Big Brother star Zelah’s mother speaks out after he was cruelly misgendered by housemate Caroline
Maya Glasson, told Your Local Guardian: "I'm very proud of him. To us, he's always been a winner because of the way he conducts himself"
By Aaron Sugg
Big Brother contestant Zelah Glasson’s mother has spoken out in support of her son after housemate Caroline Monk misgendered the transgender contestant in a heart-stopping moment.
During an episode that aired on 7 October, Monk was issued a formal warning by Big Brother for using “offensive” and “unacceptable” language after addressing Zelah as “She’s a girl!”
Despite the uncomfortable exchange, Zelah has continued to impress viewers with his calm and respectful attitude, accepting Caroline’s apology – something his mum, Maya Glasson, says makes her incredibly proud.
“To us, he’s always been a winner” – Zelah’s mother, Maya Glasson, on how her son has conducted himself in the house
Glasson told Your Local Guardian: “I’m very proud of him. To us, he’s always been a winner because of the way he conducts himself.”
She added: “I’m just very proud that other people can see that. Because of opening up dialogues like this and conducting himself so graciously, for us, he’s already won.”
In the same scene where Caroline misgendered him, she also asked during a game of spin the bottle with her fellow housemates: “If you had a cock, what would you do with it?”
“He represents qualities that transcend gender” – Glasson on how proud she is of her son
Maya added that the show has allowed audiences to see her son’s true character, saying: “He’s not just a great representation for the trans community; he represents qualities that transcend gender.”
Zelah, who works as a personal trainer, entered the house hoping to open up conversations around identity and acceptance.
In his VT, Zelah expressed his desire to use the platform to “re-centre” the narrative around transgender individuals, saying he is “living proof that being transgender is not a choice”.
When it came to making up with Caroline, viewers took to social media to praise his graciousness. One Instagram user said, “He handled that better than she deserves,” while another added, “Zelah – the perfect example of humanity. And this lesson is one that really needs to be seen by the masses!”
Tune in to Big Brother tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.