Shane wants people to know that gay men and straight men can be close friends and remain platonic (Picture: Channel 5)

Courtney Act and Andrew Brady’s bromance in the Celebrity Big Brother house was one of the most surprising and heartwarming friendships to come from the show in years.

It wasn’t the match we’d have come up with – an Aussie drag queen and a laddish ladies’ man don’t really scream soulmates – but the housemates grew close during their time in the Borehamwood bungalow, warming viewers’ cockles with their tactile and sweet relationship.

And now that they’re out of the house, the relationship continues to blossom.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, CBB winner Courtney, aka Shane Jenek, said: ‘We caught up on Sunday night, and it was exactly the same. Neither of us blinked, we just went straight back into it. We were jabbering away, we went out for dinner, we went to a bar afterwards, he ordered shots of tequila. On a Sunday, when I had to be up for The Wright Stuff.’


Courtney and Andrew’s friendship is growing strong outside the house (Picture: Channel 5)

Of course, due to Shane being a gay man, viewers and housemates alike predicted a romance blossoming between the two – despite Andrew being steadfastly straight.



This was rather frustrating to Shane, as surprise – gay men don’t want to be in a relationship with every man they meet.

The 35-year-old told us: ‘I think it’s really important to acknowledge that gay men and straight men can be friends. I think how me and Andrew convolute that clear message is that there’s a strange love triangle where he thinks Courtney’s hot and I think he’s hot, so it’s not like our attraction was removed from the equation. But we acknowledged that he’s not attracted to male bodied people.

‘The thing that I like about where I am in my life – I’ve had straight friends, one who I was in love with for years, which wasn’t reciprocated, and that can very easily create a negative psychological impact where you’re reinforcing this idea that you’re unlovable, because you’re giving love to somebody and it’s not being returned. That can be really unhealthy.

Andrew has spoken sensitively about LGBT rights since leaving the house (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)

‘That was what my 20s were about – now I’m in my 30s, I’m wiser and I have the tools to understand what Andrew and my relationship is. Also, I’m validated because I don’t think my love for him is unrequited – we do love each other.’

And it seems Courtney/Shane’s teachings on gender and sexuality have had quite the effect on Andrew, with The Apprentice star talking about LGBT rights and gender exploration passionately and sensitively in an interview with the Gay Times.

Shane said: ‘I just felt so proud. I think he said everything right because it was his truth. He even took my very nuanced conversation about my gender identity and reinterpreted it in a way that made sense.

‘He put a caveat in, saying “You should probably ask Shane this, but this is my understanding…’ Yes! That’s how you do it.’

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