Reality TV often reflects the same contradictions we see in society: a space where visibility can elevate, but also endanger. In the 2025 season of Grande Fratello (2000–), the Italian version of the US reality show Big Brother (2000–), Zeudi Di Palma, a young, openly bi woman, stepped into this paradox. What followed was a masterclass in both the power and pitfalls of representation.
Zeudi, a sociology student from Naples, entered the house quietly living her truth. Without framing her bisexuality as a spectacle, she became a symbol for those who rarely see themselves reflected on national television, especially in countries where queerness remains stigmatized. Yet, her story is also a reminder that being visible, without institutional support, can come at a high cost.
Inside the house, another contestant initiated a relationship with Zeudi, only to later discredit her publicly. The contestant’s reversal — from intimacy to accusations that Zeudi was “manipulating” through her bisexuality — triggered a domino effect. Several housemates echoed the sentiment, leading to Zeudi’s social isolation.
The narrative was clear: Zeudi was painted as “confused” or “performative”, mirroring a painful pattern familiar to many bi people globally. Yet, the production made no corrective intervention. Instead, they allowed the erasure and stereotypes to air unchallenged, framing Zeudi’s emotional responses as part of the game. What unfolded was an environment where bi-erasure was normalized, and a bi woman was left to be shunned within the house.
For many in the bi community, especially viewers from over 130 countries who supported Zeudi, this hit close to home. It was a replay of the ways bi people are often prejudged, sidelined, discredited, or seen as untrustworthy based on harmful and false stereotypes.
Zeudi’s story speaks to the broader issue of bi-erasure: how bisexuality is often maligned in spaces that claim to be inclusive. Zeudi’s treatment in Grande Fratello reflected, in microcosm, what many LGBT people in less tolerant parts of the world have to put up with in their day-to-day lives.
In the face of this, international audiences mobilized. Viewers, particularly young bi people, defended Zeudi fiercely. Her mother, Maria Rosaria, emerged as a crucial voice, publicly sharing Zeudi’s coming-out story and championing queer youth in Italy.
The outpouring of solidarity demonstrated how powerful a community can be, even when media structures fail. The resilience of Zeudi and her supporters transformed a painful experience into a movement of visibility and defiance.
Zeudi Di Palma’s journey on Grande Fratello is both inspiring and sobering. It exposes how easily bi people can be vilified when the powers that be fail to uphold their equal dignity. But it also highlights the quiet strength required to remain visible.
While the show fell short, Zeudi didn’t; and her story is a call to action to protect and elevate bi voices wherever they emerge.
