Ahead of the final episode, we caught up with the Welsh star to find out more about her time in the Masseria
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY BBC THREE
As the final episode of BBC Three’s new sapphic dating series looms, audiences are on the edge of their seats waiting for the grand reveal. Who will stay together? Who will break up? Will there be any more shock twists?
Hosted by Dannii Minogue, I Kissed A Girl has pretty much taken over the sapphic community. Single girls from all over the country have headed to the iconic Masseria in the hopes of finding love. Priya was initially matched with Naee, and the pair have been going from strength to strength as the series has progressed.
We caught up with Priya to find out more about her time on the show.
This summer has basically been the I Kissed A Girl summer! Why did you choose to go on the show?
It was kind of fate. I saw an advertisement for I Kissed A Girl, and I filled in the application but I thought “No, what business do I have being on a reality TV show?!” And then on Hinge, someone from production messaged me. I knew I had to do it. Next thing I know, I’m flying out to Italy.
What was it like when you were walking in for that first kiss?
When I first saw Naee, I wondered: Does she like me? How do I make it look like I’m not shaking from head to toe? How is this kiss going to go? How do I make it less awkward? There were a lot of things going through my head. I was also thinking “I wish I had some more deodorant”!
One of the most important moments in the show is your conversation with Lailah. What was it like growing up queer in Wales?
It was a very important conversation for two women of colour to have on screen. We had a very similar experience at school. We felt that we couldn’t fit in properly. At the time, I didn’t know I was gay. But being a woman of colour in a predominantly white school was difficult. I felt like I was the Indian nerdy girl who didn’t fit in the way I wanted to. It wasn’t a great experience growing up. Once I went to university, I found my friends. I found people more like me. That’s when I came out.
What would this kind of representation have meant for you growing up?
I would have come out so much sooner if I’d seen someone like me on telly. Girls have messaged me saying that I’ve made them feel more comfortable in their own skin. Not a lot of people will have the exact experience I had coming out because I had a very supportive family, and I know not everyone has that. I really hope that those girls who see this representation on telly get the courage to come out. In South Asian cultures, [coming out] is not widely talked about. I let people know that I am here if they want to talk about it. I can be their sister there.
You’re a big part of the conversation about the label “lesbian” in episode two with Georgia. What does the word lesbian mean to you?
When you’re younger, you might shy away from the word “lesbian” because you’re scared people might make fun of you. But because I came out later in life, I was out and proud. I have always been very proud of it. I will always happily admit that I’m a lesbian.
What do you hope audiences take from the show?
I hope that there are queer girlies who find a little piece of themselves in one of the girls on the show. Be free, be yourself, and be queer as hell! This is what the queer community needs. You don’t see a lot of bi or lesbian representation for women. All I had was The L Word. I love The L Word, but I didn’t see myself on the telly.
If you had to be an L Word character, who would you be?
I would want to be Bette, and I would want to get with Tasha. She was my favourite. She was feisty. Alice really fumbled the bag.
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