Actor Henri Castelli, 47, suffered two convulsions in under seven hours during the leader's proof on Big Brother Brazil 26, on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. After hospitalization and release, he had another episode upon returning to the house, leading to his removal from the show and criticism of Globo's production.
Henri Castelli, a 47-year-old actor, was participating in the endurance leader's proof on Big Brother Brazil 26 when, around 9 a.m. on January 14, 2026, he suffered a convulsion. Attended by the production's medical team, he was taken to a hospital in Rio de Janeiro and, after a few hours, released to return to the reality house. However, less than seven hours later, around 3 p.m., Castelli had a second convulsion, which led to his permanent removal from the program.
The backlash was immediate on social media, with users criticizing Globo's decision to allow the actor's return without extended observation. 'It was stupid to send him back home without at least 12 hours of observation. It's very common for another seizure to return in a short time window after one', commented a user on X (formerly Twitter). Another wrote: 'The BBB health team messed up badly. You don't release someone who had a convulsive crisis without at least 24 hours of hospital observation; he needs all exams (CT scan, MRI, blood tests), total recklessness'.
Castelli's mother, Tereza Lincoln, was apprehensive about the episodes. 'She only knows that Henri is fine and under observation in the hospital. That's the information Globo passed to us', the actor's press office reported. Experts consulted explain that convulsions stem from abnormal electrical activity in the brain and can be triggered by factors like dehydration, sleep deprivation, excessive heat, or underlying issues such as epilepsy or electrolyte disorders.
Castelli has a delicate health history: in December 2020, he was assaulted in Barra de São Miguel, Maranhão, suffering jaw injuries that required surgery and steel wire implantation. He lost sensation on the right side of his jaw and a tooth, with the attackers sentenced to pay R$ 55,000 in compensation. This prior condition heightened public concern over potential complications from the recent convulsions. The production updated the participants on the actor's status, who was taken to an external health unit, while the housemates were isolated during the care.
