Big Brother fans praise housemates for reacting to Hallie coming out as trans with ‘love and acceptance’

Yes, it's officially time: Big Brother, the iconic Noughties reality show, known for iconic characters and its beloved celebrity spin-off series, is back on our screens after a five-year hiatus.

In case you've been living under a rock, the premise is pretty simple: a group of contestants live in a house together, away from the outside world, and are filmed 24/7 in the hope of winning a £100,000 cash prize. Judging by previous series, some are eliminated, no doubt new members will be introduced at some point and the ever-iconic Diary Room remains, where contestants can speak to ‘Big Brother’ and share their thoughts on their housemates.

The show began on Sunday 8th October, with 16 contestants entering the house – including Hallie Clarke, who has recently received an outpouring of support from fans and her fellow housemates after sharing that she is a trans woman. Here's everything you need to know about her…

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By Rebecca Fearn

Who is Hallie?

Hallie is, in her own words, a youth worker who is “repping South London”, where she lives with her parents – being on Big Brother will be her first time living away from home.

How old is Hallie?

Hallie is Big Brother 2023's youngest contestant so far, aged 18. During her introductory interview on the show, she said: “I just hope people don't treat me like a baby because if I feel like I'm being talked to like a child, I really won't like it.”

What kind of contestant will Hallie be?

Of course, the show is just getting started, but so far, so far, it's clear that Hallie isn't afraid to share her truth and speak her mind. A few comments made by Hallie during her pre-show interviews give an insight into her personality outside the house.

She says that she's most likely to be nominated for" 'Being lazy and having an opinion. I'm quite opinionated, I like speaking my mind and not many people like that. I'm quite real." As an example, Hallie explains: “I bark at men when they catcall me, because you're acting like a dog, so you'll get treated like one.”

Is Hallie transgender?

During the contestants' second day in the Big Brother house, Hallie shared with her housemates that she is trans. While they were all sat around the dining table, she said: "Hey guys, I just have something to say. Yesterday I feel like I wasn’t being 100% authentic in myself.

“I thought I’d let everyone know I’m trans, if you didn’t know already. I just thought I’d make that loud and clear. I’m a trans woman if you didn’t know.”

Hallie also shared that, if she were to win the £100,000 prize, she would spend some of the money on gender-affirming surgery, and pay her “mum back for all the years she paid for my treatments”.

Hallie was met with a warm response from all the housemates, who gathered to give her a hug. Contestant Dylan said: “This is a moment, I like it," while Trish made it clear that: “We've got you.”

The conversation also led to housemate Olivia suggesting: “On that subject, can we just double-check pronouns so nobody gets offended” – leading to all the contestants sharing their pronouns.

Hallie isn't the first trans person to appear on the show. During the original series, Nadia Almada was crowned the winner in 2004, while Luke Anderson won in 2012. The celebrity series also featured newsreader India Willoughby and media personality Lauren Harries. Since appearing on Big Brother, Rebekah Shelton and Jessica Alves have since come out as trans.

How has the public reacted to Hallie so far?

Since coming out as trans, Hallie has received a wave of support via social media, with users praising her bravery and honesty, particularly in the current political climate:

Watch Big Brother on ITV2 and ITVX, Sunday to Friday, at 9pm.