Big Brother's Zelah once again proved why he is the king of the house and, in lots of our eyes, already the deserving winner of the 2025 series (quick brag, we called it from day one). On Tuesday night's episode, clumsy comments were made by fellow housemate Caroline during a group game of a question-focused spin the bottle. These came at the expense of LGBTQ+ housemates Zelah and Nancy.
Caroline's controversial comments started with an invasive focus on Zelah's body. Before we go any further, we feel the need to point out that concentrating on a person's anatomy, aside from just being a bit creepy, can be incredibly dehumanising and is a talking point that has been weaponised against the trans community.
As part of that same conversation, Caroline quizzed Nancy – who is openly pansexual – about who in the house she would sleep with, while putting a default heteronormative spin on the question by bringing up the idea of 'making babies'. When others in the group pointed out that Nancy is in fact pansexual, the tired and invalidating 'joke' of "you like pans?" immediately followed.
When Nancy then named Zelah as who she found most attractive, Caroline went even further by misgendering Zelah in front of the whole group. Others around the living room were cringing at the encounter as it unfolded, no doubt mirroring those of us hiding behind cushions while watching at home, with Feyisola trying to stop things right there.
Caroline appeared to immediately realise that she'd done something wrong, likely because of the reception in the room, but inadvertently centred her own upset instead of putting the focus on those that were on the receiving end. Zelah, who should not be put in a position of having to comfort or excuse the person that has just hurt him, told Caroline it was "cool" before removing himself from the conversation.
"I just got called a girl, Big Brother," Zelah said in the Diary Room. "It's been a while… I didn't think it would affect me that much. It's kind of why I didn't want to tell anyone from the get-go, because once people know, their true perceptions of you come out…"
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Zelah went on to note that the misgendering comment was "strong", before then continuing: "I think I have quite a thick skin. I am so down to have open conversations about things, I'm so down for people asking questions. I think it's really important, because with silence comes divisiveness. But sometimes my openness can come at the expense of my own feelings."
"That really hit," he said again. "I can't remember the last time words hurt me like that."
And there it is. While Zelah has been widely praised for his gracious and kind handling of the uncomfortable scenes, this 'teaching moment' for both Caroline and some of the viewers at home – something that Big Brother itself is known and lauded for – has once again come at the detriment of the person it has hurt. It should not have to be the responsibility of trans people, or anyone from a minority or marginalised group in actual fact, to be the constant providers of education or the pushers of progress.
That being said, it was incredibly refreshing to see some of the other housemates rally around Zelah, with Jenny in particular taking Caroline aside in the garden to explain that her choice of words would have been hurtful and offensive. "All you can do is apologise," Jenny told Caroline.
Because this is the other thing. Whether intentional or not, Caroline's tears and repeated outcries of "I didn't mean it like that" gave the impression that she was seeking validation and comfort of her own, rather than looking outward at the consequences of her words.
Caroline did apologise multiple times and expressed regret at her words. In response to what had unfolded, Big Brother later called her into the Diary Room and issued her a formal warning for "offensive and unacceptable" language, which Caroline admitted was "horrible" and once again said "sorry" for.
Most importantly, Zelah appears to have accepted Caroline's apology. "I don't want you to walk away from this thinking you're not allowed to get things wrong," Zelah told her the following day, in an exclusive clip that aired on Tuesday's Big Brother: Late and Live. "In situations like that obviously, you might need to take a step back because people's feelings exist."
Zelah then pointed out that they had both been doing a "lot of learning" during their time in the house, and they ended their chat with a hug.
We'll say it again: Zelah to win.
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TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK's biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world's oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).
