Jade’s quiet, thoughtful approach is constantly misread. When she tries to speak up more or share suspicions, it just fuels the fire. No matter what she does, it seems she can’t win, unless she suddenly starts grinning and giggling nonstop to be more “palatable.” Society, it seems, still isn’t quite ready for someone they can’t tear off into bite-sized pieces.
In season 3, Leanne Quigley was one of the co-winners, despite hiding her military background and pretending to be a nail technician. She branded herself a “Barbie,” focused on smiling, and wore cute outfits — it worked.
Season 2’s sweet Mollie Pearce made it far as well. A model with long blonde hair, big doe eyes, and an effortlessly warm smile, she laughed easily and rarely faced criticism from the other players, ending up as runner-up.
There’s nothing wrong with these women, just as there’s nothing wrong with Jade. So why is it that men are allowed different temperaments while women aren’t? A man can be “gruff” or “serious,” but if a woman is quiet or reserved, she’s suddenly “cold” or “unfriendly.”
Women shouldn’t have to perform — smile, entertain, smooth over awkwardness — just to make others comfortable. We should be allowed to exist naturally in our faces and bodies, without being penalised for not being relentlessly “pleasant.” And yet, somehow, my “resting sad face” is apparently a problem. Find me a single man who’s ever been labelled with a “resting b*tch face,” I dare you.
BBC/Euan Cherry
Jade’s backstory came up
One moment in episode 9 gave Jade a brief reprieve from everyone’s scrutinising eyes: the annual dinner where contestants share what they’d do with the prize money if they won.
Jade revealed a devastating personal tragedy: her mum and sister were found dead in Hong Kong in 2018.
She told the table, “My parents got divorced when I was seven. My mum moved back to Hong Kong, and she had a kid and then…” Her voice broke as she continued, “In 2018, they were both found dead. I’ve had to really rebuild myself from that point onwards.”
Follow