A contestant on the reality television program Big Brother has generated a record number of complaints from viewers and advocacy groups. Omar El Mayer, a 21-year-old jewellery salesman, received 22,499 complaints to the UK communications regulator Ofcom, marking the highest volume for an individual participant in the show’s civilian format since its debut on Channel 4 in 2000.

The complaints focus on El Mayer’s conduct toward his on-off girlfriend and fellow contestant, 22-year-old Rhianna Collins. Viewers and charities have expressed concern over what they described as “controlling” and “toxic” behavior, which reportedly caused Collins to become visibly upset during multiple confrontations. Women’s Aid, a domestic violence charity, publicly urged ITV2—the network airing the current series—to intervene after several heated exchanges between the two. Among the incidents cited were El Mayer’s commands that Collins “don’t look away from me,” along with admonishments to “sort yourself out” and “fix up.”

While this total represents a significant response from the audience, it has been surpassed in previous years by complaints directed at celebrity contestants on the Channel 4 and later Channel 5 editions of Celebrity Big Brother. In 2007, about 45,000 viewers lodged complaints concerning the late Jade Goody’s racist remarks toward Indian actress Shilpa Shetty. In 2018, Roxanne Pallett drew approximately 27,000 complaints after falsely accusing fellow contestant Ryan Thomas of physically assaulting her.

The current series of Big Brother continues to draw attention both for its dramatic interpersonal conflicts and the viewer response, reflecting ongoing concerns about contestant welfare and the handling of sensitive issues on reality TV programming. ITV2 and the program’s producers have not issued an official statement regarding the complaints against El Mayer as of yet.