Big Brother star Kerry Riches reveals why she could handle ‘Get Kerry out’ crowd chants

The Independent spoke to the latest housemate to be evicted from the ITV series about why they ‘wouldn’t have wanted to leave the show any other way’ and why she’s ‘gutted’ about an incident that saw her reprimanded by producers

Big Brother housemate Kerry has reflected on her time on the show after being evicted out the back door in a shocking Halloween twist.

NHS worked Kerry Riches, 40, entered the house on day one and, throughout her three-week stint on the ITV reality series, was among the most divisive contestants. This was due to her clashes with first evicted housemate Farida, the crowd chants of “get Kerry out”, and her tantrums – among other things – over tofu and the game Rock Paper Scissors.

Speaking to The Independent two days after her eviction, which was shown on Tuesday night’s episode (31 October), Kerry, who has multiple sclerosis (MS) and uses a mobility scooter, has explained why she was “so ready” to leave and was happy to be evicted in the way she was.

“As much as I loved this experience, I was so tired. I started to lose my vision a little bit. I was waking up with a blurry eye, and my legs were getting a bit more clunky. It’s exhausting. I wasn’t sleeping in there and, even when you got the odd nap, if you were me, you got a bit of lettuce put on you,” she said, referecning a prank played on her by fellow housemates Paul, Tom and Olivia.

‘Big Brother’ housemate Kerry (ITV)

Kerry said that housemates Trish and Noky, who nominated her for eviction after finding themselves “possessed” by Evil Big Brother, selected her as they knew she wanted to go home.

“Noky knew I was ready and, a couple of days before, Trish and I had a lovely moment. We were talking about [our sons] and I said, ‘Trish, I’m ready to go.’ I was running on empty.” Addressing her fellow nominees Olivia and Dylan, Kerry said: “I didn’t want the other guys’s names to be read out – they don’t wanna go – but I was so ready.”

Kerry’s Halloween backdoor eviction saw her leave via a coffin while wearing a mummy costume, something she described as “iconic”, concluding: “I wouldnt have wanted to leave the show any other way.”

One of Kerry’s most challenging moments on the series came during Zak’s eviction on week two when she heard the crowd chanting “get Kerry out.” Reflecting on hearing this, Kerry said: “I didn’t know where I’d got it wrong. I really was everyone’s friend; I certainly liked everyone.”

However, despite what must have been a struggle in the aftermath of hearing this crowd reaction, Kerry said she “never saw a therapist”, but revealed one was “always on hand”.

She continued: “Big Brother was incredible. There’s so much care and welfare in this whole production, but you know what you’re going into. It feels like a bit of a pantomime out there – but it is very very real in there.”

The evictee attributed her strength following this moment to her job as an NHS manager within the complaints department.

“When you’ve worked in the NHS for 21 years, working in complaints, you’ve got to have skin like a rhinocerous,” she said. “It’s people’s health – it’s their everything – so I’m used to having to have Teflon coating a lot of the time.”

Kerry also found herself at the centre of controversy after it was revealed she was reprimanded by producers over her choice of language after using the word “gay” in a derogatory context.

Though the comment was broadcast on the show’s live feed, it was not included in the main nightly programme and, when contacted by The Independent, a spokesperson for the series said: “Kerry was brought to the diary room to discuss her inappropriate use of language.

“Big Brother reminded Kerry of her respect and inclusion training prior to entering the House and the consequences of any further use of offensive language. Kerry understood and apologised for any offence caused.”

When asked about this incident, Kerry said she was “gutted” by her use of the word, and is “really, really sorry” if she “caused any offence to anyone”.

‘Big Brother’ housemate Kerry is evicted from the house (ITV2)

“There’s honestly not a bad bone in my body,” she continued, adding: “There was no malice behind that at all. I’m gutted. It stays with you.”

The evicted housemate also maintains that none of her tantrums were fabricated for the cameras. Reflecting on the moment she lost her cool when, after a task that left the housemates drenched, Noky and Chanelle refused to play Rock Paper Scissors to decide who won a treat, Kerry said: “They had to do one thing! I was turning blue, I just wanted to go in. We weren’t asking them to run a marathon; they had to do Rock Paper Scissors!”

She said she participated in the tasks as she’s “quite competitive” and didn’t want her fellow housemates “to think “she can’t cope because she’s disabled”.

“I got really ill after that for about a week; with the medication I’m on, my immune system is shocking. My MS nurse says, ‘Listen to your body and rest when you need to’ – when she saw me in there, she probably thought, ‘What is going on?!’”

Speaking on Big Brother aftershow Late and Live, Kerry said she would either like Olivia or Yinrun to win the show.

Big Brother airs recap episodes on ITV and ITVX nightly except Saturdays.