Viewers are tuning into Big Brother on ITV2 and ITVX for the drama, but presenter Will Best believes its biggest value is representation. Ahead of the latest series, he spoke about LGBTQ+ visibility, changing ideas of masculinity and the confidence the show has given him to express himself more freely on screen.

Essential Takeaways

  • Big Brother’s inclusive history: The series has offered LGBTQ+ contestants a highly visible platform for self-expression.
  • Representation matters: Best warned that losing mainstream LGBTQ+ programming could narrow what audiences see on television.
  • A broader view of masculinity: He links masculinity with courage, emotional openness and personal freedom, rather than a fixed set of traits.
  • Confidence on screen: Presenting the show has helped Best feel more comfortable with expressive clothes and a less restricted public persona.
  • Where to watch: New episodes air from Sunday to Thursday at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

Big Brother’s appeal goes beyond the arguments

There’s plenty of noise inside the Big Brother house, but Will Best sees something quieter and more lasting at work. For him, the programme’s value lies in allowing people from different backgrounds to appear on television without sanding away the parts that make them distinctive.

That idea has always been central to the format’s appeal. According to Attitude, Best described the house as a place where contestants can show audiences who they are in an unusually direct way. It’s messy, emotional and occasionally chaotic, but that honesty is precisely what keeps viewers watching.

The series has also played a notable role in LGBTQ+ television history. Nadia Almada became the first openly transgender winner of Big Brother UK in 2004, while Cameron Cole came out as gay during the 2018 series. Their stories helped make identity and self-discovery part of mainstream entertainment rather than something kept at the margins.

Why representation still feels fragile

Best’s comments arrive during a wider debate about the future of LGBTQ+ programming. He pointed to the cancellation of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK as evidence that representation on mainstream television can’t be taken for granted.

The decision has prompted criticism across the media. The Guardian described the cancellation as a damaging moment for queer visibility, while the Standard also reported on the reaction to the BBC’s decision. For viewers, the concern isn’t simply losing one competition series; it’s the gradual shrinking of familiar spaces where LGBTQ+ lives, humour and community are treated as ordinary parts of the schedule.

Drag Race UK first aired in 2019 and became a prominent example of queer culture reaching a broad audience. The programme’s run, discussed in reference material collated by Wikipedia and PinkNews, also showed how a format rooted in drag performance could become a gateway to conversations about identity, politics and belonging.

Best sees masculinity as freedom, not a uniform

Asked what masculinity means to him, Best offered an answer that feels deliberately open-ended. He connected it with having the confidence to express yourself and, crucially, the bravery to show vulnerability.

That’s a striking contrast to the narrower model many people grow up with. Best told Attitude that he once felt less masculine than some of his peers and often used humour as a shield. Anyone who’s ever turned a joke into an escape route will recognise the instinct.

His view also avoids presenting masculinity as something only men can claim. He suggested that its most positive qualities, such as courage, emotional honesty and self-expression, can belong to women and gender-non-conforming people too. Research and commentary from Birmingham City University and Edge Hill University have similarly explored how mainstream drag and popular culture can broaden public ideas about identity.

The clothes, confidence and camera effect

Best’s changing relationship with masculinity is visible in his approach to presenting. He said Big Brother has given him more confidence to wear the clothes he actually wants and express himself in ways he might not otherwise attempt.

That freedom matters because television still places enormous pressure on presenters to appear polished, familiar and easily categorised. A flamboyant jacket, a more revealing outfit or a softer emotional register can all become statements when they’re worn by someone expected to fit a traditional masculine template.

There’s a useful lesson here for viewers, too. Self-expression doesn’t have to arrive as a dramatic reinvention. Sometimes it’s simply choosing the colour, cut or attitude that feels right, then resisting the urge to apologise for it. As Best’s experience suggests, confidence often follows the experiment rather than appearing beforehand.

Big Brother remains a cultural meeting point

The programme’s continuing relevance comes from putting very different people in one shared space and letting viewers sit with the friction. That can be uncomfortable, but it also creates opportunities for audiences to encounter identities and experiences they may not otherwise meet.

Studies and commentary on the mainstreaming of drag, including work highlighted by Edge Hill University and Birmingham City University, point to both the possibilities and risks of visibility. Popular television can introduce queer ideas to millions, but it can also simplify them or make representation dependent on commercial success.

Best’s argument is therefore bigger than one series. In a period when LGBTQ+ representation can feel vulnerable, a programme like Big Brother offers a familiar platform where contestants can be visible, complicated and imperfect. That may be less flashy than a headline-grabbing twist, but it’s arguably the show’s most important contribution.

New episodes air from Sunday to Thursday at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

It's a reminder that the most powerful kind of television can simply let people be seen.

Source Reference Map

Story idea inspired by: [1]

Sources by paragraph: