Nadia Almada reflects on her groundbreaking Big Brother win 20 years later. It’s been 20 years since she sashayed into the Big Brother house, unaware that she was about to become an icon. Nadia’s victory wasn’t just a win; it was a moment that captured the hearts of millions and put her face on every magazine cover in the land. The show, known for its tears, tantrums, and laugh-out-loud moments, had never seen anything like her.

As she sits down to reflect on that life-changing moment, Nadia is both nostalgic and candid. “I didn’t think I’d last a week, let alone win,” she says, still somewhat incredulous at the memory. But win she did, and it wasn’t just the UK that celebrated her triumph. Back in Portugal, her homeland, she was hailed as a heroine. The adoration was overwhelming, yet Nadia’s humility remained intact. She had entered the house with a singular hope: to be accepted for who she was, nothing more, nothing less.

And who could forget the iconic “Fight Night”? Before the Real Housewives were flipping tables, Nadia was making her mark with a level of sass that only she could pull off. It was a time of emotional freedom for her, a rare liberation within the confines of a “prison made of cardboard,” as she puts it. Looking back, she’s struck by how free she felt, both emotionally and spiritually—a stark contrast to the struggles she faced before entering the house.

Now, two decades on, Nadia has a few apologies to make. Not to anyone else, but to herself. She speaks of a time when she hid away parts of who she was, when she felt the need to lock away the woman who won Big Brother in a metaphorical attic. “I didn’t even wrap her in a beautiful cushion,” she admits with a rueful smile. But time and maturity have brought her to a place of acceptance. “I’m embracing a different strength now,” she says, and it shows.

The conversation shifts to why she chose to keep her gender identity a secret from her housemates. Would she do the same today? Absolutely. “It’s nobody’s business,” she asserts. In those days, being a transgender woman was something society forced you to hide. Nadia wanted to be seen as just another young woman, full of life, rather than a walking label.

So, have things progressed in the last 20 years? Nadia is clear-eyed and unflinching: the conversation around transgender issues has become increasingly toxic. The discourse, she says, has become “political” in the worst sense of the word, with more focus on dissecting identities than on seeing the humanity behind them. But through it all, she remains a proud feminist, advocating for autonomy and equality, despite the contradictions society tries to impose on her.

As for life after Big Brother, it wasn’t all glitz and glamour. When the limelight dimmed, Nadia had to carve out a new path for herself. She found it in hairdressing, training with one of the most prestigious names in the industry. It was a far cry from reality TV, but it was a career that she built with her own hands, proving once again that Nadia Almada is a force to be reckoned with.

Two decades on, Nadia is still here, still fabulous, and still fighting—only now, she’s doing it on her own terms.