20:00, 05 Apr 2025Updated 07:23, 06 Apr 2025
Roxanne Pallett, who is best known for her portrayal of Jo Stiles in Emmerdale, enjoyed a flourishing career, receiving multiple award nominations. However, everything changed the moment she entered the Celebrity Big Brother house back in 2018. Her time on the reality show took a disastrous turn when she accused fellow housemate Ryan Thomas of physically assaulting her.
Roxanne, now 42, claimed he had punched her, an allegation that when examined against the show's security footage, was proven to be entirely false. Viewers watched as she refused to sleep in the same room as Ryan, expressing fear that he might harm her. Yet, the footage painted a starkly different reality, exposing her claims as manipulative and damaging.
With the truth laid bare, public outrage was swift and severe as fans of the show turned on Roxanne while Ryan, unaware of the storm brewing outside, found himself isolated. Cut off from the real world, he struggled to understand the situation, often seen breaking down in tears. It wasn't until eviction night, when the live audience erupted into chants of "Get Roxanne out!" that he could finally grasp how the public really felt about him.
The backlash against Roxanne was overwhelming, resulting in over 25,000 Ofcom complaints. Recognising the gravity of her actions, she later issued a televised apology during a tense interview with Big Brother host Emma Willis, admitting she had made a "terrible mistake." Following the scandal, she withdrew from the public eye completely, but where is she now?
Since then, Roxanne has chosen to keep a low profile and has remained out of the spotlight - even deleting all of her social media accounts. In 2020, she tied the knot with firefighter and former Married At First Sight contestant Jason Carrion, and a year later, she announced her pregnancy.
After her wedding, Roxanne shared a heartfelt tribute to her husband, posting a sentimental message about their journey together. At the time, she wrote: "There's an old saying that difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations. Well, it was worth every broken step that got me here, and I thank God every moment that out of everyone in the whole world, I was led to you.
"You are my safest place and my greatest adventure. Thank you for choosing me. On our wedding day, we celebrated our commitment to one another. A day I'll truly remember as perfect in every way."
Then, in 2021 she and Jason welcomed their first child, but despite glimpses of their life together on their shared Instagram account (@lovethecarrions), the page has remained inactive since 2020, reinforcing Roxanne's retreat from the spotlight.
Speaking to Closer magazine, she reflected on her decision to step away from fame: "I think taking a step away from showbiz has been the biggest saving grace for me, as it's brought better people into my life and given me a healthier perspective on what's important."
Reflecting on the controversy a year later, Roxanne revealed on The Jeremy Vine Show in 2019 that she had contemplated taking her own life in the aftermath of the incident. When asked directly by Jeremy Vine whether she had ever considered taking her own life, she responded: "Yes."
Revisiting the footage of her Big Brother appearance, she expressed deep remorse: "Looking back at those clips, it's awful. It was a really awful time for a lot of people." However, she also acknowledged her personal growth, stating, "It's only now that I watch those back that I realise how far I've come and what a bad place I was in."
Determined to change, she vowed: "I never want to be that person again. I never want to react like that to a situation." Meanwhile, Ryan Thomas, who emerged from Celebrity Big Brother as the winner, shared in October 2023 that, despite everything, he had found it within himself to sympathize with Roxanne.
Speaking on a podcast, he revealed that his brother, Scott Thomas, had helped him see the situation from a different perspective. Scott reassured him, saying: "As bad as it was, it was actually the best thing that could have happened to you because it showed off your kind heart, your understanding, your calmness."
Reflecting on this, Ryan admitted: "You can't hide from who you really are in a show like that. It's so weird to say this, but I actually feel sorry for her. When you're in a show like that, and everything's highlighted and it's public, it can be quite a lonely place and a scary place when you're put in that situation. So, we move on."
Ryan also recalled how the experience made him question himself when some of his fellow housemates turned against him. The turning point came when he received a letter from Scott, who later shared how painful it had been to watch from the outside.
"I'm getting emotional. The maddest thing for us watching was that you were kind of oblivious to what was going on. You were in that house, questioning yourself. I remember when you broke down - it killed me, because the whole nation was on your side and had your back," he said.
Ryan admitted that he only truly understood the scale of public support on eviction night. "I just released because I knew it wasn't about me, I knew it was about her. But when you're in there, it's one of the most lonely places that you can ever go to because you don't know these people from day one. You're building relationships with people that you've never really met before."
Though years have passed since the infamous Big Brother scandal, it remains one of reality TV's most shocking controversies. Roxanne Pallett's dramatic fall from grace led to her stepping away from the industry, while Ryan Thomas emerged with newfound public admiration.
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