid to protect her career.
“This has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” she said.
“I’m here today to acknowledge a mistake.”
Roxanne will return to Celebrity Big Brother on Monday night for an exit interview with Emma Willis, where she will be quizzed on her time in the house.
She walked off the show after accusing fellow housemate Ryan of ‘punching’ her during what appeared to be a play fight.
Viewers had seen him making punching gestures in the air while jumping around Roxanne in the kitchen.
Ryan, who apologised and said there was no malice or anger in his actions, was given a formal warning by Big Brother after the controversial claim, leading to outrage among his family, friends and fans.
Her rep said at the weekend: “Roxanne decided to leave the CBB house late last night after deliberating for two days with some sensitive issues she felt strongly about.
“She has now been reunited with her fiancé and family and thanks everyone for their support during her time in the show.”
Ryan was left in tears after Roxanne’s claim, saying he’d considered quitting the show himself as he “felt really low”.
Media regulator Ofcom received 11,215 complaints following the episode.
Roxanne had complained to Big Brother following the exchange with Ryan, saying: “I went from being upset to being angry, because a boy has punched me repeatedly, unprovoked.
“And we weren’t play fighting, there was no banter, it wasn’t a joke.”
She requested to sleep in a separate bedroom that night, saying the next day: “I don’t feel very comfortable or happy today at the moment because I slept separately last night because I felt uncomfortable because Ryan assaulted me.
“And he’s still here and he just smirked at me as I walked past.”
Roxanne also told housemate Ben Jardine: “Ryan punched me. It wasn’t play fighting. He punched me repeatedly in the ribs, there. I didn’t say anything but I was in so much pain all night.
“It was intentional to hurt me. He went for it. He did it with his fist and it was so sore and so aggressive and I walked off and for the next hour I was in a blur of confusion.”
The whole incident caused mass outrage among Ryan’s loved ones, co-stars and fans, with many taking to social media to defend him.
Among them was his girlfriend Lucy Mecklenburgh, who said her heart was breaking watching her boyfriend so upset on TV.
She tweeted: “This is painful to watch… I feel sick watching this. Why haven’t the house been shown the footage yet! Disgraceful.. Can’t stop crying!! Tempted to go and get him out.”
Read more: Adam Thomas hits out at CBB for using brother Ryan to push up ratings
Big Brother’s Bit On The Side host Rylan Clark-Neal backed her call to show the housemates the ‘punch’ footage, tweeting: “I’m gonna get in trouble for this , I’m all for no interfering no outside contact etc …. BUT SHOW THE HOUSEMATES THE FOOTAGE. There I’ve said it. Praying they will.
He added: “I’ve never been more uncomfortable watching an episode.”
Celebrity Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on Channel 5.
What do you make of Roxanne’s comments? What do you make of this whole incident? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!