Back in 2004 Channel 4's original reality show Big Brother was in its heyday and many radio stations and other businesses were running local spin offs. The London nightclub G-A-Y, which was based at the London Astoria venue on Tottenham Court Road, also launched a stage version.
Everyone thought the participants were actually going to be living at the venue for a few weeks, but actually what happened was the contestants just had to attend every night the club was open (5 nights a week) and had to stay the whole of the opening time, 11pm to 3-5am.
I've always wanted to go on Big Brother, so of course I applied for the gay version, which was happening at my favourite gay nightclub. Most of my friends from this time have been with me clubbing there, and I would go every week, sometimes several times a week because it just had the best atmosphere and acts. I have seen perform live there; Kylie, Madonna, Mariah, Steps, Boyzone, Christina, Britney and many many more.
I got into the competition (you could win £5,000) and I had recently got to my goal weight of 13-stone at that time, so you could say I was a tad too confident. When I read now the "profile" we were asked to write back then, I just gringe!
Anyway we started the "shows" and there was sofas and a big bed on the stage and that was our "house." We just chatted, danced and got to know each other. During the nights we would do various challenges and I remember one night we had all to take our tops off. I had loose skin from my weight loss but no one knew when I had my clothes on as I just looked "normal", I think people were shocked to see I had saggy man breasts when it was my turn to go topless, at the time it didn't faze me for joining in with the other boys, to me it was my normal, and I was just glad my saggy man tits were not longer full of fat.
The mid week shows were the worst as less than a 1,000 people would be at the club so it was kind of boring. I did get chatting to the other lads though and it was nice to make new connections. Most of the other guys were London based, meanwhile I was driving from Derby every night which became tedious.
As per Big Brother, there was a public vote going on all week and people were voting online and also in the club via paper. One week in and on the main Saturday night, the votes were going to be counted and someone was going to be kicked out.
When we all arrived on the Saturday evening we were told the voting was now closed as one person had got so many votes it was pointless continuing on counting more votes as that person was certainly going. Everyone of course laughed that someone was so disliked, but also everyone started thinking "OMG, is it me!"
The vote was revealed to a packed 5,000 person London Astoria audience, and I was the first one voted off. I was kind of shocked. I was also disappointed but I didn't let it faze me and just went out on to the main dance floor where my 2 friends were (Adam and Roku who had come to support me) and danced the night away with them.
It was only after, really thinking about it all, it made me realise how the gay world really is as fickle as people joke about it being. The truth was I didn't have a body as "normal" as the other lads and my confidence and zest for life, was very much coming over as overconfidence and arrogance.
Maybe not straight away, but I later learned that this my downfall and being more humble was going to be my way to be more successful publically. I also knew not to put myself in competitions where "looks" were the object of the game.
I still continued to go to the club regularly and simply brushed the experience off and forgot about it.
As always, I would please appreciate your feedback on my stories as I am currently editing them all for my coming book! Thank you for ready x
This is a chapter from my upcoming autobiography. You can now catch up with the previous chapters published on Facebook, via the links near the bottom of this page on my website jodybunting.com/about
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