Big Brother UK is back on our TV screens after a five-year hiatus (this time rebooted by ITV and hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best), and the series has already been praised for its diversity, as housemate Hallie came out to her fellow contestants as transgender during Monday night’s episode. The 18-year-old youth worker from London was one of 16 housemates to enter the Big Brother house this week, with the line-up also featuring Wolverhampton makeup artist and Muslim Farida, and Coventry DJ and amputee Dylan. More than 2.5 million people tuned in to Sunday night’s launch show, with the series already branded “too woke” by the usual critics - despite past winners including trans woman Nadia Almada and deaf Welshman Sam Evans. Many fans of the show have responded to the negativity by pointing out Big Brother has “always been diverse”. Alongside Farida having a chat with housemates about halal meat, Monday’s episode also saw Hallie tell the group she felt she “wasn’t being 100 per cent authentic in myself” when she entered the house the day before. She said: “So I just thought I would let everyone know, I’m trans, if you didn’t know already. I just thought I’d make that loud and clear. “So yeah, I’m a trans woman, if you didn’t know. Just wanted to bring that up.” Hallie received an outpouring of support from fellow housemates after coming out, with everyone sharing their pronouns as a result. During a discussion with 25-year-old barman Jenkin and 40-year-old NHS manager Kerry, Hallie revealed she would use the £100,000 prize money on a “designer vagina” if she went on to be crowned winner of the reality TV show. “The mind doesn’t match the body – that’s the best way to describe being trans. I have a female mind, but the body just doesn’t match,” she explained. After Monday’s episode was broadcast, Hallie received a huge outpouring of support online for the “powerful” statement made in the current “political climate”: Even narrator Marcus Bentley addressed the online reaction to the series, posting on X (formerly Twitter): “Diverse enough for you?” Absolutely, Marcus. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Jennifer Aniston got to see her haircare products debut in a store

Harry Styles shocked fans when he ditched his signature locks and shaved his head - but now rumours are flying that there is particular reason the popstar is sporting the buzzcut look. Upon photos of Styles at a U2 gig in Las Vegas looking rather different getting shared, the internet reacted with memes, a Taylor Swift conspiracy theory, and at one point the pop star's mum intervened questioning what all the fuss was about. The latest rumour that has garnered attention is the theory that Styles shaved his head because he's going to star in season three of The White Lotus. Jennifer Coolidge, Aubrey Plaza, Theo James, and Sydney Sweeney are just some of the A-list actors who have starred in the show, the first season aired in 2021, followed by season two in 2022. It has been confirmed the Emmy Award-winning series will return for a third season, but it may not be released until 2025 due to strikes, HBO and Max chairman/CEO Casey Bloys said, as per Variety. While the show's creator Mike White has said he hopes to start filming “at the beginning of the year.” Some of the new characters written for the upcoming series include "a patriarch, a corporate executive, an actress, a couple of mothers, a misfit and a yogi," according to Deadline, we also already know the season will focus on exploring “death in Eastern religion and spirituality," as White confirmed last year. These details have led Styles fans to believe that the singer and actor shaved his head in preparation to play one of these roles. Plus, this rumour was further fuelled when anonymous celebrity gossip account DeuxMoi claimed that an "A-list singer" was "circling a part" - with the singer tipped to play the reported "yogi". Australian radio star Leon Sjogren also speculated this theory that we'll see Styles in the new season. This wouldn't be the first acting role for Styles, as he has previously starred in Dunkirk (2017), Don't Worry Darling (2022), and My Policeman (2022) as well as a post-credits sequence in the Marvel film Eternals (2021). It's been quite the year for the As It Was singer too, after he won Album of the Year for Harry's House at the Grammy Awards, and completed his last leg of Love on Tour - so as he's not touring fans noted how he has some free time on his hands to pursue a role like the one that is rumoured. However, Styles has since responded to the rumours that he'll be joining the new season of The White Lotus, as HuffPost UK reported that his team confirmed that Styles won't be starring in the show. While fans will be disappointed, they'll no doubt be watching in anticipation to see what Styles does next. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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