Celebrity Big Brother just got a little bit gayer now that Heartstopper star Bradley Riches has joined the house.
The first episode, which aired last night, drew in a whopping 2.7 million viewers and marked the return of the celebrity spin-off of the popular reality show after being gone since the previous season ended in 2018, Deadline reported.
The out gay actor has joined a season with an absolutely wild cast that includes Sharon Osbourne, X-Factor Judge Louis Walsh, and Kate Middleton's "black sheep" uncle Gary Goldsmith.
The 22-year-old Netflix star had a small role as high school student James McEwan in the first season of the hit queer drama Heartstopper but made a splash in season two when his character started crushing on bookworm Isaac Henderson (Tobie Donovan), who was struggling to accept their asexual identity.
In his introductory video for the reality TV show, Riches spoke openly about finding out he is autistic when he was a kid. "I was diagnosed with autism when I was nine years old, so growing up, I felt like an alien," he explained, as reported by the Pink News.
He continued, "I didn't know where I placed in the world. I think being different is very cool. It's taken me a long time to realize that and I just want to inspire people and give people that positive representation."
Clearly that representation is important because fans have already taken to social media to express their excitement that Riches has joined the show and is open about being autistic and queer.
BRADLEY RICHES ON BIG BROTHER QUEER AUTISTIC PEOPLE WE LOVE YOU!!!!!
Celebrity Big Brother, much like the OG version, isolates contestants in a house where their every move is recorded, and as people start drinking and partying, things can get delightfully messy.
"I love a party, and I love a bit of prosecco sometimes, so I think I'll be up 'til a good amount of time – 2 a.m. max," Riches said before admitting that he might stay up until 6 a.m., considering they have no idea what time it is while in the house.
In addition to acting, Riches also co-wrote a book with author James A. Lyons that was published last year. A Different Kind of Superpower is a children's book that tells the story of a child who was "gifted" with autism at the age of nine—much like Riches' own story.
Celebrity Big Brother airs on ITV1 and ITVX at 9 p.m.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
