Reality Show in Hot Water Over Hardeep Singh Kohli Casting
Celebrity Big Brother just put itself right in the middle of a storm. The reality show has confirmed that Hardeep Singh Kohli, a former BBC presenter who hasn’t been on air since 2023 after a flood of sexual harassment allegations, will join the next series. Kohli's name hit headlines again this summer—not for a comeback, but because he faces trial for multiple historical sexual assault charges. So, why has the show decided to sign him up now, before his day in court?
Let’s back up. Kohli, now 56, used to be a familiar face on TV as a regular on The One Show and even tried his luck on Celebrity Big Brother back in 2018. His career, though, came to a screeching halt when nearly twenty women reported him to Police Scotland in 2023. Allegations stretched from unwanted advances to aggressive sexual behaviour, and the backlash was fast and fierce. One journalist said he invited her to his London flat under the guise of an interview and was so pushy she considered climbing out a bathroom window to escape. Another woman, only 19 at the time, claimed she was attacked in a lift at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in 2013.
This year, prosecutors officially charged Kohli with six counts of indecent assault involving three women, covering a span from 2007 to 2016. Here’s what the charges look like: at BBC studios in Glasgow, he’s accused of squeezing a woman’s bottom and then trying to hug her; the alleged behaviour didn’t stop there—he’s also charged with inappropriate contact at a Glasgow hotel and a city center bar. A second woman says Kohli tried to kiss her at a hotel in Canonbie, grabbing her arm and lunging towards her.
Kohli has denied everything from day one, with his legal team promising a tough fight in court. He’s due back before a judge in November 2025. The shocker? While all this hangs over him, he’s not disappearing quietly—instead, he’s being handed a spot on primetime TV.
Public Outcry and Industry Response
The response? It’s been instant and heated. Victims’ groups and viewers aren’t happy. A big question is circling social media and TV forums: does giving a person facing such serious charges a platform undermine survivors and normalise alleged misconduct? Advocacy groups see the move as tone deaf and potentially damaging for those who’ve spoken up. Some argue that a show like Celebrity Big Brother shouldn’t provide a stage to someone still awaiting trial on such serious allegations.
No one from the show’s team has stepped up to defend the decision yet. People are also asking how the vetting process works at these big reality shows. Other productions have quietly dropped guests for less. Here, it’s the opposite—almost as if controversy is part of the casting call. And that’s not flying with everyone, especially right now when public attitudes around harassment have sharpened and accountability matters more than ever.
Kohli, who has two children and separated from his wife back in 2009, insists he’s innocent. But whether viewers will separate the real-life legal drama from the reality show entertainment is another matter. For now, one thing is clear: this isn't the type of headline Celebrity Big Brother planned—or wanted—when they kicked off a new series.