Soap actress Roxanne Pallett has said she "got it wrong" after accusing a fellow Celebrity Big Brother contestant of punching her.
The former Emmerdale star, 35, said she "massively regrets" saying Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas, 34, "punched me like a boxer would punch a bag" during a play fight in the Big Brother house.
Celebrities and social media users immediately jumped to Thomas' defence after Thursday's episode of the reality show, saying Pallett's comments were damaging for real victims of domestic violence.
Two days later Pallett left the Big Brother house, and has now said her "mind ran away with me".
The actress "massively" apologised to Thomas and his family but said she might be "over-sensitive" because she has previously been a victim of domestic violence.
She said she was "devastated" she might have discredited other victims.
"All I can say is in that moment my emotions and my thought process was greater than the reaction and looking back I absolutely over-reacted and got it wrong," she told Channel 5's Jeremy Vine.
"At the time it hurt. But when I looked back on that footage as soon as I left the house – the first thing I did was view that clip – and I got it wrong, I really got it wrong.
"After it happened I just felt like, I don't know how to explain… my mind ran away with me.
"I'm a sensitive person, my friends and family can vow to that, everything in that house was so heightened, a look, a comment, an action.
"Your insecurities are heightened, your sensitivities, the only thing I can explain is it was, in the moment, it felt worse than it was.
"I massively apologise to not just Ryan but to his family and friends and his fans and every single person who watched that and completely and justifiably saw an over-reaction to what wasn't a malicious act.
"In that moment, because I am sensitive and I was emotional, I mistook what was playful.
"He did apologise, and he did say his ring caught me. It was the word 'deliberate' that I regret because I doubted his intention and there was no malicious intention behind that and that is what I apologise for because I shouldn't have questioned his motivation."
She said she "wasn't thinking straight" and she is "going to have to go away and work on" her sensitivity to become a better person.
The actress blamed this on being a victim of domestic violence "years ago", saying she has worked with Women's Aid and would be "mortified to think that even one person" felt she had discredited abuse.
She said she has had to retreat from social media because of abuse, but added that she does not "blame everyone" for defending Thomas.
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"If I had been at home watching this I would have been confused by my reaction," she said.
Pallett denied she was doing the interview to protect her career, saying she was advised not to do it and coming on the show is "the hardest thing I've ever had to do".
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