14-05-2025
BBC under fire after putting transgender man who lived 16 years as a girl on gay dating show I Kissed A Boy
The BBC has sparked furious backlash after putting a biological woman on its gay dating show I Kissed A Boy with critics branding the move 'homophobic in the extreme'.
The reality show, fronted by pop star Dannii Minogue, features single men looking for love but with a twist. Contestants must kiss before getting to know one another.
But controversy erupted after it was revealed that one of the participants, Lars, was born female and lived as a girl for 16 years despite now identifying as a 'gay man trapped in a woman's body'.
The move has been blasted by campaign group LGB Alliance, who have written directly to BBC boss Tim Davie, demanding the show be pulled from air.
In a scathing letter, the group claims the BBC's decision is 'horribly regressive' and pressures gay men into pretending they're attracted to a woman.
'Any rejection of her – a rejection that would be entirely in line with their natural homosexuality – will be seized upon by activists as evidence of their bigotry and transphobia.
'It is unconscionable to coerce young gay men in this way,' the letter reads.
Lars, a 23-year-old hotel receptionist from Wolverhampton, is the first transgender contestant to take part in the show, which debuted in 2023 and now includes a spin-off for lesbians called I Kissed A Girl.
The row adds to a growing list of BBC controversies surrounding its stance on sex and gender identity.
Last year, the broadcaster faced backlash for including a transgender Colombian scientist on its annual list of 100 inspiring women despite being born male.
Similarly in 2002 the now-notorious Sky1 show There's Something About Miriam tricked six men into competing for the affections of a young model without telling them that she was transgender - and she later took her own life.
The show saw the men compete to win her affections and £10,000 but they did not find out about Miriam's gender identity until the finale - which led one contestant to smash up the luxury Ibiza villa in which the contestants were staying and even threaten to 'kill' the 21-year-old model.
Kate Barker, chief executive of LGB Alliance, accused the BBC of pushing an anti-gay agenda under the guise of 'inclusion'.
She told The Telegraph: 'By including a heterosexual woman in a gay dating show, the BBC is telling its audience loud and clear: it's not OK to be gay.
The reality show, fronted by pop star Dannii Minogue, features single men looking for love but with a twist. Contestants must kiss before getting to know one another
'I Kissed A Boy will be watched by many young people who are just becoming aware of their same sex attraction.
'Many will take away the message that it's 'transphobic' to have sexual boundaries, or that it's bigoted not to be attracted to women.
'This is an incredibly regressive and homophobic programme, and yet another sign of how 'Be Kind' inflicts callous cruelty.'
A BBC spokesman said: 'I Kissed a Boy is and always has been an inclusive dating show about finding love. All applicants are asked their dating preference, and they are matched accordingly.
'Producers took participants' preferences into account, and made sure that all contributors were aware and comfortable with the application, casting and matching process.'
