omar

The reality star may have already been known to some viewers before even stepping foot in the Big Brother house

Big Brother fans are just discovering why Omar El Mayer looks so familiar.

The 21-year-old Londoner was introduced on the ITV2 show as a jewellery seller, and claimed he would bring “a different energy” to the house ahead of his grand entrance. He added that should he win the show, he would “buy all the kids from my estate school shoes and give something back to my community.”

So far viewers have watched him forge a sweet relationship with co-star Rhianna, also 21. The pair have been going from strength to strength, with Rhianna recently praising her beau for his support during the House of Nothing twist, telling Big Brother she would have been unable to endure it if not for him.

While he has been a calming presence in the house for Rhianna, it seems Omar has reached his limit. Tonight’s episode (October 1) sees the star clash with both Rob and Yasmin in the wake of the housemates dancing on the table.

“This is mad – I put my bread on that table yesterday. And he’s got his feet on it. It’s horrible,” Omar says. As Rob cleans the surface and quips that it was “for the germophobes”, Omar doesn’t take kindly to the remark.

“It’s not germaphobia,” he clarifies, before adding: “Yesterday I put my toast on that table and ate it off the table. That means if I didn’t see you do that, today I would have put toast on top of your feet.”

Later on he tells Yasmin to stop “with the obnoxiously loud songs”, leading to a confrontation between the pair. Yasmin hits back, telling him: “Let your hair down. Have a laugh. It’s alright. F****** hell. I’m going to do what the f*** I please. Stop telling me what to do. You keep telling me what to do and I don’t like it.”

Amidst the drama, fans have worked out why the star looks familiar. That is because he is a rapper that goes by the stage name of PAIID, and he boasts close to 30,000 monthly listeners on the platform. He has also posted frequently online as a content creator, though his social media accounts are no longer accessible.

“WAIT… PAIIDGRAM IS OMAR FROM BIG BROTHER?! I KNEW I RECOGNISED HIM!!” one viewer remarked along with a montage of video clips of the reality star. Meanwhile another show fan took to Reddit to ask if others were aware of his past.

“Did anyone know Omar is a rapper, he goes by the name ‘PAIID’ on Spotify,” they started. “Also, he was a TikToker previously, he went by ‘paiidtt’ and ‘fxpaiid’. He deleted his account a few days before BB began, but there still are some reposts of his videos. I found this out now, I’m wondering if everyone already knows this or not.”

Big Brother airs Sundays to Fridays at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

Assailant sprayed vinegar at Representative Ilhan Omar, admitting political motives were behind the assault during her townhall.

The man who sprayed apple cider vinegar at Democratic United States Representative Ilhan Omar during a town hall meeting in her district in Minneapolis was sentenced to a 14-month prison term after he pleaded guilty to an assault charge.

Appearing before District Judge Joan N Ericksen on Thursday, 55-year-old Anthony James Kazmierczak pleaded guilty to planning the January 27 assault, admitting he targeted the congresswoman over opposing political views. He had been charged with assaulting a US officer.

It has been nearly eight months since Kazmierczak lunged towards the congresswoman and sprayed her with a dark water-and-vinegar mixture from a syringe, which landed on Omar’s clothing and skin.

The attack was captured on video and showed Kazmierczak, who sat in the front row of the town hall, leaping from the audience, after which he could be heard yelling, “You must resign” and that Omar was “splitting Minnesota apart”.

Kazmierczak was promptly subdued by Omar’s security team before being arrested. Omar was not injured in the attack and proceeded with the town hall.

The assault came as Omar had been calling for the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency and the resignation of then-Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem over her management of federal border agents in Minneapolis during the shootings during “Operation Metro Surge,” President Donald Trump’s federal immigration crackdown in the state of Minnesota. The crackdown involved more than 2,000 officers in Minneapolis and Saint Paul and provoked intense civil unrest and led to the deaths of two US citizens, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, at the hands of federal agents.

In an earlier hearing, Kazmierczak could not explain what happened in the assault.

“It’s fuzzy,” he told US Judge Ericksen when asked what he remembered. 

The government sentencing memorandum, submitted to the court by prosecutors, said he had texted at least three people indicating his actions were premeditated, though he refused to answer questions about his specific intent.

He also messaged a neighbour to arrange for dog care and contacts for a bail bond company.

The sentencing memo said Kazmierczak had long struggled with alcohol abuse, had “a history of mental and emotional health concerns”, and also had a string of health issues tied to a 2022 diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. His lawyer, John Fossum, had argued that Kazmierczak had not been taking his mental health medication before the attack, lowering his inhibitions and contributing to what happened.

“I’ve spent enough time in jail thinking,” Kazmierczak said Thursday. “I really apologise to her for having put her through that,” he said, referring to Omar.

Kazmierczak wrote to Omar after the attack, “I’m sorry if I scared you.”

In social media posts, Kazmierczak had denounced former President Joe Biden and referred to Democrats as “angry and liars”, writing that Trump wants the US to be “stronger and more prosperous”.

“This assault is yet another example of a dangerous national trend: people channeling political hatred into criminal acts,” said US Attorney Daniel N Rosen after Kazmierczak pled guilty in May.

Omar, a Somali-American refugee and naturalised US citizen, has faced sustained mocking and anti-immigrant rhetoric from Trump throughout her congressional tenure.

MINNEAPOLIS — The man who sprayed vinegar at Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during a Minneapolis town hall was sentenced Thursday to 14 months in prison after reaching a deal with prosecutors.

Anthony Kazmierczak, 56, was sentenced nearly eight months after the Jan. 27 assault. At the time, Minneapolis-St. Paul was subject to an immigration crackdown that led to angry protests, arrests and the deaths of two U.S. citizens. Prosecutors had recommended a 14-month prison term.

He also was sentenced to three years of supervised release, which includes no contact with Omar. U.S. marshals escorted him from the courtroom after the hearing.

During an earlier hearing, Kazmierczak was unable to explain his actions.

“It’s fuzzy,” he told U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen when asked what he remembered.

Witnesses saw Kazmierczak jump up from the audience during the meeting, spraying liquid from a syringe at Omar and saying she was “splitting Minnesota apart.” Omar’s security officers quickly tackled Kazmierczak to the ground, then took him to police officers who placed him under arrest.

Omar was not injured and continued with the town hall after the arrest.

“I’m sorry if I scared you,” he wrote to Omar later, accepting responsibility for what he’d done.

Authorities later determined he’d sprayed her with a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar. He was charged with assaulting a U.S. officer.

The government sentencing memorandum, submitted to the court by prosecutors, said he had texted at least three people indicating he planned to do something at the meeting involving Omar “but would not answer their questions about his intent.”

He also sent messages to a neighbor to arrange for dog care and contacts for a bail bond company.

The sentencing memo said Kazmierczak had long struggled with alcohol abuse, had “a history of mental and emotional health concerns” and also had a string of health issues tied to a 2022 diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.

Omar, a refugee from Somalia, has long been a target of President Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric. After she was elected seven years ago, Trump said she should “go back” to her home country. He has described her as “garbage” and said she should be investigated.

In social media posts, Kazmierczak had criticized former President Biden and referred to Democrats as “angry and liars.” Trump wants the U.S. to be “stronger and more prosperous,” he wrote.

The attack on Omar came amid Operation Metro Surge, when more than 2,000 immigration officers swept through the Twin Cities in a dramatic crackdown that led to angry protests, arrests and the deaths of two U.S. citizens.

Sullivan writes for the Associated Press.