CBB’s Courtney Act is not convinced by India Willoughby’s ‘dragphobia’
Shane Jenek (Channel 5)
Celebrity Big Brother 2018 winner Shane Jenek has called into question claims that India Willoughby has a fear of drag queens.
While in the CBB house, India claimed to be unable to share a room with Shane’s alter ego, Courtney Act.
She also refused to be around Andrew Brady when he dragged up as ‘Betty Swollocks’.
The 51-year-old newsreader and Loose Women panelist said she couldn’t be around drag queens due to suffering from ‘drag-phobia’.
India Willoughby (Getty)
Shortly after the claims she became the first housemate to be evicted from the house.
Asked about the incident on Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff, winner Shane said: “I completely understand India’s ‘dragphobia’ in the sense that, in the conversations we had, when I dressed one of the boys in the house up in drag, he came out and India froze and didn’t move,” he explained.
“And people were like, ‘Oh, she had the option to leave the room…’ and I think I’m a lot more sympathetic to her story than most people in the house.”
But while saying India explained being terrified of drag artists in the house, it emerged she had previously posed for photos with drag queens on Twitter.
The photos, which were taken at Harrogate Pride with some drag queens from the collective Haus of Dench, contradicted Willoughby’s claims that she had never been to a Pride event.
(Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images)
RELATED: Celebrity Big Brother’s India Willoughby won’t accept apology for being misgendered
Shane added: “But when I came out and saw those photos of her with drag queens, I was like, ‘Ah, I don’t know what to do with that because I wanted to be on your side’,” he explained.
Shane Jenek says he was sympathetic to India Willoughby’s dragphobia… until he saw photos of her with drag queens after leaving the #CBB house.@matthew_wright | @courtneyact | @indiawilloughby | #wrightstuff pic.twitter.com/25ULFW2As6— Jeremy Vine On 5 (@JeremyVineOn5) February 5, 2018
India attempted to explain her fear after leaving the house.
Speaking to Lorraine Kelly India said: “I’d just like to say to all the people who are trans, love you to bits, but I’m actually transexual.
India Willoughby (ITV)
“There’s a slight difference there, it’s a medical condition and I had to transition.”
India continued: “To get lots of abuse from people who maybe dress up once a week or do stage performance, saying I’m a disgrace to the transgender community… I find it really strange.”
While in the house India attacked the art of drag after Shane helped former Apprentice star Andrew to transform into a drag queen.
India Willoughby (ITV)
After a two hour makeover, Shane revealed their work to a delighted group.
India fell silent before unleashing a storm of abuse on her fellow housemates for laughing at the drag transformation.
She later stormed away from the room and began to cry – pinning her distress on her “drag phobia”.
“It did [upset me]. Why? I’m a woman, not what [he thinks] a woman! Not a man. A man walked into the room in a dress, and everyone laughed at it.
Courtney Act is crowned winner during the 2018 Celebrity Big Brother Final (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
“I’ve got something called gender dysphoria, which you can only resolve with medical attention. Someone coming in dressed that way, freaks me out.”
Willoughby then compared drag to blackface, adding: “Transexual people have suffered over the years, a lot of laughter.
“Probably like the old days when the black-and-white minstrels put on a show… Obviously, black people would find that offensive.”
The comments sparked outrage among her fellow housemates, with Brady calling her a “f***ing d***head”.
