C‘It’s a moment in life when you stop acting. For Ivana Castorina, that moment arrived on the eve of her eighteenth birthday. And again tonight. The competitor of Big Brother 2025 he had been in the crosshairs of social media for days. Davide Maggioin fact, announcing the new entries in the reality show hosted by Simona Ventura before the second episode, had launched the scoop: a trans competitor would have entered the House. On Xmany immediately identified the worker from Catania. Which just tonight opened with Grazia Kendy and Giulia Soponariu.
Big Brother 2025: Ivana Castorina is the trans contestant
The three contestants are in the garden and they begin their mutual confidences: when her turn comes Ivana, who had already talked about her husband Toni in previous courses, first talks about her childhood. Then about the moment he decided to make an important decision that changed his life. «Before I became an adult I wrote a letter to my mother to speak to her openly about what was a great discomfort of mine and to announce something that I wanted to do.” Changing sex.
The example from Big Brother 8
Ivana explains that she did it after seeing an edition of Big Brother in which she identified with a competitor: «For me she was a beautiful example. His story was my story.” When he was eighteen, edition number 8 was broadcast. It was 2008 and the competitor in question, who Ivana didn’t mention, was Silvia Burgioone of the best ever at the Cinecittà House. Who subsequently was among the prima donnas of Bagaglino.
Ivana said that her mother read the letter during her birthday party, in front of the guests, who were there for her because they loved her. “He didn’t tell me anything else,” he added.
Ivana Castorina (Endemol Shine Italy)
Ivana Castorina and the discovery of freedom
«I had lived the entire first part of my life without understanding who I was. All the kids waited until they were eighteen to get their driving license, but I waited until I was eighteen to be free.” When the moment of confrontation came, months later, her mother tried to make her think but she was firm in her intent: “I will never be able to change my mind, because your son never existed”he told her. And he showed her Silvia Burgio inside the Casa del Big Brother 8«a conventional person». From that moment, her mother has always been by her side and accompanied her on her transition journey.
Fear of his role in society? Passed
“I am who I am thanks to my mother” concluded Ivana, who was called Ivan, and after the “very long and complicated” operation she did not hide the fact that she was afraid of her new role in society: “There was less information than today.”
His journey ended on May 25, 2009: he was 19 years old. «I was a transsexual person. Today I am Ivana, from Catania, 35 years old, married to Toni, a metalworker”. And a contestant on Big Brother.
A story that will also be discussed next Monday
This confession, made at night in the garden with the complicity of the stars, would have deserved prime time for Ivana’s delicacy. She talked a little, cried a little, Grazia and Giulia listened to her without ever interrupting her. Far from chicken-coop arguments: it was a moment of rare complicity. “What a lioness you are” declared Giulia.
Certainly if he had told his story to Simona Ventura the ratings would have benefited, because the public is hungry for the truth. But the true essence of Big Brother is precisely this: the moments in which someone has the courage to take off their mask and show themselves for who they are come suddenlywithout being included in the lineup. But this story will be talked about again.