The ‘look of pain’ in Celebrity Big Brother star Mickey Rourke’s eyes appears to be ‘a non-verbal ‘tell’ of some of the traumas he’s touched on from his childhood’, claims body language expert Judi James.
During Thursday’s episode, the controversial Hollywood actor, 72, showed a different side to him as he opened up about his childhood abuse and dealing with the Secret Service in a series of shock confessions.
Mickey had faced calls to be axed after becoming embroiled in a homophobia war with lesbian housemate JoJo Siwa, 21, while gaffes with host AJ Odudu and fellow housemate Donna Preston has seen him face further backlash.
However, observing Mickey in the house, Judi has noted that despite his bravado and ‘dated form of machismo’, the actor has also demonstrated his vulnerability’, which Judi believes is genuine.
She told Paddy Power Games: ‘The look of pain that we are often seeing in Mickey’s eyes seems to be a non-verbal ‘tell’ of some of the traumas he’s touched on from his childhood. His vulnerability and his apparent bewilderment and display of helplessness when it comes to self-sufficiency looks real.’
She also noted that the choice to sleep on a small sofa with a framed photo of his chihuahua and a thin throw over his head show that Mickey’s ‘ego and star status’ is ‘negligible’ to him.
The ‘look of pain’ in Celebrity Big Brother’ Mickey Rourke’s eyes appears to be ‘a non-verbal ‘tell’ of some of the traumas he’s touched on from his childhood’, claims body language expert
During Thursday’s episode, the controversial Hollywood actor, 72, showed a different side to him as he opened up about his childhood abuse (pictured with his brother Joey in childhood)
Mickey recently shocked his housemates when he candidly opened up about the childhood trauma that has left him with lifelong insomnia.
Despite his housemates noting that he seemed to spend quite a lot of time sleeping, Mickey insisted that he can ‘stay awake anywhere from one to four days’.
As Danny Beard mused: ‘You do drift off, I think you sleep more than you think’, Mickey intercepted: ‘I would pay millions of dollars to get more sleep.’
JoJo then asked: ‘What in you makes you not able to sleep?’
To which Mickey replied: ‘Fear. It’s like my childhood is something else but fear of not being able to fix anything before I go…’
Danny interjected: ‘You can’t put that responsibility on yourself’, and Mickey replied: ‘I have to.
‘When I was 14, all the abuse I went through… I put my finger on the hard button ’cause I didn’t want to live in shame, I didn’t want to be a victim anymore…
‘I’m sorry, I’m starting to be – because I haven’t been around people in about six years. I self isolate, isolated. Ever since I’ve been 30 I’ve had a girlfriend every four years, I chose all wrong. I chose for…’
Judi has noted that despite his bravado and ‘dated form of machismo’, the actor has also demonstrated his vulnerability’, which Judi believes is genuine
She also noted that the choice to sleep on a small sofa with a framed photo of his chihuahua and a thin throw over his head show that Mickey’s ‘ego and star status’ is ‘negligible’ to him.
Paying closer attention to his body language, Judi went on to say that it illustrates his ‘complex personality perfectly’.
As his housemates watched on bemused but sympathetic, Danny jumped up to give him a hug and assured him: ‘Mickey, you’ll be surprised how many connections you’ve got in here.’
Mickey’s words about self isolating and not being around people compelled Judi to remark that Mickey had no ‘herd’ skills, before she observed his seemingly anti-social habits.
She said: ‘He arrives in rooms late, sleeps on a sofa or sleeps during the day, eats his food but at the table but just gets up when he’s finished and walks off to wash his plate and leave while the others are group-bonding. This makes him the group outsider although his aura of helplessness gains nurturing rather than exclusion.’
Paying closer attention to his body language, Judi went on to say that it illustrates his ‘complex personality perfectly’.
She noted that things he does such as tucking his thumbs under his belt buckle or standing with his hands tucked under his arms ‘ages him’ as she remarked on his ‘retro body language’.
Judi said: ‘This is retro body language from an era when a very dated form of machismo was king and when girls could sadly be twirled or eyed appreciatively without comment.’
Mickey previously opened up about the abuse he suffered as a child at the hands of his stepfather, writing about it in PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk’s book, One Can Make a Difference: How Simple Actions Can Change the World.
Mickey said of his insomnia: ‘Fear. It’s like my childhood is something else but fear of not being able to fix anything before I go…’
‘When I was 14, all the abuse I went through… I put my finger on the hard button ’cause I didn’t want to live in shame, I didn’t want to be a victim anymore…’
He penned: ‘My stepfather used to crack my head just because he felt like it. He was big, very big, and mean. And he was physically abusive to my mother.
‘I hated the f***er for hurting her, for making her afraid. For years, I wanted nothing more than to take him down.
‘In our neighborhood, there was some community services centre set up to give kids a place to go and to keep us out of trouble. That’s where I first found a speed [punching] bag. To me, it represented a ticket to manhood.
‘I couldn’t beat my stepfather, so I guess I started taking it out on everyone else over time. When I was an adult, I would fight everywhere, anywhere, for anything.
‘Look at me sideways and you’re gone. I didn’t care about the consequences. I was drinking and taking drugs. But more than that, I was angry and crazy and ashamed of how I’d been treated.
‘I’d been kicked around a lot, so I figured the way to fix this was to lash out.’
Celebrity Big Brother’s first live eviction airs at 9pm on Friday night on ITV2 and ITVX
If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org
CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER 2025: MEET THE LINEUP!
MICKEY ROURKE
AGE: 72
FAMOUS FOR: The actor and former pro boxer is one of the show’s biggest ever signings and after public feuds with Robert De Niro, two marriages and a string of high profile relationships, he will be bringing plenty of drama.
DALEY THOMPSON
AGE: 66
FAMOUS FOR: The double Olympic gold-medallist is considered one of Britain’s greatest athletes. He broke the decathlon world record four times.
PATSY PALMER
AGE: 52
FAMOUS FOR: It’s an open secret that Patsy is leaving EastEnders, with the actress enjoying a wild leaving party this month. The Bianca Jackson star posted a snap of her character on Instagram with the caption: ‘Bye bye B, always grateful to see her again.’
DONNA PRESTON
AGE: 38
FAMOUS FOR: While Donna has featured in several TV shows and movies, the comedy star is known for hosting Apocalypse and for the role of a circus Compere in 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald. She plays Den in Coronation Street, has featured in Pants On Fire in 2019 and even wrote and co-produced BBC Three’s Comedy Threesomes.
CHESNEY HAWKES
AGE: 53
FAMOUS FOR: The singer topped the charts for five weeks in 1991 with his hit The One And Only, before making a string of acting and TV appearances. His arrival on CBB has been described by a TV source as ‘perfect timing’, as he’s just released a comeback album
ANGELLICA BELL
AGE: 49
FAMOUS FOR: The TV presenter is said to have landed a staggering five-figure deal to appear on Celebrity Big Brother. Fans will be keen to see if the CBBC legend spills all on her untimely exit from The Martin Lewis Show – which left fans baffled back in 2023. Angellica currently co-presents Hits Radio while Fleur East is on maternity leave.
DANNY BEARD
AGE: 32
FAMOUS FOR: The RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner – whose real name is Daniel Curtis – has signed up as a late entry. Danny previously made headlines after swearing on Big Brother’s Late & Live last March whilst doing an impression of housemate Louis Walsh. The incident saw the guest say the word ‘c***’ before immediately apologising after being informed they weren’t allowed to say that on the show.
CHRIS HUGHES
AGE: 32
FAMOUS FOR: After shooting to fame on Love Island in 2017, Chris went on to become a sports presenter and regularly hosts the horse racing coverage on ITV.
JOJO SIWA
AGE: 21
FAMOUS FOR: The American singer, who shot to stardom on reality show Dance Moms, is expected to draw a big American audience. The hitmaker has made a name for herself in the U.S. pop charts and is known for her outlandish looks and being a vocal member of the LGBTQ+ community.
TRISHA GODDARD
AGE: 67
FAMOUS FOR: The talk show host regularly presented on ITV from 1998 to 2004 and then shifted to Channel 5 from 2004 to 2010. Trisha has been suffering horrible side effects of her chemotherapy – but has bravely battled on.
JACK P. SHEPHERD
AGE: 37
FAMOUS FOR: The actor has played David Platt in Corrie since 2000 and is following in his pal Colson Smith’s footsteps by taking part in the popular reality show. He has won a string of awards for the role including Best Actor at the British Soap Awards.
ELLA RAE WISE
AGE: 24
FAMOUS FOR: Producers have been keen to land the TV personality, who previously dated Pete Wicks and has had an on-off romance with Dan Edgar. Bosses are hoping the TOWIE star might reveal all about some of her other famous exes.
MICHAEL FABRICANT
AGE: 74
FAMOUS FOR: The former Conservative politician is understood to have signed a lucrative six-figure deal to take part after political stars were banned from the broadcaster’s other reality show, I’m A Celeb. He served as MP for Lichfield in Staffordshire from 1992 until his defeat in 2024 as well as vice-chairman of the party under David Cameron. But he is perhaps best known for his blond mop for which he has been widely ridiculed but previously denied is a wig.
