[Kazanne]

Mario and Ben have resolved their differences after a "flippant" comment by Ben sparked several rows yesterday.

While practising for his live comedy routine yesterday afternoon, Ben joked that he couldn't ask Big Brother for a gay housemate for Mario as it would damage his chances of having a career in America. The 28-year-old took offence at the comment and a series of arguments followed, where Mario suggested that fame was Ben's only motivation for entering the house.

This evening, after the housemates received their shopping delivery, Mario asked Ben if they could talk in private. Heading to the bedroom, the two discussed yesterday's situation.

The 30-year-old told Mario: "I'm not doing this for any exposure reasons, I'm doing this because I needed a break in my life." He continued: "I look at [my older friends] and they're wonderful, lovely, talented people, but they're not really doing anything with their lives."

"I've been freaking out in the past few years that that could be me, and that I'm going to wake up in thirty years and think, 'What have I done in my life?'. And that's why I did this. I needed a short sharp shock."

Ben acknowledged that his comment was "insensitive" and "flippant", but insisted that he meant nothing by it and did not mean to upset him. Mario then explained why he had been so upset, saying: "It wasn't the first time that you'd made that comment."

He added: "You're exactly the person I didn't want to be in the house with on paper. But since I've got to know you, I like you, probably more than I should for my own good. When you made that comment, it made me feel like our friendship in here is false and that you wouldn't want to be associated with anything 'like that' if you did go for a career in America. And that's why it was hurtful."

At one point the discussion began to get heated, when Ben thanked Mario for his "generosity" in speaking to him this evening. Mario snapped: "You're actually making me angry now. Am I some sort of homeless shelter doling out bowls of my friendship?" Ben quickly apologised, to which Mario replied: "That doesn't even sound sincere."

After further discussion of the situation, the two agreed that they would never entirely see eye-to-eye regarding Ben's comment. However, they agreed that they both like each as people and want to put the situation behind them.

Discussing his comment that Ben's task costume included "a fake shirt for a fake person", Mario apologised. Ben responded, saying: "It's okay. That was actually quite a funny line, I did laugh at it."