Big Brother must punish transphobia – prejudice isn’t an opinion

I would bet my house that Phillip has never met anyone who identifies as a fridge because (Picture: ITV) ‘Me, growing up, my generation, it was ‘him’ and ‘her’. Now everything’s different. If you wanna be classed as a fridge, you’re classed as a fridge.’ Watching Big Brother over the weekend, as Phillip Regan – a gay man – talked about pronouns in a broader conversation about trans rights, I felt bitterly saddened. Transphobia doesn’t belong in the house. I’m old enough to remember when Nadia Almada – a trans woman – won Big Brother in 2004. I don’t just remember it: her win was one of the most impactful nights I experienced as a gay teenager. It felt like we were on the cusp of entering a new dawn, after Brian Dowling – the first openly gay contestant – had just won Big Brother three years before. But when Nadia triumphed, she didn’t just leave the house a champion, she brought in a record-breaking number of votes. Nadia Almada – a trans woman – won Big Brother in 2004 (Picture: J. Quinton/WireImage) Now hearing Phillip speak about pronouns and carry on a conversation that has been criticised as transphobic made me not just uncomfortable, but angry. I’d spent most of my life feeling utterly ashamed of my sexuality from the moment I even knew what gay was, but Big Brother was the first time that the LGBTQ+ community didn’t just feel acknowledged, we were being celebrated for quite literally lighting up the world. Join Metro's LGBTQ+ community on WhatsApp With thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community. Simply click on this link, select ‘Join Chat’ and you’re in! Don't forget to turn on notifications! To me, at least, it felt hopeful. Great Britain was experiencing queer joy and loving it. So by plonking queer people in millions of living rooms and making them idols to both those in and outside of the community, it felt like a huge moment. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Now, more than 20 years later, Big Brother is putting trans people back in the spotlight – but without actually including a housemate like Nadia. Instead, it’s shamelessly platforming transphobia without any punishment, completely legitimising prejudice when one of the fundamental rules of Big Brother is that there should be no offensive language. On Friday night, Big Brother welcomed two new housemates: Catrin Richards and Twinks Burnett. Twinks has already become the most talked-about housemate of the series after declaring she’s a witch – I actually used to know Twinks many moons ago and I can confirm she is every bit as gorgeous outside of the house as she has been in there. Twinks has already become the most talked-about housemate of the series after declaring she’s a witch (Picture: ITV) She is showing all the signs of being a Big Brother winner: she stands by her values, is unapologetically herself when her housemates don’t know how to stomach her, and she stands up for communities who need allyship more than ever. Like in a conversation about the trans community and the importance of allyship over the weekend. But in doing so, she exposed the ugly truth of almost every other housemate in there. Especially Phillip Regan. He was almost a dead cert to win Big Brother until Twinks exposed him following his fridge comment. The conversation took place in the living area (Picture: ITV) I would bet my house that Phillip has never met anyone who identifies as a fridge because – and he knows it – absolutely no one is. Regan has spent more than 50 years in the LGBTQ+ community – known lovingly as The Queen of Scotty Road in Liverpool – but he seems to have turned to boomer Facebook chat groups. He sounded a bit like when GB News falsely claimed children in school are identifying as cats and calling it ‘facts’. As someone who has been lifted up by the community and reaped the rewards of its unity, he should be more equipped with basic knowledge of gender. He knows full well that comparing trans people to inanimate objects is harmful and completely absurd – and so does Big Brother. However, because of this comment, the conversation continued with more people chipping in. Need support? Mermaids is able to help trans people up to their 19th birthday. Their helpline is open Monday to Friday, from 9am to 9pm: 0808 801 0400. You can also text 'Mermaids' to 85258 for free 24/7 crisis support all across the UK or make use of their web chat, which is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 9pm. ‘I’ve got a question for you,’ Omar – a jewellery salesman and musician – directed at Twinks. ‘Let’s say you’re at a restaurant; there are two bathrooms – a boy bathroom and a girl bathroom. A transgender man who became a woman walks into the girl bathroom, and there are quite a few girls in there who feel uncomfortable. How do you deal with a situation like that?’ Rochelle – who has so far called a housemate overweight, told another who lost their limbs at a young age that she was scared of people without arms and legs, and threatened to punch a Black woman, all without punishment – said: ‘I wouldn’t be happy with a transgender in the toilet with me.’ Phillip just backed her up: ‘I know what you mean.’ As the chat continued, Phillip left the room for a ‘lie down’, telling housemate Lynx: ‘It’s going worse. She’s talking about transgenders now. That’ll cause f***ing murder.’ Big Brother has always been a petri dish to throw people from all walks of life together and see what unfolds. I will always champion that and, historically, the show has done that so well while also championing the queer community. Big Brother has always been a petri dish to throw people from all walks of life together and see what unfolds (Picture: Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/WireImage) Last year, Caroline Monk was given a formal warning for misgendering housemate Zelah. She apologised profusely, continued to be wildly offensive but at least managed to avoid being transphobic from then on. Although there may not have been obviously explicit language in the conversation that aired on Sunday night, the transphobia was crystal clear. But worse than seeing their true colours was Big Brother enabling those bigoeted comments by letting them slide without any punishment. But Phillip, Rochelle and Omar should all be receiving warnings. Like so many housemates before them who have peddled bigoted views, they should be reprimanded for using offensive language and made to face the consequences. Caroline Monk was given a formal warning for misgendering housemate Zelah (Picture: Sofi Adams/Shutterstock) Until that moment, this season had been hailed as the best Big Brother of its entire run on ITV since 2023. It felt like it had all the right ingredients – a healthy amount of chaos, out-of-this-world characters that you can’t quite believe just walk among us, and moments that have made me belly laugh. But I don’t know if I’ll enjoy this series in quite the same way anymore, knowing what I know about the housemates now. Aside from Twinks, they were all at the very least disappointing, and at worst bigots. Big Brother has always been neutral but, at its heart, principled. Deals of the Day Kurt Geiger's new Notting Hill collection is a love letter to London's chaotic weather I’ve found the Hoover gadget that could make cleaning your floors so much easier I tried L'Oréal Paris's new PDRN serum and my skin looked glossier after one use This new Cricut gadget turns your favourite photos into stickers in minutes From kitchen hatches to burgundy walls – the biggest home trends for 2027 If its morals are going to be abandoned, it may find that huge swathes of its viewers, the most excited they’ve been for a series of Big Brother in a long time, will abandon it too. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. Share your views in the comments below. Arrow MORE: If Richard E Grant exits Celebrity Traitors this lethal player could change the game Arrow MORE: Digger’s apocalyptic box office bomb takes hammer to Tom Cruise’s rebirth Arrow MORE: I felt lost and depressed – then a Queer Utopia saved me TV Newsletter Sign up and tell us which TV shows you love to watch to get personalised updates every morning.