The first live eviction of Big Brother UK 2025 has sparked major controversy after a last-minute twist forced one of the celebrities to be shown the door in a highly unusual way. The drama came after political influencer Emily Hewertson’s shocking early exit on the show’s opening night. BuddyTV+3primetimer.com+3Wikipedia+3

On Friday, October 3, during the ITV hit reality series, housemates Gani Khan, a 39-year-old pizza shop manager, and Zelah Glasson, a 25-year-old personal trainer, waited anxiously for the public vote that would determine which of them would become the second person evicted. The Sun+2Wikipedia+2

A Stormy Turn of Events

The eviction night took a dramatic turn when Storm Amy made its presence felt. Outdoor weather conditions became too risky, and ITV was forced to cancel the traditional outdoor live eviction ceremony that normally involves the front door, a crowd, and the hosts on the lawn. Instead, the eviction was held indoors through Big Brother: Late & Live. This was the first time such a cancellation has happened since the show’s reboot on ITV. The Sun

When presenters AJ Odudu and Will Best announced the result, viewers were stunned to see that Gani had been evicted. He did not leave through the front door, nor was there a greeting from the outside crowd or the usual outside staging. The Sun

The Evil Eye Twist

Part of the reason for the tension stemmed from a recent format shake-up involving a game mechanic called the “Evil Eye.” Four new housemates — Richard, Cameron B, George, and Feyisola — were brought in and given special power: to nominate two existing housemates by assigning them an Evil Eye, thereby placing them up for eviction. Gani and Zelah were selected via that twist. The Sun+3primetimer.com+3Wikipedia+3

Many viewers found this twist to be controversial. Some felt it undermined fairness and departed too far from the traditional Big Brother eviction format, which usually allows longer periods for housemates to establish relationships before nominations. The Sun+2BuddyTV+2

Public Reaction

Fan reaction was loud and overwhelmingly critical. Some took to social media to voice their displeasure:

• One viewer tweeted: “I give it another week before the producers give up with this evil eye rubbish #BigBrother #BBUK.” The Sun

• Another added: “Already had enough of Big Brother. They need to go back to basics and go back to the format of the first few seasons and keep it simple. This is just b****** #BigBrother.”* The Sun

• And yet another: “There’s not been much fun thus far, just Evil Eye nominations. The Evil Eye concept is ruining this series. @ITV / @BanijayUK / @BBUK need to get it buried, and quickly.” The Sun

Context: Earlier Twists

To understand why this eviction felt so disruptive, it helps to look at what happened during launch night. On September 28, the show introduced the Evil Eye twist immediately. Viewers voted to “curse” housemates with the Evil Eye, making them vulnerable. Emily, Caroline, and Sam were among those cursed. They were sent to an Exit Room, where they had to argue why they should stay; ultimately, Emily was voted out by a majority of the other cursed housemates. primetimer.com+2Ireland Live+2

Then on Day 2, the four new housemates (Richard, Cameron B, George, Feyisola) were introduced and given nominating power via Evil Eyes. Their first nomination was Zelah, and the second went to Gani — setting up the eviction matchup between them. primetimer.com+2Wikipedia