Celebrity Big Brother 2016: Jonathan Cheban reveals he quit because David Bowie's death was 'becoming a joke'

'I didn't want to be part of the joke to such a legend like David Bowie - so I thought it was a right time to leave'

Jonathan Cheban said goodbye to his Celebrity Big Brother housemates after 'having enough' (Getty Images)

Jonathan Cheban has revealed that he quit Celebrity Big Brother after feeling that David Bowie’s death had become “a little bit of a joke” inside the house.

Kim Kardashian’s entrepreneur best friend left unexpectedly on Monday after Angie Bowie was told that her music icon ex-husband had died of cancer aged 69.

US reality star Tiffany Pollard began hysterically crying and shouting thinking that fellow housemate David Gest, who was ill in bed, had died. Much confusion ensued and it all became too much for Jonathan.

“It affected me mentally. The house went from being fun to turning into a negative energy, and the whole David Bowie thing was too intense for me,“ he told reporters. ”I knew that would be such a big public situation and I think it turned into a little bit of a joke.

“I have another life outside of the house and I didn't want to be part of the joke to such a legend like David Bowie - so I thought it was a right time to leave and disappear.”

Despite finding the situation crass, Jonathan defended Channel 5’s decision to air Angie’s Diary Room reaction.

Representatives for the show had earlier clarified that she had been told off-camera by her agent first.

“It's a TV show, it happened live - it's a national situation that happened and Big Brother is a television show,” he said.

“They handled it fine, as fine as it could be. Angie is in the house and she had to be told and it was probably something on every news channel while we were inside.”

Jonathan also admitted to having no sympathy for Angie, who was married to the “Starman” singer for ten years but has not spoken to him in four decades.

“My reaction as a fan of David Bowie is more important than Angie’s. She has nothing to do with him anymore,” he said. “The world has been affected by this news and so have I but Angie has nothing to do with him. She hasn’t spoken to him in…I don’t even know how long.

“I know they had a child together but she doesn’t speak to that child. She told us that a thousand times.”

Celebrity Big Brother continues at 9pm tonight on Channel 5.