'I don't know who's protecting her': Big Brother star JOHANNE CADE breaks her silence on 'awful' Rochelle Rackham... and claims she suffered abuse and threats of violence that weren't shown on show

The news of her racist Facebook post sent shockwaves through the reality television world.

Since I revealed the dreadful social media history of Big Brother star Rochelle Rackham last week, industry insiders and online commentators have been waiting for her to be axed from the show.

Among those shocked that she hasn’t yet been asked to leave is Rochelle’s former housemate and Big Brother contestant Johanne Cade. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, the 44-year-old American launched a furious attack on her, even accusing her of threatening physical assault.

‘I don’t think she should be in that house. I feel like she has said so much and done so much,’ Johanne told the Mail.

To remind Unfiltered readers, in 2015 Rochelle reshared an image of a person bungee-jumping, overlaid with the disgraceful words: ‘Experience bungee jumping only £35 a jump. Muslims go free. No strings attached.’

Rochelle, who was working as a nail technician at the time, captioned the post ‘Love this’, tagging friends she thought would ‘appreciate’ the joke before adding ‘Lol’.

When I revealed this in last week’s column, I presumed it would have been a no-brainer for ITV to dismiss her from the house – but they didn’t.

I then discovered that chiefs at the network were keeping Rochelle in situ, despite her history, because they had in fact known about the offensive posts before she had even entered the house.

Now, former contestant Johanne is claiming Rochelle’s behaviour behind closed doors while filming left her questioning how the 57-year-old was ever deemed suitable to take part in the programme in the first place.

The star, who was evicted from Series 23 at the beginning of this month, told me she was far from shocked by my discoveries about Rochelle’s chequered past, insisting they were entirely in keeping with the person she had come to know during their time living together.

‘I don’t know who’s protecting her [Rochelle]. I don’t know why, I don’t know what’s going on,’ Johanne told me. ‘It made me feel very sad.’

Johanne went on to make clear that, in her view, the 2015 Facebook post was not an isolated incident.

‘I don’t think that there’s anything people can tell me about this lady that would make me go, “Oh my gosh”,’ she said.

‘There are so many “isms” that I’ve seen her express. Adding this on top is very much in line with the character I have lived with for 24 hours a day every single day.’

Last week, I reported that Rochelle was criticised after telling Charlotte Nott, 18, a quadruple amputee from Oxford on the show, that she had ‘a bit of a fear’ of people with ‘no arms’. Rochelle has also faced backlash over comments about fellow contestant Millie Jarrett’s weight.

More recently, she upset trans activists by expressing her views on women’s rights, healthcare and transgender people, telling housemates: ‘I wouldn’t be happy with a transgender in the toilet with me.’

Now in a damning allegation about her experience in the Big Brother house, Johanne claimed Rochelle had repeatedly threatened to physically assault her during their time together.

‘She said to me that she would punch my throat. And then she went on to talk about physically assaulting me multiple times, at least three or four times.’

Rochelle was filmed in the Diary Room telling cameras: ‘I haven't said anything insulting to her [Johanne] other than I want to punch her in the mouth now, which I really f****** do.’

Despite Big Brother responding that such threats were ‘unacceptable’, Rochelle later stated: ‘she wanted to ‘f****** club her over the head with a f****** chicken.’

Johanne stressed that she had never threatened to respond with violence herself, adding: ‘Never once in any of my arguments have I ever talked about physically assaulting her or punching her.’

She also claimed Rochelle had made fun of people from marginalised groups and said her conduct on the show towards other housemates reinforced this view of her.

‘I’ve watched her make fun of so many different people from marginalised classes,’ Johanne alleged, referencing the earlier incidents with amputee Charlotte Nott, and Rochelle’s comments concerning trans rights.

She added bluntly: ‘I’ve never seen anybody like this. I haven’t. I think she’s an awful person.’

For Johanne, the controversy raises uncomfortable questions about ITV’s responsibility to contestants, particularly given the rigorous process she underwent before being selected for the show.

The Los Angeles-born reality star, who has lived in Manchester for almost four years, told me she went through around five interviews, psychological assessments and meetings with an ADHD specialist before being chosen.

She also said producers reviewed her medical records and followed up on potential triggers, leaving her confident that the programme took its duty of care seriously.

‘I felt, from my part, they did their due diligence, which is why I felt comfortable to go in, like, they’re really putting in a lot of work to vet people,’ she explained.

She now questions why the same standards did not prevent Rochelle from entering the house.

‘I felt like the vetting process was very thorough on my part... So you would expect that everybody else’s was too. You expect to be living with people who are just decent.’

Her criticism comes after her explosive confrontation with Rochelle over micro-aggressions on the show, a confrontation that has quickly become one of the most talked-about moments of the season, prompting nearly 500 Ofcom complaints about the scene.

Johanne and fellow contestant Pauline Adeyemo were discussing their shared experiences as black women and a disagreement they’d had earlier in the series with Rochelle about cooking dinner.

Rochelle, who overheard them, proceeded to engage Johanne in an increasingly heated argument until Big Brother intervened and called Johanne to the Diary Room.

She accused Rochelle of escalating the disagreement and using it against her and fellow housemate Pauline.

‘Rochelle took the conversation...and then she weaponised it against us,’ Johanne said.

Johanne also claimed there was a wider pattern of behaviour that viewers had not seen, insisting: ‘There’s some dog-whistling going on over there and some people are definitely hearing it.’

Yet despite the backlash surrounding her own time on the show, Johanne insists she has been encouraged by the support she has received since leaving.

‘I’ve gotten great feedback about it,’ she told me. ‘I’ve met people who are just like: “Thank you for calling it out. Nobody talks about this stuff.”’

Johanne would love to appear on The Real Housewives of Manchester – if it’s ever commissioned – or to follow in Alison Hammond’s footsteps, calling her a role model.

But when it comes to Rochelle, Johanne’s verdict remains devastating.

‘If that’s who people feel represents the UK and the Big Brother house, we live in a very sad world,’ she told me.

For Johanne, the question is no longer simply about a decade-old Facebook post but rather why, given what she says she witnessed inside the house, Rochelle has been allowed to remain there at all.

Just a pinch of Saffron 

A few months ago, I revealed YouTuber Saffron Barker – fresh from her split with boyfriend Josh Miln – had moved to America to enrol at two prestigious New York drama schools in a bid to fulfil her acting ambitions. 

The Briton has spoken openly about rediscovering her love of the arts, which she claims to have put on hold while building her hugely successful social media career. And now, it seems, she’s finally landed her first gig. Well, sort of. I spotted Saffron making a fleeting appearance in the new Debenhams Christmas advert, starring Emily Atack and Mathew Horne. 

The influencer can be seen at a Christmas party, laughing and chatting to another guest in what amounts to a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment. Having spent years making content for millions of followers, she now appears keen to prove she can make it beyond the influencer bubble. 

Whether Hollywood comes calling next remains to be seen.

Hamming up the support, Hannah?

Influencer Hannah Eyerman was recently whisked off to Italy on a brand trip with Parma Ham UK. 

Over the past week, she has shared three videos documenting her gorgeous Italian getaway, showing herself travelling around Parma and sampling the local delicacies. It all looks rather lovely, except for one awkward hiccup. 

It appears the influencer doesn’t even follow the brand on social media. You’d think a little brand loyalty would be the bare minimum when you’re treated to a trip abroad. 

Especially given Hannah previously worked in PR before quitting her job to pursue social media full-time. Perhaps she simply forgot to hit the follow button. But it’s a curious oversight when your Italian escape is being bankrolled by a brand you can’t even follow back. 

UP

Dean Alex Dodd and Shae Navarro, of Bite or Bin fame, are sleeping rough across UK cities over ten days to raise awareness for homelessness and to fundraise for charities, starting in Newcastle. 

Dean was keen to stress that his experience comes with a safety net many others simply don’t have. 

‘I know this is something I’m choosing to do, and I can go home afterwards. Many people don’t have that choice,’ he said. 

He added that any donations would go directly towards supporting homelessness organisations. So far, Dean has raised close to £5,000. 

DOWN

My down this week is whichever influencer thought it was acceptable to steal at SEPHORiA – Sephora’s UK beauty festival – last week. Do you not get sent enough freebies already? 

While attending the beauty event, one perfume stand told me they couldn’t let me smell one of their fragrances because an influencer had simply ‘stolen’ it. 

At an event where influencers were being showered with freebies, treated to goodie bags and surrounded by the kind of luxury products that most people can only dream of, someone still felt the need to help themselves. Embarrassing. 

YouTuber George Clarke’s girlfriend Yasmin Ameelia is making moves of her own, having just launched her own YouTube career. 

Last year, I revealed how the influencer pair went public with their romance at the TikTok Awards after George won over the nation during his stint on Strictly Come Dancing. 

Now Yasmin, who was previously signed to modelling agency J’adore Models as a lingerie model, is launching her own lifestyle content. I will keep my eyes peeled. 

The product you never knew you needed: Rochelle Humes has just released the world’s first Antibacterial hairbrush with KILLABRUSH. 

Having just launched her own new skincare brand, Eulah, the former Saturdays singer has paired up with the brand to launch a product that can reportedly reduce hair bacteria and fungi by up to 99.9 per cent. 

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