11 October 2023 , 09:27
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Big Brother viewers offered mixed reactions last night after Farida gave her fellow contestant Hallie an "awkward" grilling.
In emotional scenes during Tuesday night's episode, brave Hallie gathered housemates around the dinner table to tell them: "Yesterday I feel like I wasn’t being 100% authentic in myself."
The 18-year old youth worker continued: "I thought I’d let everyone know I’m trans, if you didn’t know already. I just thought I’d make that loud and clear. I’m a trans woman if you didn’t know." It prompted Chanelle to respond: "Good for you. That’s very brave of you," before Dylan declared: "This is a moment. I like it."
Farida and Trish then told the teen they've "got her" in another showing of support. But it's further comments from the former that raised eyebrows later in the ITV2 show.
Makeup artist Farida, 50, appeared to be keen to learn whether men who "fancied" Hallie would be considered gay, as she admitted her willingness to educate herself. "Hallie can I ask, me who you have relationships with," she said, before Hallie interjected to confess: "I haven't had a relationship yet."
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Farida continued: "If a guy was to get with you would they be seen as gay?" Hallie responded: "I won't have sex until I have my full transition. There's men out there who specifically like trans women, and there's men out there that will just see me as a woman, and just be with me as a woman."
Hallie told fellow housemates her responses had left Farida 'confused' (ITV)Soon, Hallie spoke to other housemates about the conversation, telling them that Farida had been "confused" by her response. "When Farida said to me, 'if a man was to be with you does that make them gay?' I was like no I'm a woman, they like me like I'm a woman. She was all confused," she explained.
Describing Farida's questions as "frustrating" she continued: "I was like, you need to chill out babe. If that made them gay I would be a man." In a bid to make amends, meanwhile, Farida later returned to Hallie to explain her line of questioning was out of simple curiosity and saw it as an opportunity to learn.
"The thing is that I don't believe in bullying," she said, "I was just curious because I feel it's my first opportunity... it's a social experiment being in here. Different people celebrating their culture and what they're about."
Following the show fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to discuss Farida and Hallie's earlier chat, with users quick to express a variety of opinions over their dialogue. Backing Hallie up, one penned: "What Hallie’s saying is great and I applaud her honesty but Farida has the wrong idea here and she clearly doesn’t know so much."
Big Brother viewers had mixed reactions to Farida's questioning of Hallie (ITV)Another commented: "So much respect to Hallie for having a mature convo with Farida." And a third said: "Very awkward convo, but I don't see any ill intent in Farida asking Hallie questions she clearly stated she'd like to be educated and Hallie said she was open to discussing it!"
Defending Farida, one user wrote: "Farida asked Hallie some questions about her trans journey – that could have come across ignorant. A lot of nasty messages about Farida. How are you supposed to be educated if you don’t ask? It’s part of the social experiment to engage with convos you wouldn’t normally and learn."
Another agreed: "There is nothing Farida should be embarrassed about. She genuinely seemed curious and wants to learn more about trans/people, that's great. I don't think she intended on making Hallie uncomfortable (if she did) or realised that her questions could seem inappropriate."
And a third hit out: "Farida was clearly trying to understand and seemed very supportive of Hallie #GetHallieOut she has gone down in my books for that reason!"