Big Brother Contestant Kicked Off Show After Saying N-Word Blames Moment on ‘Psychological Distress’

Former Big Brother contestant Luke Valentine made headlines last week after he was removed from the show for using a racial slur, a moment he now blames on the show’s living conditions.

Valentine said the n-word during a conversation with housemates, which was picked up by the hundreds of microphones and cameras installed in the house. It was broadcast via a live stream designed for fans to watch the drama unfold in real-time day and night.

The production team immediately removed Valentine from the show for violating the conduct code.

Now, Valentine is speaking out about the troubling incident, blaming the moment on the “psychological distress” of the living conditions on the show. In an hour-long Instagram live video, he voiced his disagreement with his removal, insisting that a “slap on the wrist” would have been punishment enough.

“I’m not upset at the production. Their hands were tied. They had to make a sacrifice. I understand why. It is upsetting. I think they made the wrong decision. I think a slap on the wrist would have been a much better thing,” Valentine said.

“Anyone who watches the clip of me saying, you know, the cheese room comment, it’s pretty clear that I meant no malice. It’s pretty clear that I, you know, had no ill intent. It was directed at Cory,” Valentine said in reference to fellow contestant Cory Wurtenberger.

“And it was after about 8 hours or it was about a week of malnutrition, a week of sleep deprivation,” Valentine said. “I was getting probably two and a half hours of sleep on that cheese block. And you don’t really take into account the psychological distress of being under studio lighting 24/7 and not knowing who your friends are, who your enemies are. So, you know, what happened, happened. Do I regret it? Obviously. But I feel like it happened for a reason.”

Watch above via @realbbluke on Instagram.