Gogglebox's Tim and Leanne on fighting for queer and diverse representation in reality TV

Thanks to their public profile and platforms (they’re reluctant to call themselves famous), Tim was recently given a chance to celebrate Pride Month in an extra meaningful way. For the gay reality TV star, Pride Month means “vibrant joy”, and he tells Chattr it’s important to “celebrate love in all its forms and diversity”. 

Tim was asked to moderate and host a panel discussion on LGBTQIA+ representation in reality TV in front of all of the major TV networks, casting agents, industry executives and media agencies, a job he didn’t take lightly. He was joined by Australian Survivor’s Myles Kuah and Kirby Bentley, The Bachelorette’s Brooke Blurton and Big Brother’s Jonnie Cass

“It was such an empowering event,” Tim recalls. “My core message at the end was to this group that we need more colour, we need more queerness, and more realness in the stories and individuals they choose to put on their screens. And I think that’s one of the many things that’s so powerful about Pride Month.

“It’s not just about one day or 30 days to show your Pride or, you know, to wave your rainbow flag, but it’s a call to incorporate love and diversity and equity to every single day of the year.”

His sister Leanne is one of his biggest champions and advocates, and she acknowledges there are hateful beliefs out there that can be “incredibly harmful” to the LGBTQIA+ community. 

“We have to live in a way that allows people to flourish, and all people, no matter what your gender, your sexual identity, that doesn’t matter. The people behind that matters. We have to be open to be finding a way to live in harmony and love with everyone,” Leanne says. 

Right now, it’s a tough time for the queer community. With disgraced Harry Potter author J.K Rowling on a hate campaign against transgender people, and the Baptist Church campaigning for sex marriage to be reversed in the USA, having representation like Tim on primetime Aussie television is really important. 

“It’s actually frightening where we are… so many people fought so hard just for equality, and the prospect of us having this right reversed is at the back of our minds,” Tim says. “It’s important for us to realise how far we’ve come, and it’s through love, and it’s through community that we can actually thrive and that we can continue to fight for what’s right and fair and equal.

“I say, acknowledge the pain that’s happening around the world, but don’t ever, ever forget all that we’ve achieved and all that we have ahead of us, because I think Australia is a beautiful country.”

Gogglebox’s Tim and Leanne want to show Asians they “belong”

While the Aussie media landscape has a long way to go in terms of diversity, there’s no doubt that it has changed massively since the ‘90s. The pair feel it’s a “big honour” to finally become part of the representation they didn’t have as kids growing up, because nobody on TV looked like them.

“Just by having Asian Aussies being themselves [on Gogglebox Australia], watching TV, having a laugh, screaming at each other… it just normalises our presence in society. It helps break down these misconceptions [people may hold],” Tim says. 

“I’m hoping it does foster understanding and empathy… [and] we hope that [our] authenticity gives young Asian Aussies this sense of pride to say, ‘You know what? I can do that too’.”

Leanne echoes Tim’s thoughts and says: “We started being able to become more visible in the media. There have been people in cooking contests, in construction contests, in all these really good reality shows that people love. And I think it’s helped make us more of a part of the furniture… we’re not something that’s weird or scary or doesn’t belong… this is our home, we get to be here.”

We’re so lucky that Tim and Leanne were scouted for Gogglebox Australia and continue to entertain and delight us each year. We can’t wait to see what outrageous reactions they have during the next Gogglebox Australia season.