India Willoughby evicted from CBB house
(Photo: Channel 5)
Celebrity Big Brother contestant India Willougby has been evicted from the Celebrity Big Brother house.
Trans news broadcaster Willoughby is the first to leave the CBB building after she lost out to Love Island star Jonny Mitchell.
The presenter, who first rose to fame as a TV presenter for ITV, admitted during Friday’s episode that she expected to be evicted, referencing her frequent outbursts with other housemates.
She confessed to the Big Brother diary room that she “knew she had cocked it up” and regretted her arguments with the housemates.
Prior to her eviction, Willoughby said: “I’d really like to stay, I love Big Brother and it’s been my dream to be on the show.”
Although Willoughby has represented the trans community in the house, she has received criticism for making a series of disparaging remarks against members of the drag community while in the house.
(Photo: Channel 5)
After bursting into tears when fellow contestant and drag artist Courtney Act transformed The Apprentice’s Andrew Brady into a drag queen, she said she suffered from “dragphobia”.
“It did [upset me]. Why? I’m a woman, not what [he thinks] a woman! Not a man. A man walked into the room in a dress, and everyone laughed at it.
“I’ve got something called gender dysphoria, which you can only resolve with medical attention. Someone coming in dressed that way, freaks me out.”
Since her remarks, photos of Willoughby and several drag acts have emerged online. Viewers also criticised the presenter when she compared drag to blackface.
However, the broadcaster resolved any potential conflict with her and drag act of RuPaul fame Courtney Act before tensions mounted.
“She’s alright with me because we’ve had a talk,” said the drag artist, who is polled as the favourite to win the series.
“When I first came in she said she felt uncomfortable… I think the thing she struggled with is that people might see me and see her and think that we are the same thing…
“She’d never identified as a drag queen. Drag is more performance-based, hers is about gender identity. She was never a ‘man’ but she had a male body,” he added.
(Photo: Channel 5)
Celebrity Big Brother was first established as a spin-off from Big Brother in 2001.
This is the 21st series of the award-winning show.
