A police officer has received a final written warning for appearing on the Nigerian edition of Big Brother without authorization from her superiors.
When PC Khafilat Kareem sought to be on the programme in 2019, she was a serving Metropolitan Police officer. After egregious misconduct was shown, a misconduct panel determined that PC Kareem should receive a written warning. In June 2019, she entered the Big Brother house in Lagos and stayed for 77 days until being evicted.
PC Kareem had broken the rules of professional behaviour in respect to "orders and instructions" and "discreditable conduct," according to the misconduct panel, which met at the Empress Building in west London.
"Permission was refused for PC Kareem to participate on the Nigerian version of Big Brother as it was judged it was not in the best interest of either her or the Metropolitan Police Service to take part," Det Ch Supt Andy Day said after the panel's determination.
"Despite her objection, she appeared on the show."
"The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards conducted a thorough investigation and found that PC Kareem should face gross misconduct charges.
"Being a police officer entails adhering to professional norms of conduct. PC Kareem's actions were plainly unacceptable, and she has been issued a final written warning."
PC Kareem acknowledged to one misbehaviour charge, handing over her work laptop to the Big Brother producers, but rejected three other claims.
She sought unpaid leave to participate on the show in June 2019.
Permission to take the leave was given, but not permission to participate in the show.
The tribunal heard earlier this week that PC Kareem called Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist on the 30th of June, only hours before she was scheduled to appear on the show, to beg him to reconsider his decision not to allow her to participate.
Mr Twist expressed worries about PC Kareem's well-being, her behaviour, and her public image as a serving Met Police officer on a reality TV show.
PC Kareem had entered the Big Brother house the next day, according to her boss, Ch Supt Jason Gwillim, and remained uncontactable until September.
As the issue gained traction in the national media, he expressed his worries during the hearing and then moved his focus to her safety.