Luke Valentine, a participant in Big Brother season 25, has been expelled from the show after using a racial slur during a Paramount+ live feed.
Valentine’s removal followed his use of the N-word in a conversation on Paramount+’s live feeds. The incident was captured by a user on X (formerly known as Twitter) and showed Valentine speaking with fellow contestants Jared Fields, Cory Wurtenberger, and Hisam Goueli. After using the racial slur, he laughed and attempted to correct himself with the word “dude.”
CBS and the show’s producers confirmed the removal in a statement to PEOPLE on Wednesday.”Luke violated the Big Brother code of conduct and there is zero tolerance in the house for using a racial slur. He has been removed from the house. His departure will be addressed in Thursday night’s show,” the statement reads.
Following the incident, fans took to social media to demand Valentine’s removal. This is not the first time Big Brother has faced racial controversies. In the previous season, houseguest Kyle Carpenter was evicted for making racial comments. Fans also criticized the show for micro-aggressions against Taylor Hale, the eventual winner, who is Black.
In the 22nd season, contestant Memphis Garrett was accused of using the N-word against David Alexander, who is Black. An online petition and CBS investigation followed, but CBS concluded that he did not use the slur. In the 21st season, winner Jackson Michie apologized for comments that were deemed occasionally racist, particularly in response to protests over George Floyd’s killing.
During the same season, fans accused the show of racist remarks and behavior after three contestants of color were eliminated. CBS denied that the casting was racially motivated in a statement to PEOPLE at the time. The show Big Brother is broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
