‘It triggered lots of mental health issues for me’: Big Brother’s Brian Dowling hits back at Davina McCall amid ongoing row over reality show
Big Brother’s Brian Dowling has taken to Instagram to hit back at Davina McCall amid an ongoing row about the reality show and its new Best Shows Ever series.
The reality star, 42, wrote on his Instagram Story on Saturday: ‘I can’t believe I’m in this position AGAIN where I’m having to justify my feelings regarding BIG BROTHER.’
He then posted a lengthy statement, directed toward Davina, 52, which read: ‘I’m really sad that you have again posted something today which continues to fan the flames of this on social media and in the press.
Speaking out: Big Brother’s Brian Dowling has taken to Instagram to hit back at Davina McCall amid an ongoing row about the reality show and its new Best Shows Ever series
‘On Thursday morning I posted a video on Instagram saying that I was hurt and upset that I wasn’t referenced at all as a host of Big Brother in the chat between all the presenters, and how this plays into my general treatment by the production company since they fired me.
‘This was not a personal attack on you, Rylan or Emma at all because as far as I’m aware you do not make or edit the show and I’m a huge fan of all of you as presenters.’
Brian was initially upset by the new Channel 4 series, which looks back at the most iconic episodes of the show, because he wasn’t noted as being a presenter.
Controversy: The reality star, 42, wrote: ‘I can’t believe I’m in this position AGAIN where I’m having to justify my feelings regarding BIG BROTHER’
Candid: He then posted a lengthy statement, directed toward Davina, to defend his recent actions
He presented the show from 2011 to 2013 before being taken over by Emma Willis – something he claims he wasn’t told about and only discovered after reading it in The Sun.
During an interview with Emma, 44, Rylan Clarke-Neal asked what it was like to take over as presenter of Big Brother after working with the ‘Big Mother’ Davina, 52.
Emma said: ‘You poo your pants a bit, you think you can never follow the Queen so just try and do as good a job as possible.’
Hurt: Brian was initially upset by the new Channel 4 series, which looks back at the most iconic episodes of the show, because he wasn’t noted as being a presenter
Davina defended her statement by tweeting to say: ‘This is what he said. He was referring to when she worked with me on C4.
‘Clear as day. He never said she took over from me as host.’
Brian’s statement continued: ‘This was me saying that my feelings were hurt, as I felt that my hosting six series of the show was airbrushed out.
‘I understand that the Channel 5 shows were not being shown on your new series, however Emma’s role as host was specifically discussed and Rylan’s Bit On the Side show was also referenced during the series.
Drama: Davina defended Emma’s statement by tweeting to say: ‘This is what he said. He was referring to when she worked with me on C4’
‘I felt sad that I was not even referenced as the host bearing in mind there has only ever been three of us. ONLY THREE OF US.’
He continued: ‘This wasn’t about any references to me as a housemate at all, and I really do appreciate the lovely things that both you and Rylan said about me on Thursday night’s show.
‘Subsequently I wasn’t going to say anything else about it. Then on Thursday night after the show aired you personally decided to tweet that I was asked to appear on the series but turned it down and tagged me in the post.
Questions: Responding to a fan, Brian shared a cryptic tweet hinting he wasn’t offered the chance to take part in Best Shows Ever
‘Why did you feel that it was appropriate to post that? Even if you were being asked then surely you would be well aware that it would make me look bad and incite bad comments about me, when you had no idea why I might have declined to take part?
‘Did I turn you down personally? No.
‘Did you or anyone else ask me why I might have turned it down? No.
Drama: The presenter took to Twitter on Thursday night to clarify Davina McCall’s claims he’d been offered a chance to appear on lookback series Best Shows Ever
‘I did not turn down filming a 10-second clip as an insult to you or Rylan. I said no because it once again highlighted how I am treated by the producers of this show and it triggered lots of mental health issues for me yet again.
‘When I was fired I was hurt, upset and publicly humiliated. My mental health and confidence has suffered terribly for the last seven years because of that and other events that occurred whilst I was the host.
‘My career came to a halt because I could not even consider working on television for a good number of yeras after that and my reputation damaged.
Explanation: Davina took to Twitter to clarify that Brian was offered the chance to appear on Best Shows Ever
‘I think that is a very good reason why I did not want to film a 10-second clip, and you have no idea of what really went on seven years ago and what I went through at the time.’
He added: ‘Once I saw your tweet and the amount of vitriol and abuse I was getting in response to it, I felt I had to post something explaining why I didn’t want to film the clip.
‘This is not something I wanted to do, but I felt I had no choice bearing in mind how much poison and criticism I was personally getting.
‘I certainly don’t think I didn’t anything unreasonable in posting it – I had to make a comment in light of your very bold ”FYI” post to your 2.7million followers.
‘I haven’t said anything since. However it’s now Saturday and you are still posting about this today. I genuinely don’t understand why, but I would really like to draw a line under this now please, as by continuing to post all you are doing is encouraging more negativity.’
MailOnline has contacted reps for Davina McCall and Channel 4 for comment.
Angry: But Brian then responded claiming he felt ‘tainted’ by how bosses treated him during his time as host, adding he learned through the newspapers he’d been axed
It comes as Brian hit out at Big Brother bosses for holding ‘secret talks’ with Emma behind his back to replace him as the show’s host, and has admitted he is ‘still affected’ by the way he was treated.
On Thursday night, viewers were looking back at Brian’s first appearance on Big Brother in 2001, which eventually saw him crowned series champion.
Responding to a fan, Brian shared a cryptic tweet hinting he wasn’t offered the chance to take part in Best Shows Ever, writing: ‘You are not the only one. Actually at this stage it’s getting rather funny. People trying to rewrite history.’
Following Brian’s comments about his experience working on the show, Davina took to social media to clarify that Brian was offered the chance to appear on Best Shows Ever.
She tweeted: ‘Just an FYI . We did ask @brianofficial to be part of the show. He was ultimate housemate!!!! That was a no brainer.’
Having his say: Brian hit out at Big Brother for holding ‘secret talks’ to hire Emma Willis behind his back (pictured hosting Big Brother in 2011)
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