Big Brother 2024 housemate Ali thrills sapphic viewers by revealing she’s a ‘late-in-life lesbian’
Ali entered the Big Brother house for the 21st series (ITV)
Big Brother is back on our screens. This year’s crop of contestants includes forensic psychologist Ali, who describes herself as a “late-in-life lesbian” – and sapphic viewers were very happy to hear that news.
The 21st series of the reality show-cum-social experiment, which originally aired on Channel 4 before moving to Channel 5 and then ITV2, launched on Sunday evening (6 October) and saw 16 constants enter the house.
Leicester native Ali, 38, describes herself as “unashamedly a late-in-life lesbian” who has been in a relationship with her new partner for just five months, but says it is going well.
People took to X/Twitter to celebrate Ali’s announcement, partly due to the LGBTQ+ visibility boost it offered, and partly because they were very thirsty.
A late-in-life lesbian is, as the name might suggest, a woman who comes out as a lesbian at an older age. Agatha All Along star and former Saturday Night Live cast member Sasheer Zamata recently came out as a late-in-life lesbian and said she feels “very comfortable and confident in my life”.
Speaking to OK!, Ali said she’s joined the Big Brother house because she wanted to do something “really exciting and something I can talk about for years to come” and hopes to bring “humour” and “friendship” to the group.
“I’m quite understanding and caring. I would also be someone that people confide in and come to for advice. That always happens to me – when I tell people that I’m a psychologist,” she said.
“Just being away and thrown into a totally new environment, completely different to anything I’ve done before, completely different to anything I’ll ever do in the future. Something that maybe I would never have thought I would do. I’m really intrigued about who else might be in the house – I’m so nosy.”
She went on to say that many people are surprised that she is a forensic psychologist as it is “not your everyday, typical 9-5 office job”.
“It’s quite difficult, it’s quite demanding and I work in highly stressful situations. But I’m quite chilled and probably don’t look like the sort of person who can hold my own – in a prison for example,” Ali explained.
In terms of a strategy for the show, Ali says her plan is to just be herself.
She said: “I’m not going in with any thoughts about playing a particular role, or character. I’m going to be myself. My strategy would be getting to know people in the house and trying to make friends.
“The main way to keep yourself safe seems to be not getting internal votes so you’re not put up for eviction in the first place. Hopefully getting people on side and being liked. But not to the detriment of sacrificing who I am or my self-respect.”
Big Brother will air nightly at 9pm on ITV2.
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