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Junaid Ahmed: Queer, Muslim and Unfiltered on TOWIE

OUTCAST WORLD

Wednesday, 10 September 2025 - 23 minutes

Junaid Ahmed is one of the most visible queer Muslims on British television — and he’s doing it on one of the UK’s most-watched reality shows.

As The Only Way is Essex returns to ITV2 and ITVX on Sunday nights at 9pm, Junaid sits down with Graeme Smith to talk identity, faith, fame and the reality behind the reality TV.

In this candid conversation, Junaid reflects on:

Coming out as a British-Pakistani Muslim
Navigating fame, faith and family
The pressures of visibility in both the LGBTQ+ and Muslim communities
Life behind the scenes of TOWIE
Mental health, resilience, and staying true to yourself

Junaid speaks with honesty and clarity about what it means to take up space as a queer person of faith — and why authentic representation on mainstream TV still matters.

Watch TOWIE every Sunday at 9pm on ITV2 or stream anytime on ITVX.

🎙️ Outcast World is the award-nominated LGBTQ+ interview podcast hosted by Graeme Smith. New episodes weekly.

Keywords: Junaid Ahmed, TOWIE, Queer Muslim, LGBTQ+ Podcast, British Pakistani, ITV2, ITVX, Reality TV, Representation, Mental Health, Graeme Smith, Outcast World

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