Ben Jardine feels like Roxanne Pallett "played" him like "her puppet" in the ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ house.
The former ‘Married At First Sight’ star got close to the ex-‘Emmerdale’ actress in the famous abode, but he is now "broken-hearted" after seeing the footage following her accusation that fellow housemate Ryan Thomas punched her "like a boxer would punch a punch bag" during a playful exchange.
Roxanne has since left the ‘CBB’ house and apologised for making such claims about Ryan – and Ben feels "devastated" that he opened up to her on the Channel 5 show.
Speaking on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit on the Side’, he said: "I’m a little bit wounded in my heart, it’s got a load of scars on. I am an open book, I would say, ‘She did this to me, she did that to me.’ I’ve told all this to Roxy, and I feel she’s played that, and I feel like I was her puppet.
"Watching it back, I’m devastated. Roxy used that word tonight, is she devastated?
"I’m broken-hearted."
As well as Ben, Ryan’s brother Scott Thomas appeared on the spin-off show’s panel last night (03.09.18), and he praised ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ host Emma Willis for "not sugar coating" her chat with Roxanne, after the TV presenter grilled the soap star about accusing Ryan.
Scott admitted he and his family have been in tears about the allegations, which have seen Ryan break down in the house on numerous occasions, but he has been "blown away" by how the former ‘Coronation Street’ star has handled things.
He said: "I was sat at home, literally in tears. I’ve had my mum on the phone crying to me. She can’t get her head around it. Mum is seeing her little baby boy crying his eyes out on TV.
"The way he handled it … wow, what an absolute superstar. Accusations like that are so serious.
"He’s like my big bro, he’s like my dad. To see him break down like that, because it’s his career in question. His whole life. It’s not just a reality TV show. It’s his whole life.
"I am blown away by Ryan, and I can’t wait to give him a cuddle."
On last night’s ‘CBB’, Emma’s pre-recorded interview with Roxanne was played out, in which the former ‘Waterloo Road’ star claimed she was now the "most hated girl in Britain", and said she is "crippled with embarrassment" after accusing Ryan Thomas of hitting her.
She said: "I feel devastated. It cripples me with embarrassment and shame that I could have put somebody in that position. Seeing the footage of Ryan in the Diary Room, distressed … I fully agree and understand with every single person’s reaction and perceptions to that. If I’d have been at home watching that I would have been the same."
Ofcom received more than 11,000 complaints after the incident was played out, which saw Ryan receive a formal warning from Big Brother.
Ryan’s girlfriend Lucy Mecklenburgh believes that warning should be revoked, and admitted the recent ‘CBB’ episodes have been "hard to watch".
She said: "I want Big Brother to revoke his warning and make an apology. I think when they give warnings in the past it is for serious things and he didn’t do anything.
"That’s why there are so many Ofcom complaints, everyone can see with their eyes that nothing happened.
"It’s been hard to watch, for Ryan’s family and friends. His mum and brothers are in bits."
Ben Jardine: I was like Roxanne Pallett’s puppet
