[Hooly One]

THE long-lost father of Big Brother’s Nadia blinked back tears after learning of her sex-change yesterday and declared: “I will love him forever — as a son or a daughter.”

The Sun broke the shock news to shop worker Luis Leodoro, who has not seen his family since 1992, after tracking him down to a remote South African town.

He was totally unaware eldest son Jorge had gone through a sex change last December and was now known to millions of TV viewers as BB contestant Nadia Almada — widely tipped to win the show’s final tonight.

And after being shown a picture of Nadia, Luis said: “I think Nadia is extremely beautiful — perhaps the most beautiful woman our family ever produced.

“But my son, my daughter, it makes no difference to me. I’m just happy he is happy.”

Down-on-his-luck Luis, 51, who has been staying with a friend and stacking shelves to make ends meet, broke down when we showed him the photo of bank clerk Nadia.

Tracing the outline of her face with a finger, he shook his head and said in amazement: “I recognise Jorge’s smile, but now he is my daughter. I can’t believe it.”

Ex-electrician Luis moved wife Conceicao and their six sons from the Portuguese island of Madeira in 1989 to seek a better life in Pretoria, South Africa.

But he came home from work one Friday in August 1992 to find they had returned to Portugal — without leaving a note. He has not spoken to them since.

Luis recalled how “gentle” Jorge gave hints of his sexual identity while growing up.


He said he always hated rough games and avoided scraps with brothers Duarte, Agostinho, Luis, Miguel and Andre — now all builders, painters and decorators.

And he remembered him as “a quiet boy” who spent a lot of time “doing his hair”.

Luis said: “Jorge always was careful to keep himself very clean and tidy. He hated getting dirty and didn’t want to join in rough games with the others.

“He was very quiet and thoughtful and loved spending time with his mother. He was very gentle — more like a girl than a boy in that way.

“He always asked his mother’s opinion about how he should have his hair, or what to wear.

“He also got on very well with women — particularly his mother’s friends.”

Luis said Jorge had been a keen pupil at school in Madeira. But in Pretoria he found things tough on his first day in an Afrikaans-speaking class — and refused point blank to go again.

Instead he got a job in a supermarket at 13, spending much of his wages on gifts for his brothers and his mum.

But his world changed forever when Conceicao took him and his brothers back to Portugal.

Luis, who believes his wife’s “meddling” friends turned her against him, said: “Every day I cry about my sons and my wife.

“I lost my passport and didn’t have any money to buy a plane ticket to go and see them.

“But although they’re not here they are in my heart and I love them all as much as ever.

“I am still alive, that’s all I have going for me. But if I saw my wife and children again then I could die a happy man.”

Back in Madeira, with his mum out working to support the family, Jorge took on the role of mother to his five brothers.


A neighbour in the mountain village of Campanario said: “He’d make them meals and get them dressed in the morning.”

Soon afterwards, young Jorge grew interested in cross-dressing.

School pal Joao Martinho said: “He used to really enjoy wearing women’s clothes during carnival. But he was a nice boy and everyone liked him.”

Later Jorge began work in a bank and moved to the UK to prepare for his sex change and a new life as Nadia.

The family have had no contact with Luis — and 27-year-old Nadia, who uses her mum’s maiden name Almada, will be shocked to learn of his whereabouts in the dusty town of Disaneng in South Africa’s north west province.

Luis moved there four years after they left him and works in grocery and butcher’s shops.

Nadia, who lives in Surrey, was last night 1-50 favourite to win BB, ahead of Dan and Jason on 16-1 and Shell, 50-1.

Conceicao has flown in from Madeira to see her daughter lift the BB5 Crown after wowing viewers of the Channel 4 show.

And last night Luis sent her a good luck message via The Sun.



He said: “Good luck to Nadia — my son, and now my daughter.

“I wish you well in the Big Brother competition, I know you will win and hope we can be together again some day.

“Lots and lots of love to you, my wife and all my family.”

And Luis told how he longed for a hug from his new daughter.

He said: “If she wins perhaps Nadia will be rich. I am pleased because I know she will use the money well to look after her mother and brothers.

“I am not interested in being rich. I don’t expect Nadia to give me anything.

“If she gave me a hug and said hello, that would be everything I’d ever want.”

Luis added: “Me and my wife always wanted a daughter. We gave up trying for a girl after six children and now, after all this time, God has given me the daughter I always prayed for.

“If she wants boyfriends or a husband that is fine by me, as long as he makes her happy.

“I don’t understand why a man would want to be a woman, but I’m happy if Jorge’s happy.

“He was the first flower in my garden and I will love him forever — son or daughter.”

The Sun News

[Hooly One]

Awww bless!

[sheila p]

what a nice man he seems that has given me goose bumps i hope for his sake nadia will see him good luck nadia we are all rooting for you in sheila p house go girl go

[Amy]

Originally posted by Hooly One
Awww bless!

Indeed

[Deus Ex Machina]

I wonder why Nadia didn't get in touch with him...

[Sunny_01]

I think this is sweet - it is nice that he loves Nadia for who Nadia is now

[stu_iz_da_dude]

I think Nadia is gr8, n er experience in da bb ouse has given er so much convidence.

[Sunny_01]

I wouldnt go as far as to say I think that she is great but I think that she has learnt a lot about herself in the house

[Amy]

Another article here Daily Mirror

[Dan_]

I bet she will be so happy to hear from her Father.

[helenrobin]

I think Nadia is great, also she has had to go through a lot in life and to think that she has realised how many of the public like her for who she is must take a bit of gettin use to, you could tell by her reaction in last nights show from wednesday night, she is just thankful for still being in there when someone as nice as Stu has gone! One thing I noticed compared to the real thing is when she went outside after burstin in to tears she sat down looked up at the sky and said thank you (to the public), yet last night they cut it out! Probably to make us all think she was crying for sympathy.

Bless her, I commend her for putting herself through it all and congratulate her for getting this far, I just hope she wins, because deep down she deserves it!

[Hooly One]

I think there will be an Emotional end to tonights final.

[golden~rose]

hooly, i posted some info on this in the nadia thread but not the article

anyways, i agree its going to be emotional but a happy ending to nadia whther she wins or not!!!

[Hooly One]

Originally posted by xishax
hooly, i posted some info on this in the nadia thread but not the article

anyways, i agree its going to be emotional but a happy ending to nadia whther she wins or not!!!

I post this first isha, i posted it early this morning.

It will be a happy ending for nadia even if she wins or not.

[golden~rose]

yeah i know as i just posted mine 5 minutes ago

nadia is going to be very lucky tonight!!

[Kore]

well, im glad dan and jay are there, on the final day, even if the nation has been sympathised and brainwashed to nadia's "accepted as a woman hahahaha" bullsh*t.

[Kore]

whatever happens, a jungle cat has stayed in the house till the final day, and dan is still there. and ill know that jay and dan are winners anyway. in fact, we all know vic, marco or kitten would have beaten nadia if they got into the final week

[Sunny_01]

I am right with you there Kore we me pal - I am GLAD that Jay is still there and lets not forget he has been a big contender with the bookies this week as well

[Amy]

ALL the housemates that are in the final 4, IMO, have done very well and good luck to them tonight

[Hooly One]

Originally posted by Kore
whatever happens, a jungle cat has stayed in the house till the final day, and dan is still there. and ill know that jay and dan are winners anyway. in fact, we all know vic, marco or kitten would have beaten nadia if they got into the final week

Huhh? Weird logic, if they could beat nadia then why did they get voted out? just proves they couldn't beat nadia and nadia has beat marco,vic and everyone else who's been evicted.

[Mike]

I can't see how Nadia beat Marco, Kitten, Ahmed or Victor though.

[Hooly One]

Originally posted by Mike
I can't see how Nadia beat Marco, Kitten, Ahmed or Victor though.

Because she stayed and they where evicted

[golden~rose]

none of them could carry it off like nadia

[Sunny_01]

Originally posted by Amy
ALL the housemates that are in the final 4, IMO, have done very well and good luck to them tonight

With you there Amy - I think that they should all be treated as winners tonight after all they have all lasted the 71 days

[Mike]

Originally posted by Hooly One

Because she stayed and they where evicted

Seriously?? thanks for telling me but i already knew that.