JK Rowling issues statement on Daley Thompson amid ITV CBB backlash over support for author’s trans stance
Former Olympic decathlete Daley Thompson has found himself at the centre of a Celebrity Big Brother controversy after some viewers have accused him of being transphobic.
Now, Harry Potter author JK Rowling, famously vocal about her views on the trans debate, has thrown her support behind the 66-year-old.
The athlete sparked further controversy when he seemed to clash with RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner Danny Beard, telling him “it’s not always about you”.
The incident has now drawn author Rowling, 59, into the fray, author publicly declaring her support for Thompson on social media.
The clash occurred during the highlights episode of the first day in the Celebrity Big Brother house, shortly after the contestants had entered.
Beard mistakenly thought Mickey Rourke was addressing them instead of JoJo Siwa.
When Mickey corrected Danny, Thompson interjected with the comment “Not everything is about you.”
The remark appeared to unsettle Beard, who later questioned whether Thompson had meant it in a negative way.
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I am 100% #TeamDaley https://t.co/u89twxhfRG
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 10, 2025
The exchange has since sparked significant discussion among viewers about the underlying tensions between the two contestants.
Following the exchange, Beard confided in fellow housemate Donna Preston about the situation.
“I’m overthinking it. I’m gonna totally make an effort with him tomorrow, that’s it,” Beard said.
Later in the diary room, Beard expressed further concerns about Thompson’s attitude.
“I think I’ve tried to make an effort with everybody, but I heard Daley make a comment like, ‘Well, not everything revolves around you’ and, I don’t know if I’m overthinking it,” Beard said.
“I can sense or I feel like he’s a bit wary of me, and that’s fine because maybe I’m also a little bit wary of him.”
Thompson has previously expressed strong views on transgender issues, penning an article for the Daily Mail in 2023 stating his belief that “If trans athletes can compete in female events, then women’s sport is finished”.
The former Olympian has also publicly supported JK Rowling, who has faced criticism for her own views on transgender matters.
In October 2024, Thompson tweeted Rowling saying: “JK, if I maybe so familiar, I do wonder why you give them the oxygen they are so desperate for but I am so so glad you do. It’s a kick in the balls every time.”
The tweet was reportedly in response to a post Rowling had made about transgender woman India Willoughby.
Following his Celebrity Big Brother appearance, Rowling has publicly thrown her support behind Thompson.
The Harry Potter author posted on social media declaring: “I am 100% #TeamDaley”.
Rowling’s tweet came in response to another user who had shared a photo of Thompson wearing a shirt with the message “REAL Women’s Day 10/10/2023”.
Rowling has previously faced significant criticism for her own statements on transgender issues, making her support for Thompson particularly notable.
Despite criticism, Thompson, like Rowling, has maintained he is not transphobic.
“Like any decent human being, I fully support the right of everyone to present however they want, use the name and pronouns they feel reflect their true selves and live their lives as they wish,” he wrote in the Daily Mail in 2023.
Thompson has positioned himself as a defender of women’s sport, warning that “we risk alienating a generation of female athletes if we cannot promise them fair and safe play – from the grassroots to the top.”