Harry Symonds, a fitness coach from Croydon, entered the UK’s Big Brother house this week, as reported by David Hudson for Queerty. Within days, viewers uncovered that Symonds married Scott Benton, a former Conservative MP who represented Blackpool between 2019 and 2024, in 2021. The revelation has triggered significant controversy given Benton’s political trajectory and public positions.
During his introductory interview, Symonds described himself as an “ex-Police, Bible basher” and said he lived alone, leaving many viewers to assume he was single. The contradiction became apparent on Monday’s episode when Symonds declined to share a bed with another male contestant, citing discomfort. When a fellow housemate asked if his husband would be upset, the cat was out of the bag. Symonds ended up sleeping on the floor rather than clarifying his marital status on camera.
Benton’s political record adds another layer to the backlash. Despite being married to a man, he publicly opposed government spending on LGBTQ+ causes, including complaining about a council’s rainbow crosswalk in 2024. In 2024, he resigned from Parliament after undercover reporters from The Times exposed him breaching Commons rules by offering to lobby ministers on behalf of gambling investors. He has since joined Restore Britain, a far-right party with an anti-immigration platform.
Social media has erupted with criticism, though Symonds has not yet addressed his political views on the show. Separately, another housemate, 23-year-old Frankie Taber, used the platform to come out as bisexual during this week’s episodes, describing the emotional weight he’d been carrying for roughly two years.
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