LGBT issues are firmly at the top of this year's Celebrity Big Brother agenda, as India Willoughby spoke out about her 50-year struggle.

The Cumbrian transgender newsreader entered the Big Brother house on Tuesday, raising awareness of changing transgender attitudes.

The former ITV Border presenter joined the all-female cast of celebrities, and was welcomed with rapturous applause from the audience.

Speaking to host Emma Willis before she entered the Big Brother house, India said: "It took me 50 years to be the woman I am today and no one is taking that away from me.

"I think it is about time women were in charge, don't you?"

Comparing herself to Doctor Who, India also spoke of changing attitudes on transgender, and criticised the coverage by the national press.

It was in 2010, when reading a bulletin for Lookaround, that she realised that this couldn't continue - she couldn't continue living as a man.

Looking back on that moment, she said: “I caught sight of my reflection in a camera lens – and saw myself, well turned-out, in a sharp suit, and looking confident and I thought: 'This is terrible. This is what people see and it's not the real me.'”

Working for ITV Border as Jonathan Willoughby, she moved from reading the headlines to making them in 2015, when she underwent gender reassignment surgery.

She's taken the Celebrity Big Brother house by storm, but who is India Willougby?

India has appeared on shows such as Loose Women and Come Dine With Me - where she has received plaudits for her open-book approach to her personal struggles.

The Celebrity Big Brother line-up is initially all-female, to celebrate 100 years of women winning the right to vote.

Marked as "the year of the woman", Emma Willis made a number of references to the celebration of women's rights.

This year, Big Brother is in fact 'Big Sister' - as Big Brother is a woman.

The audience was also all female, with no males allowed into the audience - at least initially.

However, this is not the first time the show has started with an all-female house.

The eighth season, which aired in 2007, saw 11 women enter the show initially.

Male housemates will be gradually added to the show, however none were part of the opening episode aired last night.

Among the other housemates are former Tory politician Ann Widdecombe, journalist Rachel Johnson (sister of Boris Johnson) and actress Amanda Barrie.

The third episode of season 11 will air at the same time of 9pm, on Channel 5 tonight.