TV

Big Brother 2025: Fans declare trans personal trainer Zelah their ‘winner’ during premiere

Big Brother 2025 Zelah

Zelah has been praised for his reaction after being ‘accidentally outed’ by a Big Brother Housemate (ITV)

Zelah has been praised for his reaction after being 'accidentally outed' by a Big Brother Housemate (ITV)

Big Brother 2025 has kicked off and among its cast of twelve new faces entering the Big Brother House is Zelah – a transgender personal trainer who has become many viewer’s winner from the jump.

AJ Odudu and (gay pinup) Will Best have returned from hibernation after April’s chaotic Celebrity Big Brother starring JoJo Siwa and Danny Beard to host series 22 of Big Brother, the third civilian series to air since the original social experiment was acquired by ITV in 2023.

The cast, revealed via live premiere (28 September) on ITV2, is the usual cocktail of people from all walks of life, including a Butler in the Buff with a masters in Engineering and a Zumba instructor from Skipton – but fans have already declared Zelah, a trans personal trainer from South London their “winner”.

“I constantly get compare to a spaniel dog, I’m pretty unbearable if I don’t get my 12,000 steps a day,” Zelah says in his introductory spiel to camera.

Zelah, who is half-Indian and half-English, continues: “The kind of people I don’t usually get along with are bro-y guys, which I know is ironic to say as I sit here in a wife-pleaser and a mullet.

“People are usually pretty shocked to find out… that I lived as a woman for 23 years of my life. I think I’m living proof that being transgender is not a choice because why would I choose to go from the luxury, the sanctuary of the women’s toilets to the men’s?”

Zelah has already become a fan-favourite among viewers, with many praising his casting and declaring him the “winner” of the series on just night one.

“Thank you for casting a lovely trans man!!!!!!!!!!!!!” one very excited viewer wrote.

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“He’s already an ICON!! So handsome as well,” another added.

And, because this is X, there’s been a positive tidal wave of thirst, too.

“Yesss a hotty here to represent,” wrote Drag Race UK season seven queen Silllexa Diction.

“He can top me,” another viewer commented with admirable honesty.

And a third added: “I NEED HIM.”

On Big Brother 2025, Zelah is joined by eleven other housemates, many of whom are also queer, including pansexual Scottish gamer Nancy, bisexual Dua Lipa fan and Pizza Hut manager Gani and queer Zumba instructor Sam, from Chipton.

They’re in the House with Somerset farmer Cameron, five-times engaged 56-year-old Caroline, Elsa (who can see dead people) and Conservative party member Emily, who has been for Christmas at Boris Johnson’s house.

Teja, from Bristol, Royal Navy alum Marcus and self-confessed rule-breaker Jenny join the above, alongside the mercifully bum-out Butler in the Buff/ engineer Tate.

Big Brother airs 9pm on ITV2 and ITX, Sunday to Friday.

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