Big Brother contestant Hayley revealed she was transgender to her housemates, admitting she felt she wasn’t “authentic” because she didn’t tell them.
The youth worker, 18, was seen entering the ITV show’s famous home on Sunday night as the program returned to British television after a five-year hiatus.
She decided not to tell her story to her fellow contestants on the show on launch night, but changed her mind the next day.
In scenes to be broadcast on ITV2 and ITVX on Monday night, the housemates will be seen gathered around the dining room table discussing their living situations.
Hallie says, “Hey guys, I just have something to say. Yesterday I feel like I wasn’t 100% authentic to myself.’
Emotional: Big Brother contestant Hallie, 18, revealed she’s transgender to her housemates, admitting she felt she wasn’t ‘authentic’ because she didn’t tell them
She adds: “I thought I’d let everyone know I’m trans, if you didn’t already know. Just thought I’d say it loud and clear. I’m a trans woman if you didn’t know.’
Halle’s housemates hug her and Chanel says, “Good for you. That is very brave of you.”
As the housemates show their support for Hala, Dylan says: “This is the moment. I love it.’
Hallie says, “I don’t know why I was nervous,” prompting Farida to say, “You shouldn’t be nervous.”
Trish tells Hala, ‘We got you.’
Halle isn’t the first transgender housemate to appear on Big Brother – trans woman Nadia Almada won the show in 2004 and trans man Luke Anderson triumphed in 2012.
At 18, Halle was the youngest of the 16 housemates who entered the Big Brother house on Sunday’s launch night.
On what led her to apply to be on the show, she said, “Just the whole experience. I feel that Big Brother is the biggest social experiment and I want to be a part of it.
“It’s about putting my face out there and just having fun, enjoying life.” I’m only 18 so I didn’t grow up watching it, but as I got older I watched clips on YouTube and stuff so I was a fan. And yes, just for fun, really?’
On what she’s most looking forward to about the experience, she added, “The assignments and all the different personalities. I can imagine that they are all extroverted people and big personalities. Just the whole experience.’
She said her friends and family would describe her as a ‘diva’, explaining: ‘I speak my mind but I’m also a very lovely person. I’m a girl, sure. I’m honest, funny and, yes, just plain brilliant.’
On why she is most likely to be nominated, she said: “Being lazy and having an opinion. I’m quite opinionated, I like to speak my mind and few people like that. I am quite real.’
Big Brother returned to British television with a bartender, make-up artist, butcher and youth worker among the contestants entering the famous house on Sunday.
The influential social experiment, which sees housemates living together in a custom-built house for weeks without access to the outside world in a bid to win £100,000, has opened its doors for the first time in five years.
After being axed by Channel 5 due to falling ratings in 2018, new hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best introduced the group of 16 contestants in a brand new house to a live studio audience.
Big Brother began in 2000 on Channel 4 before Channel 5 took over in 2011, broadcasting in the UK for a total of 18 years.
Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
BIG BROTHER 2023: MEET THE CONTESTANTS!
JENKIN
AGE: 25
PROFESSION: Bartender
FROM THE: Bridgend
HOW WOULD YOUR FRIENDS DESCRIBE YOU? “Loud and messy, and probably irritating.”
TOM
AGE: 21
PROFESSION: butcher
FROM THE: Somerset
WHAT ARE YOU MOST NOMINATED FOR? “I think I could potentially offend some people.” My mouth moves faster than my brain.’
TRISH
AGE: 33
PROFESSION: Stay at home mom
FROM THE: Luton
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH THE PRIZE MONEY IF YOU WON? “I think my first priority is to sort out my housing situation.” The housing crisis is ridiculous and my housing situation is unstable. It brings me a lot of mother guilt because I have a small child. That is my biggest incentive and motivation to win.’
JORDAN
AGE: 25
PROFESSION: A lawyer
FROM THE: Scunthorpe
WHAT ARE YOU MOST NOMINATED FOR? “Being argumentative and acting like I don’t want to be there, even if in my heart I do.” They could nominate me for maybe being inactive or not giving everyone equal attention. They may feel left out, but I can’t help it.’
DYLAN
AGE: 39
PROFESSION: DJ
FROM THE: Coventry
TELL US INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF: ‘I appeared on a TV show called The Last Leg about amputees – two years before I lost my leg!’
NOKIE
AGE: 26
PROFESSION: banker
FROM THE: Derby
WHAT MADE YOU APPLY TO BECOME A BIG BROTHER HOUSEWIFE? ‘I love challenges. I have had so many amazing moments in my life, like going to Miss Universe as Miss Great Britain. I like doing something different and I think this is the next challenge I want to conquer. I want to show people what pageant girls are really like and disprove many stereotypes surrounding them. I also show what it’s like to be a woman who has worked in male-dominated fields. I want to show that women are capable of doing anything they want.’
PAUL
AGE: 23
PROFESSION: Security officer
FROM THE: Liverpool
WHAT ARE YOU MOST NOMINATED FOR? ‘Being the biggest fan, eating all the food and being the loudest housemate.’
OLIVIA
AGE: 23
PROFESSION: Dancer
FROM THE: Glasgow
WHAT ARE YOU MOST NOMINATED FOR? “I think when people are in that hungry state, that’s when I’ll cheer people on and grind their gear.” I think they will nominate me because of my willpower, because of my brutal honesty and exaggeration of opinion.’
FARIDA
AGE: 50
PROFESSION: Makeup artist
FROM THE: Wolverhampton
TELL US INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF: “People are always surprised when I say that I got married at the age of 43. Or also that I am a former vacation representative for Gran Canaria and Menorca.”
HALLIE
AGE: 18
PROFESSION: Youth worker
FROM THE: London
WHAT ARE YOU MOST NOMINATED FOR? “Being lazy and having an opinion.” I’m quite opinionated, I like to speak my mind and few people like that. I am quite real.’
IINRUN
AGE: 25
PROFESSION: Customer Service Agent
FROM THE: Harrogate
WHAT PART OF THE EXPERIENCE ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? “I’m most excited to be surrounded by so many people from different walks of life.” I don’t think I’ll ever live in a house with so many different people again. I’m from China and I think it will help me get more into British culture.’
CHANEL
AGE: 29
PROFESSION: Dental therapist
FROM THE: Llanelli
WHAT ARE YOU MOST NOMINATED FOR? “Probably just because I’m boring. In Wales we have this saying “I’ll do it in a minute now”. So if I went to make food and left a dish on the side, I have every good intention of washing it, but I’d say, “I’ll do it now in a minute,” and it might be three hours later before I do it. Well, probably for such nonsense.’
ZAK
AGE: 28
PROFESSION: Model
FROM THE: Manchester
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH THE PRIZE MONEY IF YOU WON? “Pay off my debts and help my family.” I’ve also been saving up to build a park in my village back home in Thailand because there are no parks or playgrounds where I grew up.’
MATTHEW
AGE: 24
PROFESSION: Doctor
FROM THE: Isle Of Man
HOW WOULD YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY DESCRIBE YOU? “They would say I’m a pretty happy person or someone who really wants to experience life to the fullest and do everything it has to offer.” Someone who is kind and funny and doesn’t take life too seriously.’
HENRY
AGE: 25
PROFESSION: A food writer
FROM THE: Cotswolds
HOW WOULD YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY DESCRIBE YOU? “I think they would say I’m particularly outgoing and very chatty.” I mean, to be honest, my parents would definitely say I’m a bit of a snob, but I take that as a compliment. I think it means you have high standards and good taste. They would say I’m quite an unusual child.’
KERRY
AGE: 40
PROFESSION: NHS manager
FROM THE: Essex
WHAT MADE YOU APPLY TO BE A BIG BROTHER HOUSEWIFE? ‘I like the program. To me, it’s the ultimate reality TV show ever. I have multiple sclerosis and the reason I never applied before is because I always saw those great big stairs to get into the house. It was a bit unachievable because I was in a wheelchair for the first three years of my illness. When I saw that he was coming back and looking for the right people from all walks of life, I thought, this is my year.’
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