DIVA caught up with this North London singleton trying to find love in the Masseria
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGES BY BBC / TWO FOUR / JAMES STACK
Fans have quickly fallen in love with the cast of I Kissed A Girl (IKAG). In fact, when the initial cast list was announced, it was clear that Renee already had a gang of admirers ready to swoon over her. The North London lover described herself as a “stem”, and said she was looking to meet a “pretty Black girl” in the Masseria.
Renee was initially paired with Lindsey for the first kiss, which turned out to be more of a reunion than a meet-cute. The pair admitted they had FaceTimed before on the outside world, and their connection seemed pretty solid at first. However, when a new bombshell entered the Masseria, things between the pair grew apart.
Although it wasn’t love at first kiss, that didn’t stop Renee from looking for love in other places. Hey, it could even be her best friend…
Why did you go on IKAG?
I’m a content creator, and my audience is 95% queer women. IKAG is what my audience wants to see. They want to see themselves. They want to have entertainment that’s based on their culture and community. I did it for the culture.
Could you tell us a bit about your own coming out story?
My coming out story is not too complicated. Both my parents are not homophobic and fully support the LGBTQIA+ community. They have gay friends themselves, and we live in London which is very diverse in all sorts of ways. I came out when I told my cousin I had a girlfriend, and then told my dad about the person I was dating. I didn’t really give myself a label at the time.
What did you learn about yourself on the show?
I’m definitely not as masculine as I felt like I was. I’ve become more of a no-label person, whereas before I labelled myself as masculine. I learned that I’m more of an emotional person than some people, and I’m very sensitive, but that’s okay. As long as you remain respectful and in line with everyone, it’s good to express yourself. And sometimes it teaches other people about themselves.
Four new episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer on 23 June at 6 am, with episodes one and two airing on BBC Three on 23 June, and episodes three and four on 24 June from 9 pm. Following this, two brand-new episodes will be available every Tuesday at 6 am on iPlayer and 9 pm on BBC Three.
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