Big Brother’s Zelah opens up about having children as a trans man
Big Brother housemate Zelah has spoken about having children as a trans man. (ITV)
Big Brother housemate Zelah has spoken about having children as a trans man. (ITV)
Big Brother housemate Zelah Glasson has opened up about the possibility of having children as a transgender man.
In last night’s episode (14 October) of the ITV reality series, the 25-year-old personal trainer spoke to 20-year-old makeup artist Jenny about the possibility of him getting pregnant.
“If you really wanted to, could you get pregnant or no?” Jenny questioned while they were sat on the house sofas together.
“It’s unlikely. I don’t have periods,” Zelah answered. “But it’s not necessarily impossible, and if I were to stop taking testosterone, yeah, I could.
“But something that I might look into is getting my eggs taken out so [his partner] Francesca can then carry my egg, and then our baby will have 50 per cent [of] my DNA but she gets to carry it. That’s what she [wants]. She really wants to do it that way.”
Can transgender men get pregnant?
Transgender men can and do get pregnant and give birth, with author Logan Brown and writer Freddy McConnell being recent, high-profile examples.
A study published in Cell Reports Magazine in 2024 indicates that one third of trans men continue to ovulate after taking testosterone, despite their menstrual cycle appearing to halt, and can therefore go on to become pregnant.
Joyce Asseler, PhD candidate at Amsterdam UMC, the study’s author, examined the ovarian tissue of trans men who went on to have their ovaries removed as part of their gender-affirming care. All participants had been taking testosterone for at least a year prior to the time of the procedure, and 17 out of 52 study participants – one third – showed recent signs of ovulation in their ovarian tissue.
“Our examination of their ovarian tissue shows that 33 per cent of them show signs of recent ovulation, despite being on testosterone and no longer menstruating,” Asseler said.
A 2020 study also found that trans men who have taken testosterone for years can have similar egg yields to cisgender women who have never taken testosterone, and can therefore have similar IVF success rates.
More than half of the trans men in the 25-person study had accessed testosterone therapy before undergoing standard egg stimulation treatment, but all stopped taking testosterone for an average of four months before the treatment began.
Big Brother fans have praised the sweet interaction between Zelah and Jenny as an example of how to ask and answer questions about trans identity respectfully.
“Love that she asked a curious question respectfully. That’s all it takes. Respect to both of them,” wrote one viewer.
A second commented: “What a great open and honest conversation between these two. Really lovely to see the respect there.”
“Love these conversations so much. This is what @bbuk is all about,” added Kerry Riches, who appeared in the first ITV series of Big Brother in 2023.
Zelah has become known during his time in the house for articulately educating his housemates on the reality of being a trans man.
During an incident earlier on in the series, public relations worker Caroline misgendered Zelah, saying that he “doesn’t have a willy”.
While initially – and understandably – upset, Zelah then explained to Caroline why the comment was offensive, and assured her that she is “allowed to get things wrong”.
Speaking to Your Local Guardian after the mishap, Zelah’s mum Maya Glasson praised the way her son handled it.
“To us, he’s always been a winner because of the way he conducts himself. I’m just very proud that other people can see that,” she said.
“Because of opening up dialogues like this and conducting himself so graciously, for us, he’s already won.”
Zelah is currently the bookies’ favourite to win the 2025 series of Big Brother.
Big Brother continues on ITV2 and ITVX Sundays to Fridays.
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