As , drag superstar Courtney Act went into the Celebrity Big Brother UK house this week, and oh did she make quite the entrance.
Suffering from a wardrobe malfunction before even making it into the house, Courtney quickly established herself as a fan favourite with her second entrance.
Doing double duty as both Courtney and Shane Jenek, Act has already begun having seriously eloquent and well-tempered conversations with some of the other housemates, which is causing quite an interesting divide in the house, especially when it comes to the house's India Willoughby, one of the UK's most prominent trans celebrities.
Prior to Courtney's arrival, Willoughby had drawn some criticism for her comments regarding drag queens. "For people like me," Willoughby told fellow housemate Maggie Oliver, "it’s not a part-time thing and not a choice".
"That word ‘transgender’ can mean anything from RuPaul to someone who’s Bob one day and Barbara another day, and I think that cheapens the seriousness of it."
Viewers took Willoughby to task on Twitter and hoped when Act arrived in the house she might be able to shed some light on drag, and gender fluidity.
Never one to disappoint, Act did exactly that when she spoke to Willoughby about her gender and sexual identities as both existing on a spectrum in a clip that has since gone viral with many celebrating her for her eloquence.
While it's great to see audiences embracing Act, and allowing her to educate audiences and her housemates on her own experience, it has also highlighted the very different reception Willoughby is getting.
Willoughby has clashed with several of the other celebrities, in one instance getting upset after a discussion with singer Ginuwine where, when asked if he would ever date a trans person, he said, "I believe it’s your choice and I would choose not to".
Willoughby has also been misgendered several times by some of the other housemates including anti-LGBTI+ politician Ann Widdecombe, Rachel Johnson and Amanda Barrie.
After misgendering Willoughby for the second time, Barrie attempted an apology. When Willoughby refused her apology, some viewers chose to then criticise her even further.
