India Willoughby compared herself to Doctor Who as she stepped into the Celebrity Big Brother house.
The journalist, who described herself as Britain’s first transgender newsreader, was one of the first contestants to enter the Channel 5 house during the show’s live launch on Tuesday.
Two years after completing gender reassignment surgery, she cited the television Time Lord who has “funnily enough” now taken on a first ever female identity in the form of actress Jodie Whittaker.
She told presenter Emma Willis: “I’m like Doctor Who – I’ve regenerated.
Usually she's bringing us the news, but @IndiaWilloughby won't have a clue what's going on in the outside world while she's in the House! 🗞️🙅♀️ #CBBINDIA #CBB pic.twitter.com/baiwwlIMKL
— Big Brother UK (@bbuk) January 2, 2018
“Transitioning was the best thing I ever did. It was a tough fight and no-one is taking that away from me.”
Commenting on her former identity as ITV’s Jonathan Willoughby – who she refers to in the third person – she said she still had his football skills and joked that she could still do 100 keepie uppies, but not in high heels.
But she become emotional as she thanked her mother, who was standing in the all-female audience, for her support.
Her voice cracked as she said: “My mum loved Jonathan to bits and it was like a death for her.”