Big Brother Late & Live audience members in pro-Palestine T-shirts were forced to leave the studios during filming this week. 

Producers offered them plain tops, but asked them to leave after they refused to change during Monday’s taping.

A source told MailOnline: ‘The audience members were given the option to remove the T-shirts (the production team have spare T-shirts available for the audience to use for various production/clearance reasons) and stay for the record but they decided to leave.’ 

A show insider also told The Sun: ‘The recording of Late and Live was taking place when suddenly crew came out and told the audience members in question there was an issue with their t-shirts.

‘With the show in the middle of recording they were asked to step out while it was dealt with away from the cameras.’

MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment.  

Big Brother was previously embroiled in controversy, after pulling an episode last month to edit out a housemate’s T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of a watermelon. 

Fans have now voiced their confusion and annoyance after the Late & Live episode of spin-off Late & Live was taken down temporarily over ‘a compliance issue’.

Hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best discussed the latest drama in the house alongside Zeze Millz, Henry Southan and Daisy Campbell.

But when viewers went to catch-up on the show the following day, they discovered the episode was missing from ITVX.

Many took to social media to ask ITV why it wasn’t showing up on the streaming service, with the broadcaster explaining: ‘Hi, sadly we had to remove this episode due to compliance reasons, we do apologise for any inconvenience caused. Take care and enjoy your day.’

They later explained that they were working to get the episode back up as quickly as possible, but did not clarify what the issue was.

ITV tweeted: ‘We can confirm that the latest episode of BB: Late & Live has been removed due to a compliance issue. We’re looking to get the episode back ASAP, hopefully today, but we do not have a timeframe for this.’

Fans were quick to speculate reasons why the show would be temporarily removed, with many suggesting that it would be down to some kind of pro-Palestinian reference.

Big Brother was previously embroiled in controversy, after pulling an episode last month to edit out a housemate’s T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of a watermelon.

The watermelon has been used to show solidarity with Palestinians, as the fruit is the same colours of the flag – red, black, white and green.

It has been used as a powerful symbol to represent the state since the Six-Day War in 1967, when flying the flag was outlawed, and has seen a resurgence amid the Israel Gaza war.

Contestant Ali Bromley, a forensic psychologist, was seen wearing the shirt – which Metro identified as the Wear The Peace’s Freedom Melon Tee, which donates all of its profits to Gaza to supply food, water, medical aid, and other necessities.

The episode in question was pulled off ITVX and re-uploaded to the streaming service the following day, with the shots of Ali cropped to hide her top.

The move sparked backlash, as furious viewers argued they were censoring pro-Palestinian views and going against the ethos of the show by ‘allowing the censorship of housemates views’.

They said: ‘The values and beliefs of Big Brother state that it is a REALITY TV show cited as ‘the original social experiment’ filled with people from ‘all walks of life’.What are the underlined ‘implications’ of this watermelon in your statement? Can you please address the 10,000+ complaints against the removal of this t-shirt?’

‘A shirt with a watermelon is harmful??? Just when you thought this show couldn’t get any worse…’

‘Yeah because it’s really harmful and offensive to not support bombing children. What a cop out from ITV.’

After the latest incident of ITV pulling Big Brother: Late & Live, fans were quick to theorise it had been caused by another Palestinian reference and took the opportunity to mock the broadcaster.

They wrote: ‘oh what is it because of now? is it because of someone’s shirt again?; Where’s the Palestine flag this time?’

‘what could it be this time?; Will ate watermelon 3 days earlier and ITV got a complaint from ofcom ; Absolute snowflakes..’

‘What now and who decides what’s compliant and what’s not??? They’ve let lots of dumb s*** from Nathan air; Did someone wear a watermelon shirt?’

‘Calling it now lady in green scarf will be blurred BC she’s wearing green red black and white; This is f***ing ridiculous; Is it because of Will’s hideous jumper?’

‘this is actually insane why do people care so much about what people are wearing??; need itv to back up a lil bit; Are you serious?’

While one eagle-eyed viewer claimed to have seen a woman in the live audience of the show wearing the watermelon symbol and being asked to leave, suggesting that ITV were editing her out of from the background.

They wrote: ‘I’m thinking the reason late and live isn’t up on ITVX is bcos the woman who was wearing watermelons in the audience. She was asked to leave half way through’.

Devoted fans previously threatened to boycott the series over the omission of Ali’s shirt, fuming: ‘I won’t be watching tonight’s Big Brother in protest of ITV’s actions in censoring Ali.’

‘Well… boycott Big Brother… boycott ITV!!!!; We all need to come together and seriously boycott Big Brother, they can not get away with this s**t.’

The channel said that it was accidentally allowed on after staff did not realise the implications of the graphic.

A spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘All Housemate items are checked by our production team before they go into the Big Brother House to ensure they comply with the Rules and compliance requirements.

‘Big Brother does not allow any personal items into the House that could be deemed harmful.

‘We regret that the implications of this particular item of clothing were not fully understood in our bag checks or prior to broadcast of last night’s show.

‘We apologise to any viewers who have been offended by the broadcast and assure viewers that Big Brother was unaware of the implications of the image.

‘The item of clothing has been removed from the House. The Housemate has been spoken to and they have expressed that they are unaware of the implications and did not wish to cause any harm or offence.

‘Any offensive messaging associated with the image does not reflect the values or beliefs of Big Brother.’

It comes after fans fumed at housemate Nathan for claiming fellow contestant Khaled hadn’t spoken enough about his Palestinian background.

Last week when asked to name which housemate was holding back their true self, he said: ‘Khaled, I assume, will have a lot of opinions on things that are happening around the world that are maybe close to home for him but I thought he would be more vocal in his thoughts about it.

‘When we spoke about politics and current affairs in the world in Israel or Lebanon, not everyone has to be an outspoken t**t like me and say what they’re thinking and that’s fine, but he’s holding back on his true self by not speaking about it because he’s thinking about the outside potentially.’

Sitting in another room, an outraged Khaled declared: ‘This is a bit mad, to say that I’m not supporting my people.’

Viewers were quick to brand Nathan’s comments ‘nasty’, ‘absolutely insane’ and ‘f***ing evil’.

Khaled has spoken about his background before and said ahead of entering the house: ‘I’m Lebanese and Palestinian and I thought this would be a great platform to discuss it from the point of view of someone that grew up in the West and has Middle Eastern heritage.’

The 23-year-old also said that if he won the series he would donate the money to Palestine and Lebanon.

Later in the episode, Khaled confronted Nathan about his comments, saying: ‘If you ever do want to talk about it, I’m more than happy to have that discussion, because from my point of view that was a serious accusation.

‘That was the worst thing to say to someone that is Palestinian, very deep. I’ve spoken about it, me and you have always kept to banter between us so it’s never gotten to that, you’ve never opened up to sensitive things to me.’

Nathan admitted: ‘Clearly, my wording wasn’t right,’ as Khaled replied that he would be happy to educate Nathan on the topic.

Fans were quick to point out the hypocorisy of the moment, taking to social media to fume: ‘After what Big Brother did to Ali’s shirt in support of Palestine I have to wonder if we’ve not seen Khaled speak about it as they have censored his conversations and views. What Nathan said then was disgusting.’

‘I’m not Khaled’s biggest fan however big brother airing Nathan’s view of khaled not speaking on politics, yet this is the same show that REMOVED Ali’s ‘Palestine’ watermelon t-shirt. Make it make sense big brother. And Nathan’s speech about him was beyond unfair and crazy!’

‘I don’t understand how big brother edits ali’s Palestine watermelon t-shirt but Nathan wants khaled to speak on it, please make it make sense..’

‘Why does BB let Khaled talk about Palestine? I’m not saying he shouldn’t but why did Ali get in trouble for wearing a watermelon shirt when it may not have even been to do with Palestine, but Khaled is free to talk about it? Has anyone else thought?’

‘Is Nathan fr?? They removed Ali’s Palestine shirt why tf would Khaled then start vocalising his opinions on it?

‘If Khaled did speak about the genocide in Palestine there is a strong probability #BBUK wouldn’t even air it. Look at their pathetic actions when Ali’s worn a watermelon t-shirt.’