India Willoughby

India Scarlett Willoughby (born Jonathan Willoughby; 1966 or 1967[1]) is an English newsreader, broadcaster, journalist and reality television personality. She is known for being Britain's first transgender national television newsreader on Channel 5 and the first transgender co-host of an all-women talk show Loose Women on ITV. She is a previous nominee for a British LGBT Award (2017)[2] and winner of the Diversity in Media Award (2017) for Media Moment of the Year (Loose Women).[3]

India Willoughby
Born
Jonathan Willoughby

1966 or 1967 (age 54–55)[1]
London, England
NationalityBritish
OccupationTelevision newsreader, broadcaster and reality television personality
Years active1986 to present
TelevisionITV Border (1999–2010)

ITV Tyne Tees and Border (2016) ITV Loose Women (2016) Channel 5, 5News (2017) Channel 5, Big Brother's Bit on the Side (2017) Channel 5, Celebrity Big Brother (2018)

ITV, Good Morning Britain (2018 to present)
AwardsDiversity in Media Award

Career

Willoughby was born and grew up in Carlisle, Cumbria as a male named Jonathan. Willoughby presented the news in the North East and Cumbria as a TV reporter at ITV Border.[1]

Willoughby claims to have coined the term "gender fluid" in a BBC interview in 2015, using it to describe her life during 2010-15.[4] However, her claim was easily disproved, as the term gender fluid has been used for more than a decade beforehand, with the earliest online article being published in 2005. [5]

In 2016 she re-joined ITV Border as an on-screen reporter, before moving on a three-month contract to ITV Tyne Tees.

In 2017 she joined 5News on Channel 5 – becoming Britain's first transgender national television newsreader, reading the lunchtime and evening updates.[6]

The same year Willoughby was invited onto ITV's Loose Women to tell her story as a guest – but due to the public's response, she was invited back to be a co-host, in a show featuring Priscilla Presley and Russell Watson.[7]

In January 2018, Willoughby took part in Channel 5's Celebrity Big Brother – Year of the Woman.[8]

After Celebrity Big Brother, Willoughby became the victim of social media trolling about her looks. She described herself as "The most hated transgender person in Britain." As a result, she had Facial Feminisation Surgery in Marbella in 2018.[9]

Willoughby has since been a regular guest on ITV's Good Morning Britain.[10] She has also appeared on programmes including Channel 5's Most Shocking Celebrity Moments 2018 and When News Goes Horribly Wrong 2018.[11]

BBC Woman's Hour

In 2017, Willoughby was interviewed on BBC Woman's Hour by a long-time host Jenni Murray. Murray asked Willoughby if she considered herself to be a real woman, to which Willoughby replied "Yes." Murray then asked it was difficult appearing on an all-women show (Loose Women) to talk about women's issues. Willoughby replied, "No, because I’ve always been a woman." Murray then asked Willoughby to comment on a story about London's Dorchester Hotel imposing a new dress code on male and female staff telling them not to display body hair on duty. Willoughby said she supported the rule – because, in a five-star hotel, she felt staff should be groomed and that customers "didn't want to be served soup by someone grubby with hairy legs, because it's not hygienic." Murray later wrote an article in The Times about the interview, stating that transgender women were not real women. Murray was temporarily suspended by the BBC and publicly admonished.[12][13]

Celebrity Big Brother

Willoughby was a housemate in the 21st UK season of Celebrity Big Brother – subtitled Year of the Woman, to mark the 100th anniversary since women got the vote.[14]

Willoughby described drag as being the equivalent of Blackface, sparking strong criticism on social media.[15] A photo later emerged on social media of Willoughby posing with drag queens at Harrogate Pride – though Willoughby said this was a paid engagement, at which she had been asked to have her photograph taken with "colourful characters."[16]

Willoughby was the first person evicted, on the 11th day.[17]

References
  1. "India Willoughby's emotional transgender coming out story". PinkNews. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  2. "This is the shortlist for the British LGBT Awards". The Independent. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  3. "2017 Winners". DIMAs Diversity in Media Awards. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  4. Deen, Sarah (1 October 2019). "Celebrity Big Brother star India Willoughby claims she invented the term 'gender fluid'". Metro. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  5. KIM, GLORIA. "WHY BE JUST ONE SEX? | Maclean's | SEPTEMBER 12 2005". Maclean's | The Complete Archive. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  6. Dyke, Peter; Gleave, Ed (19 September 2017). "Channel 5's India Willoughby becomes victim of online abuse for being transgender". Daily Star. United Kingdom. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  7. "Loose Women's India Willougby is first transwoman to host all-female talk show". Metro. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  8. Duke, Simon (7 August 2018). "Who is India Willoughby? A guide to the Celebrity Big Brother contestant". nechronicle. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  9. "India Willoughby: Trolls turned me to surgery". www.itv.com. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  10. Hughes, Roxanne (11 January 2019). "ITV Good Morning Britain: India Willoughby makes BIZARRE Brexit comparison to Adolf Hitler". Daily Express. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  11. "Most Shocking Celebrity Moments 2018". Radio Times. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  12. "Jenni Murray trans women article criticised". 5 March 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  13. "I'm not surprised that the BBC chastised Jenni Murray over her transgender comments – this is what institutional sexism looks like". The Independent. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  14. "India Willoughby's emotional transgender coming out story". PinkNews. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  15. "Viewers slam India Willoughby after she compares drag to blackface". PinkNews. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  16. "Drag queen who met CBB'S India Willoughby says 'she was fine with me'". Metro. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  17. "Day 11: India Willoughby is first to be evicted from Celebrity Big Brother 2018". Big Brother 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
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