Big Brother Star Kelly van der Veer Reveals Psychosis Triggered by ‘Hotel Big Brother’ Experience
Kelly van der Veer, 45, the transsexual reality television personality known for her appearance on Big Brother, has revealed she experienced a psychosis during filming of the celebrity spin-off Hotel Big Brother in 2007, an event she says she ”suffered from for a really, really long time.” Van der Veer attributes the episode too the unsettling environment and the presence of older, unfamiliar housemates, including Gert Timmerman and viola Holt.
Currently earning income through webcam work similar to Ferry Doedens, Van der Veer has largely avoided recent television appearances, explaining to party magazine that her manager frequently approaches her with opportunities she consistently declines. “Things where I have to survive and where I can’t eat, that’s not for me,” she stated. She also cited medical concerns, noting, “From a medical point of view, it is indeed simply not useful for my body in my situation. I am now 45 and have to take into account that my body works a little differently then others.”
The Hotel Big Brother experience proved especially distressing. Van der Veer described being overwhelmed by the age demographic of her fellow contestants – “Seniors like Gert Timmerman, Bonnie St. claire and Viola Holt” – and feeling isolated. She specifically recalled being deeply disturbed by Timmerman’s snoring, which she described as “as if he was strangling someone, such a scary sound came out.”
“I really should never have done that,” Van der Veer said.”In reality where things can go wrong, you have to be properly taken care of.” She walked away from the show after nine days.
Van der Veer rose to prominence as the first openly transgender contestant on the Dutch version of Big Brother. She also appeared on Real Girls. She expressed a preference for those earlier experiences, stating she “really enjoyed” them.
