It was supposed to be a high-profile return to reality TV, but Amir Khan’s glamorous wife claims she has been dropped from Celebrity Big Brother because of her views on Palestine.
The Big Brother spin-off is returning in March for its first series in six years, with Faryal Makhdoom initially thought to be among those entering the show’s Elstree compound.
But Faryal, a Brooklyn-born American of Pakistani descent, says her public support for Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza has resulted in ITV dropping her from the family friendly show.
In a blistering social media attack, the mother-of-two accused the channel of ‘violating’ her right to free speech.
‘As many of you know, I was offered to do a show for which the producers had offered me a few years ago and I had previously refused.
Amir Khan’s glamorous wife Faryal Makhdoom claims she has been dropped from Celebrity Big Brother because of her views on Palestine
The Big Brother spin-off is returning in March for its first series in six years, with Faryal Makhdoom initially thought to be among those entering the show’s Elstree compound
This time they made a very lucrative offer and after a lot of convincing I finally agreed to sign for the show.
‘I also wanted to do this show to make it more inclusive for the Muslim community. But it seems from my social media activity and being pro-Palestine is not appropriate for ITV and its sponsors.
‘Mind you ITV and this particular show has had many controversial people on it before, but for some reason I was singled out.
‘I was told to step down ten days before going in. I have never in my life been treated like this.
Faryal is reportedly keen to go into the Big Brother house for the public to get to know her after a rollercoaster year with her boxer husband, 37.
Amir recently praised his ‘forgiving’ wife Faryal after he was publicly embroiled in several cheating scandals.
‘Faryal is a huge signing for Celebrity Big Brother,’ a source told The Sun.
‘She’s had her ups and downs with Amir but wants to step into the limelight in her own right. Faryal has said she wants to show she’s not a doormat that he walks all over.
Faryal was said to be keen the public to getting to know her after a rollercoaster year with her boxer husband Amir (pictured together in 2023)
‘She is fiery and feisty and will make a brilliant housemate.’
Kate Middleton’s ‘black sheep’ uncle Gary Goldsmith has also reportedly signed up to the show.
Experts have warned Gary could ’embarrass’ the royal family with his views on Harry and Meghan.
The outspoken businessman, 58, brother of Kate‘s mother Carole, is reported to have inked a meaty deal with bosses for the return of the celebrity edition of the series after a six-year absence.
It comes at a challenging time for the royals as Kate continues to recover from her abdominal surgery at The London Clinic, while King Charles had a procedure for an enlarged prostate.
Gary attempted to gain a spot on I’m A Celebrity last year, but was turned down over concerns it could embarrass William and Kate.
CBB, which is expected to air in March, is also reportedly lining up contestants such as Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Levi Roots and music manager Louis Walsh.
ITV has taken the reins of Big Brother following a stint at Channel 5, which axed the programme in 2018 after taking it from Channel 4, which itself had binned the format in 2010.
MailOnline has contacted Faryal’s representatives and ITV for comment.
Late last year, Amir praised his ‘forgiving’ wife Faryal after he was publicly embroiled in several cheating scandals.
The couple recently hit a rocky patch in their relationship when a former BBC presenter accused the sportsman of making sexual advances towards her after they appeared at an event together.
The pair were also said to have separated and they lived apart last summer after he reportedly asked a bridal model to send him raunchy pictures.
Speaking about his wife of 10 years – with whom he shares children Lamaisah, nine, Alayna, five and three-year-old Muhammad – Amir said in September: ‘Ah she’s brilliant, yeah, she’s good… Well, she is the big boss.’
He added on the They Don’t Teach This At School with Myleene Klass podcast: ‘I always get told off because I do silly things and I got caught doing silly things and obviously I’m human at the end of it.’
Amir continued: ‘She’s very forgiving, but I think you know if you keep on pushing someone it’s going to get too much, she’s gonna say you know what, get away from me.
‘I can see that she loves me to bits and she’s really caring and stuff, because honestly speaking there’s a lot of stuff that she does behind the scenes that people don’t see.
‘Like for example, you know, she set my training camp up, she set the contracts, the lawyers she deals with, the accountants she deals with, she deals with all the bills that we have in the UK and all that.
‘We have this payment to make, this payment to make. She does everything. I don’t have no house headache, she takes care of all that, like all the admin work, because I can’t do that.
‘But it’s good that she’s taken the pressure away from me on that sense… And you know, sometimes you need someone like a good backbone, and there’s someone there for you. Someone to take that pressure away from you.’
Amir, whose marriage has been dogged by a number of cheating claims, allegedly contacted a model named Sumaira, 25, on May 6, three days after he was shown being evicted from the pre-recorded I’m A Celebrity… South Africa.
Sumaira claimed they spoke on the phone, during which he attempted to explain why he had contacted her, saying that ‘he and Faryal were not properly together and that it was a bit of a business arrangement’.
She claimed he spun a ‘sob story’, saying that he was retired from boxing and Faryal spent a lot of time in London.
Amir admitted he ‘regretted’ messaging Sumaira, revealing he’d contacted her out of ‘boredom’, but insisted he was not cheating as it was ‘just a few texts’.
Asked if he would attend therapy sessions, he told The Sun: ‘That question hasn’t been brought up before. But maybe I do need help to stop me from messaging other women. I am willing to go to therapy to stop me sending texts to women who aren’t my wife.
