Trans Big Brother icon Nadia Almada tearfully apologises for ‘fat shaming’ herself
Big Brother trans icon, Nadia Alamda. (ITV)
Nadia Almada, who triumphed in the fifth series of iconic reality series Big Brother, has shared a heartfelt message to her past self on the twentieth anniversary of her win.
Almada was the first ever trans contestant to enter the Big Brother House in 2004, encouraging many more like Hallie Clarke to follow suit in the years since – but the trailblazer has issued an apology to herself for “fat shaming and objectifying” her own looks while on TV.
Appearing on Loose Women on 13 August, the 47-year-old opened up about life in the twenty years since her win, and how far she has come. As the show flashed up images on Almada during her victory, she began to choke up, before apologising to herself.
“Looking at those pictures I need to profusely apologise to her for fat shaming her, for objectifying her, for mistreating her,” she said.
“Somehow along the line I compartmentalised that young lady for not being ‘the standard’. I need to apologise to her, and now I’m talking to me, really. I’m sorry for doing that to Nadia because it was a special moment and somewhere along the lines… I had to put her in the attic or the basement.
Nadia continued: “It comes from experience and maturity, as we grow… 20 years on, I have embraced a different strength in me. I embrace it and I feel better for it.”
Later in her appearance, Nadia Almada offered her opinion on whether society had progressed with regards to trans rights, to which she replied: “Coming out of the show, I became the first point of reference for many people.
“It’s very toxic at the moment… there’s a lot of discord [sic]. It’s almost like one-sided,” she told panelist and queer athlete Kelly Holmes.
“What’s important is for the world to see the humanity behind the person versus any religion, gender… Let’s see beyond any of that. Stop segregating us as women in the aspect of the chromosomes, the science, the biological things.”
Almada also celebrated the 20th anniversary of her Big Brother triumph with a series of similarly emotional posts on X/Twitter, emphasising the importance of trans representation then – and now.
“I’m throwing it back to 2004,” she wrote. “Not only [did] I [win] Big Brother but also captured the nation’s heart. A moment where humanity prevailed and transcended bias beliefs.
“That moment felt like a turning point for trans rights. It sparked important conversations that we’re still having today.”
She added: “To all the trans youth out there, know that you are loved and seen. Let’s keep the momentum going and create a world where everyone feels accepted and respected.”
Big Brother was recently revived on ITV2 after coming off air in 2018. The civilian series featured trans contestant Hallie Clarke, who was eliminated third after 21 days in the Big Brother House.
It was shortly followed by a revival of the celebrity edition of the show, which was won by gay contestant and icon David Potts.
The regular series has already been confirmed to return in October 2024.
Big Brother is available to stream on ITVX.
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