A former Big Brother housemate has doubled down on offensive remarks aimed at a transgender contestant in the current series, sparking widespread criticism online.
Zelah, a transgender personal trainer from South London, joined the cast of the new 2025 season of Big Brother alongside a diverse group including Nancy, a gamer from Scotland; Gani, a bisexual Pizza Hut manager and Dua Lipa enthusiast; Sam, a queer Zumba instructor from Chipton; and others.
Zelah quickly won over many fans with his charm, warmth, and authenticity. In his introductory segment, he told ITV, “Going on the show is a way to show that being transgender is not a choice.”
However, former contestant Nathan King – who finished fifth in the 2024 season, won by Ali Bromley – took issue with the statement. Sharing a clip of Zelah’s promo to Instagram, King misgendered him and added: “She’s right, it’s not a choice, it’s a MENTAL ILLNESS. This should NOT be encouraged.”
The post, which was only available for 24 hours via Instagram Stories, was captured and widely circulated on Reddit, prompting outrage from users. Comments included calling King “repulsive,” “a loser,” and “a nasty human being.”
In a follow-up post, King shared a screenshot of a tweet reading, “Why do trans-identified people make being trans-identified their whole personality? Bore off,” and added, “They can’t ever tell me I’m wrong. They just scream insults.”
Speaking with PinkNews, King said, “For the record, I fully support [the] LGB [community] – anyone suggesting otherwise online is talking nonsense.”
He continued, “I fully stand by it. I believe being transgender is indeed a ‘mental illness’. Interestingly, I’ve received a torrent of abuse and death threats, which hints at a society more interested in obedience than reality.”
King also criticised Big Brother and similar shows, stating: “What’s deeply troubling is how prime-time TV, whether inadvertently or otherwise, are actively encouraging impressionable young minds to question their gender. Turning something so serious into casual entertainment isn’t just dangerously irresponsible, it’s reckless and potentially harmful. Criticising that isn’t hate, it’s calling out a dangerous trend that very few people dare challenge.”
However, King’s claims contrast with medical consensus. In 2019, the World Health Organisation officially stated that being transgender is not a mental health condition.
While King remains fixated on the show’s portrayal of trans identities, rising transphobia and its link to deteriorating mental health within the community are far more pressing concerns – backed by numerous studies.
Alongside Zelah, the current house includes Gani, Sam, Nancy, Somerset farmer Cameron, 56-year-old Caroline (who’s been engaged five times), and Elsa, who claims she can see spirits. Teja from Bristol, Royal Navy veteran Marcus, and rule-breaker Jenny have also entered, as well as Tate, an engineer and Butler in the Buff.
Initially, Conservative Party member Emily joined but was evicted on the first day. On day two, Cameron B, Feyisola, George, and Richard joined the house.
Big Brother, Zelah, Nathan King, transgender representation, anti-trans comments, transphobia, LGBTQ+, ITV, reality TV controversy, social media backlash
