Big Brother housemate Dennis McHugh has been removed from the Channel 4 show after spitting in the face of fellow contestant Mohamed Mohamed.

The dance student and teacher, 23, is the second housemate to be kicked off the show, after an argument erupted in the early hours of this morning.

Several contestants bickered after chef Rex Newmark played a practical joke culminating in a picture painted by model Jennifer Clark being defaced. During the disagreement, Dennis spat in toy demonstrator Mohamed’s face.

Producers, jumpy after last year’s Celebrity Big Brother bullying row, sent the housemates to separate rooms for the night and cut the incident from the programme’s "as live" stream on E4.

Channel 4 executives reviewed the footage this morning and removed Dennis from the house at 1:15 this afternoon.

A spokeswoman said: "Spitting in someone's face is seriously offensive and Mohamed was understandably upset.

"Big Brother has very clear rules about offensive behaviour. Like all housemates, Dennis was clearly informed before entering the house that he faced eviction if he acted in an unacceptable manner."

It is the second time in as many weeks that producers have removed a contestant from the house. Housemate Alexandra De Gale, 23, from South London, was evicted after threatening contestants with her gangster connections.

She was caught on camera telling Darnell Swallow: “I'm not throwing water at anyone. It's bigger than that . . . personal offence is never forgotten, do you know what I mean?

"We are just inside the house. I've got a very, very, very, very, very strong team outside the house".

She added: "I just can't wait to see my mans and them and see what their plans are, who they got . . . I'm not talking about those mans, I'm talking about my gangster friends. They got some instructions to follow out."

She added later: "I get to go out, see everyone's friends, I get to see their family. I get to do the s*** that I wanna do. Pow, pow, pow."

After De Gale’s eviction last week, Friday night’s planned eviction show was cancelled, but producers say they will go ahead with tonight’s public vote involving Mohamed and Sylvia Barrie.

The spitting incident is to be shown on tonight’s show at 9pm.

Editor's choice

• Live fast, die young: The 27 Club
• Madonna's 50 most memorable moments
• Proms Podcast with Pierre Boulez