Listen: Yorkshire radio host comes out as transgender
A local Yorkshire radio host has announced on air her transition to female.
Stephanie Hirst, 39 – until now known as Simon Hirst – made the revelation yesterday, on National Coming Out Day.
Ms Hirst previously hosted the ‘Hirsty’s Daily Dose’ breakfast show on Capital FM Yorkshire, but abruptly left the station in June.
She told BBC Radio 5 Live: “There were many times on the air in recent years where I nearly said that I’m transgender.
“I knew from around the same time that I knew I wanted to be on the radio that something wasn’t right.
“I didn’t feel complete, I didn’t feel like it locked. I felt like a square peg in a round hole but I didn’t know why and I couldn’t work it out.”
“I’m not going to flounce around in flowery dresses all day. I’m just me, I’m just a human being, I still love people, still care for people the same way – nothing changes.
“And for anyone who is going through this or anyone who’s thinking of going through this we don’t change, we don’t change. Yes, the exterior changes but we’re still the same people.
“My name was Simon Neil Hirst and I still want to keep my initials because it’s important to me, that.
“Some people in my position want to eradicate their past and forget about it. (But) I’m very proud of what I have done in my past and I’m not going to erase that or try and get rid of it. I can’t and I don’t want to, it’s who I am.”
“I can get up and I can be myself and for me that encapsulates everything. I don’t have to hide anymore, don’t have to hide anymore. I can be me. I am a woman – and that’s it.”
A Capital FM Yorkshire spokesperson told the Mirror: “We don’t comment on people’s personal matters. We were sad to see Hirsty leave the breakfast show and we wish him all the best for the future.”
