Big Brother UK is back on our TV screens after a five-year hiatus (this time rebooted by ITV and hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best), and the series has already been praised for its diversity, as housemate Hallie came out to her fellow contestants as transgender during Monday night’s episode.
The 18-year-old youth worker from London was one of 16 housemates to enter the Big Brother house this week, with the line-up also featuring Wolverhampton makeup artist and Muslim Farida, and Coventry DJ and amputee Dylan.
More than 2.5 million people tuned in to Sunday night’s launch show, with the series already branded “too woke” by the usual critics - despite past winners including trans woman Nadia Almada and deaf Welshman Sam Evans.
Many fans of the show have responded to the negativity by pointing out Big Brother has “always been diverse”.
Alongside Farida having a chat with housemates about halal meat, Monday’s episode also saw Hallie tell the group she felt she “wasn’t being 100 per cent authentic in myself” when she entered the house the day before.
She said: “So I just thought I would let everyone know, I’m trans, if you didn’t know already. I just thought I’d make that loud and clear.
“So yeah, I’m a trans woman, if you didn’t know. Just wanted to bring that up.”
Hallie received an outpouring of support from fellow housemates after coming out, with everyone sharing their pronouns as a result.
During a discussion with 25-year-old barman Jenkin and 40-year-old NHS manager Kerry, Hallie revealed she would use the £100,000 prize money on a “designer vagina” if she went on to be crowned winner of the reality TV show.
“The mind doesn’t match the body – that’s the best way to describe being trans. I have a female mind, but the body just doesn’t match,” she explained.
After Monday’s episode was broadcast, Hallie received a huge outpouring of support online for the “powerful” statement made in the current “political climate”:
Even narrator Marcus Bentley addressed the online reaction to the series, posting on X (formerly Twitter): “Diverse enough for you?”
Absolutely, Marcus.
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