Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield has ignited controversy on the UK’s ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ due to his views on homosexuality. Holyfield made inflammatory comments toward gays on Saturday’s airing of the British reality TV show.  He compared homosexuality to a handicap that can be fixed by a doctor.

Holyfield is among the contestants on “Celebrity Big Brother” UK and made the remarks while holding a conversations with fellow housemate Luisa Zissman.

In the conversation, Zissman disagrees with Holyfield and tries to sway his opinion but Holyfield stood firm. Zissman even tries to end the conversation at one point but Holyfield remained insistent in showing Zissman why homosexuality is not a sexual orientation but a deformity.

Holyfield: The bible lets you know, that’s wrong, that’s right.

Zissman: That’s just the way some people are.

Holyfield: No, it don’t make no difference. If you were born and your leg were turned this way, what do you do, you go to the doctor and get it fixed back right.

Afterwards, Holyfield was taken by the show’s producers to a private room where he was advised that his views were not acceptable and it would be offensive for him to continue expressing those views. However, Holyfield still was of the view that he hadn’t done anything wrong but promised to refrain in future.

The remarks generated mixed reactions from the social media with many users expressing outrage towards the 51-year-old boxing legend. However, openly gay Culture Club singer Boy George could not hide his disappointment at Holyfield’s comments. George issued a statement on Twitter saying: “Shame, I had such admiration for Mr Evander Holyfield, he seemed dignified and I was sure he was a cool, smart, giant!”

Shame, I had such admiration for Mr Evander Holyfield, he seemed dignified and I was sure he was a cool, smart, giant!

— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) January 5, 2014

Though Holyfield is entitled to his opinion, anti-gay sentiments are not likely to go over well with the public. He may want to keep his opinion to himself or risk alienating many of his fans.

Image via Wikipedia