Big Brother housemate Zelah has won over viewers after sharing details of his transition during a candid conversation with fellow contestant Sam. The 25-year-old personal trainer, who entered the iconic house just three days ago, discussed his journey from living as a lesbian to undergoing chest surgery two years ago.
In the Diary Room, Zelah admitted feeling self-conscious about visible scars on his chest, but later took a step further by opening up to Sam. He revealed that his girlfriend was in a lesbian relationship with him before he transitioned, adding: ‘I was a lesbian for eight years.’
Zelah described knowing he was a man from a young age, saying: ‘When I was six years old, if you looked at me then and look at me now, you’d think I went from A to B. I looked like a little version of me now.’ He recalled being bullied at school and going through a ‘toxic masculinity phase’ before realising he would never be satisfied living as a woman.
Discussing trans rights, Zelah expressed concern that progress is ‘back rolling’ and shared a troubling experience from before his transition when bouncers dragged him out of a club. He said: ‘The biggest issues with bathrooms were before I transitioned and I was a masculine woman.’
Fans praised the conversation on Instagram, with one writing: ‘If you’re not LGBTQIA+, you will never understand how important seeing conversations like this on national television are. Visibility like this saves lives.’ Another added: ‘Watching from Australia… this is the most beautiful thing about watching Big Brother.’
