"Utter disgust" - Big Brother UK star Feyisola opens up about offensive comments on her race and gender identity

Feyisola, a new contestant on Big Brother UK, discussed experiences of harassment related to her appearance and identity during the show.

She explained that being a Black woman without hair has led to numerous comments about her gender identity. Speaking to housemates Zelah and Cameron, she described an incident near her home:

"The look on his face, the only way I can describe it is like utter disgust."

She said the man shouted that she was always going to be a "man" while pointing her out to his friend. Feyisola stated she felt "vulnerable" during the encounter.

Feyisola details experiences of race and gender-based comments on Big Brother UK 2025

Experiences of transphobia outside the house

Feyisola, 33, shared that she has faced transphobic abuse despite being cisgender because of her bald appearance. She said she gets a lot of people who make comments that they probably shouldn't feel comfortable saying.

She recounted another incident near her house where two men shouted that she was always going to be a "man" and pointed her out to a friend. Feyisola added that these interactions made her feel unsafe.

During the discussion, Cameron asked which was more challenging: being a woman or being Black. Feyisola replied,

"Well, that's a big one. I don't know. I think being black, obviously you get the racism you get. But then being like a black bald woman… Ha, ha, ha. Like I get a lot of weird comments."

Intersection with transgender perspectives

Zelah, 25, a trans personal trainer, contributed to the conversation about how societal views affect both trans and cisgender women. He explained that with transgender policies and stuff like that, being against transgender "women" also hurts cisgender women. He continued,

"Because what happens is, society's idea of femininity, usually white femininity as well that's usually what it's based on – anyone that doesn't match that, for example masculine lesbians, they then get a lot of hurt towards them."

Feyisola responded, agreeing with the concept of overlapping discrimination, stating that the whole concept in itself is so "problematic," but people aren't seeing it. She explained that as soon as she shaved her hair off, she began receiving quite a few weird looks from others, highlighting how societal perceptions impacted her personally.

She further emphasized that societal expectations influenced her behavior, saying she started wearing a lot more pink and doing her nails.

Feyisola reflected on the idea of "femininity," noting that she had never been the type of person to prioritize it, and it had never been important to her.

However, she added that society pressured her into feeling that conforming to these expectations was necessary, which she described as a challenging experience.

Conversations on gender and race

During her conversation with Cameron, Feyisola described the nature of the remarks she received in public. She said she experiences what she described as essentially transphobic "abuse."

She also told Cameron that she gets a lot of people shouting at her that she is always going to be a "man." Cameron reacted by suggesting she tell them to leave her alone, but Feyisola highlighted the unpredictable nature of the aggressors, stating,

"This man, I didn't know what he had, what he was capable of... And I don't often feel that way, but I did. And it was, it wasn't nice."

Stay tuned for more updates.