Roxanne Pallett in CBB
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Roxanne Pallett steps down from pantomime role and quits showbiz

She has also parted ways with her breakfast radio hosting job

Roxanne Pallett has stepped down from her Christmas pantomime role after confirming she will not return to her breakfast radio job.

A spokesperson for the Celebrity Big Brother star has said Roxanne, 35, is taking a break from showbiz for an unspecified period of time.

The former Emmerdale actress has dominated headlines in the last few days after controversially accusing Big Brother housemate Ryan Thomas of punching her.

Roxanne Pallett, Celebrity Big Brother - Summer 2018 Launch Show
Roxanne quit CBB on Friday after controversially accusing Ryan Thomas of punching her (Credit: Brett D Cove/Splash)

Read more: Ryan Thomas’ mum says she’ll never forgive Roxanne Pallett

After quitting the show on Friday night and viewing the footage, she issued a public apology to Ryan, admitting she had “got it wrong”.

Her representative told The Sun: “We and Roxanne have decided today that she will be stepping down from her position at Minster FM, and from her upcoming role as Cinderella in Chesterfield.”

The statement concluded: “Roxanne will not be undertaking any more media interviews and will now be taking some time away.”

Roxanne had been due to appear in Chesterfield’s festive pantomime Cinderella alongside X Factor’s Rhydian Roberts.

A statement from the pantomime’s producers confirmed: “Roxanne Pallett has today decided to step down from her upcoming role as Cinderella in Chesterfield, in order to take some time out and reflect on recent events. We wish Roxanne the best and will be announcing her replacement in due course.”

Minster FM also confirmed Roxanne’s departure from the radio station in a separate statement; she’d joined the Yorkshire station earlier this year to co-host the breakfast show with Ben Fry.

The station said: “As a result of discussions today with her representatives, Minster FM can confirm that Roxanne Pallett has stepped down from her position at the station with immediate effect to take some time out and reflect on recent events.

“Roxanne will not be returning to Minster FM.”

Roxanne said she “got it wrong” with her accusation (Credit: Channel 5)

Bridget Davies, managing director at Minster FM, said: “We are very close to our audience and our customers, and it’s been alien to us to not be able to honestly communicate with them.

“It’s been very difficult not to be able to tell them what’s been going on in here at the station.

“As you know, Roxanne was in the Big Brother house and was uncontactable until today, because we’ve been unable to speak to her until today we’ve been unable to issue a statement.

Roxanne told Emma Willis in an interview on Monday she was going to take time out to focus on bettering herself (Credit: Channel 5)

“However, following a meeting today we can confirm Roxanne will not be returning to Minster FM and as she said to Emma (Willis) last night, she was going to take some time to reflect and address some issues, (we) hope that goes well and she gets the help and support she needs.”

Roxanne tearfully claimed last week that Coronation Street’s Ryan had punched her deliberately during what appeared to be a play fight in the kitchen.

She slept in a separate bedroom that night after saying she felt uncomfortable.

C5
She said it was distressing watching Ryan break down (Credit: Channel 5)

A confused and upset Ryan, who apologised and said there was no malice or anger in his actions, was given a formal warning from Big Brother, resulting in outrage among his family, friends and viewers.

Ryan’s girlfriend Lucy Mecklenburgh and his mum Gail have both called for Ryan’s warning to be revoked.

Roxanne appeared on both Jeremy Vine and Celebrity Big Brother on Monday to apologise to Ryan.

(Credit: Channel 5)
Roxanne called herself the “most hated girl in Britain” right now (Credit: Channel 5)

She has described herself as “the most hated girl in Britain”, saying: “For Ryan, his family, friends, colleagues and everyone I’ve affected by such an enormous reaction that could have been devastating for him, all I can say is I’m devastated and I’m sorry.

“I need to say I got it wrong and I’m human and made a nasty, massive, horrible mistake.

Read more: Secrets behind Roxanne Pallett and Ryan Thomas’ decades-long feud

“I wish I had the words to say how gutted I am. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I got it wrong. The only thing I can do is go away now and figure out why I became that sensitive that I manufactured that different version in my head.

“The fact I used terminology like woman beater, assault and abuse. I can’t apologise enough.”

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Nancy Brown
Associate Editor