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Big Brother's Camilla: 'The truth about the Turkey Slap'

More than a decade on from the scandal, the woman at the centre is telling all. - by Erin Doyle
  • 15 Jun 2020

Back in 2006, Big Brother contestant Camilla Severi, now 36, found herself embroiled in what would become one of the show’s biggest ever scandals.

WATCH: Big Brother's Camilla speaks about the Turkey Slap scandal

In scenes that never aired on television, but were live-streamed on Channel Ten’s website, contestants Michael “Ashley” Cox  slapped his genitals across Camilla’s face, while Michael “John” Bric held her down.

The act, known colloquially as a “Turkey Slap”, caused huge controversy. It led to the men involved being immediately kicked out of the house, became a headline-making scandal and even resulted in then Prime Minister John Howard calling for the show to be taken off air.

Camilla Big Brother

Camilla admitted "a lot of people got hurt" in the wake of the Turky Slap incident.

The Ben, Rob and Robbo show/ Channel Ten

And now that Big Brother has been rebooted on Channel Seven , Camilla has discussed the incident in a rare interview – 14 years later.

Speaking on The Ben, Rob and Robbo show, Camilla explained that “a lot of people got hurt” as the incident continued to haunt both her and the men involved for years.

“It was really one of those things where it was really a moment in time. We were all mucking around and I’ve said this before, if it happened at a party and someone did that to me, I’d probably say to them ‘Hey, that wasn’t cool’ and then we’d move on,” Camilla explained.

big brother

Camilla pictured in the Big Brother diary room after the men involved were kicked out of the house.

Channel Ten

“But because it happened on live TV and it’s been dissected so, so many times from different angles, it was quite a confusing experience,” she continued.

“I don’t know how the boys feel about it now but where I’m at now with it is I feel like yeah, the boys didn’t mean any harm to me, they didn’t mean to hurt me and I didn’t actually mean to hurt them if I was upset the day afterwards. Because it was scary the amount of attention that it received.”

Camilla and the two men have mostly kept quiet about the scandal over the years, with all three of them repeatedly turning down interviews.

Michael bric Michael cox

Michael "John" Bric (left) and Michael "Ashley" Cox attempt to defend themselves after the incident.

Channel Ten

However, speaking to host Gretel Kileen two days after the Turkey Slap occurred, Cox attempted to defend himself by saying, "It was just a practical joke and Camilla knew this. We were mucking around, having a good time, and obviously we didn't intend on hurting Camilla in any way."

Bric added: “We are good blokes and we really do treat women with respect.”

Cox later told Zoo Weekly in 2009 that the scandal “ruined his life”.

"I was branded a rapist on national TV. The hardest part was having no support from anyone,” he said.

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