Jeremy Vine has addressed criticism of his interview with Roxanne Pallett, following claims he didn’t push her hard enough.
Former Emmerdale star Roxanne, 35, appeared on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine show on Monday to explain why she accused her Celebrity Big Brother housemate Ryan Thomas of punching her during what appeared to be a play fight.
Roxanne, who quit the show last week, admitted to Jeremy she’d been “wrong” and apologised to Ryan after widespread outrage over her allegation.
Some viewers, however, felt Jeremy could have been tougher in his line of questioning, given the seriousness of Roxanne’s allegation and its impact on Ryan’s life and career.
Read more: Secrets behind Roxanne Pallett and Ryan Thomas’ decades-long feud
Addressing that criticism on Tuesday’s show, Jeremy said: “We got a bit of flak yesterday for apparently not pushing her hard.
“I’m sitting there thinking, she could take her life tomorrow, she’s in that kind of state. We’ve got all these people carrying pitchforks who probably want her to die, but it’s not pitchfork journalism.”
Panellist Jamelia also gave her thoughts, saying she questioned how genuine Roxanne’s remarks had been after she repeated them again during a later interview with Emma Willis on Celebrity Big Brother.
“I found it really difficult being on the show with her,” said Jamelia.
“At the time, I thought it could be (sincere) then I saw another interview with her yesterday with Emma and she said exactly the same thing word for word and for me that was a performance. They felt like very rehearsed lines.
“At not one point did she say sorry. She said ‘I apologise’ but she didn’t say sorry. And I do think sorry is different to apologise.”
On Jeremy Vine, a subdued Roxanne had 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.”
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 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.
Read more: Adam Thomas hits out at CBB for using brother Ryan to push up ratings
Celebrity Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on Channel 5.
Jeremy Vine airs weekdays at 9.15am on Channel 5.
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