Big Brother’s Hallie was convinced fans were going to ‘hate’ her
Big Brother star Hallie was convinced that fans were going to hate her and couldn’t believe it when she was met with adoring cheers when she was evicted.
The 18-year-old made a massive impact during her stint on the ITV reality series and always kept fans talking – whether she had them wiping away tears after coming out to her castmates as trans, or roaring laughing when she and Olivia became the first housemates to get caught breaking Big Brother’s rules.
Many were devastated to see Hallie go but were sure to give her a warm reception when she emerged from the Big Brother house which, she admits, came as a shock.
Recalling the moment she was evicted from the house, Hallie told the Saving Grace podcast: “They said my name and, honestly, I was like, ‘Woah’. Because although I was kind of expecting it, I wasn’t.
“I thought I was going out and they hated me. I said that to Kerry, I said that to Big Brother.
“I had so many moments where I was like, ‘they’re going to hate me.’ Because I felt like I was acting like a b***h at times in the house.
“I was ready to get booed. But when I heard the cheers when they said, ‘Hallie, Trish, Dylan’, it kind of warmed my heart.”
Now Hallie is well-adjusted to the outside world again, and the love from fans online has really helped.
“I’ve had so many DMs, so much love, it makes me emotional at times,” she admitted.
“The thing that makes me happy the most is making my community proud.
“I’ve been getting messages from young trans people and hearing what they have to say; that I’ve made them feel confident, I’ve inspired them. It warms my heart. It makes me super proud.”
Trans visibility is more important now in the UK than ever.
Just days before Hallie entered the Big Brother house, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made global headlines for making horrific anti-trans statements.
The statements have been widely condemned by LGBTQ+ advocates, by MPs in Sunak’s own party, and by the public at large, sparking fears that the Tory leader’s comments could incite further violence and discrimination against transgender people.
Speaking on Sunak’s damaging comments, Hallie told Saving Grace that she had been on lockdown in preparation for Big Brother at the time, and didn’t learn about it until after she was evicted.
“When you’re on lockdown you have no phone…. You have no access to the internet or even the radio. I had no f***ing idea.
“So, when I’d heard that, I was like, ‘I think someone who is meant to be representing the nation saying that is absolutely disgusting.’”
In an earlier interview with PinkNews, Hallie had said that her main goal joining a show like Big Brother was to represent her community well. And that’s exactly what she has done.
“I’m just so thankful for having the opportunity to share my story as well and show trans visibility. It’s so important to me that trans people are shown in the media,” she had said.
“There’s this stigma around trans people, and I wanted to show everyone that we’re all from the same pile of mess called life. I’m no different to you and you’re no different to me.”