'I knew I was trans': Eddie Izzard says she has known her gender identity since she was a child but dismissed it when her career took off

Eddie Izzard has revealed she has always known she was trans from a young age.

The comedian, 61, spoke about her transition during an appearance on Thursday’s Lorraine, as she admitted she ‘couldn’t define’ what she was feeling as a child.

Eddie told the host: ‘I knew I was what seems to be trans, but couldn’t define it when I was a young kid. So I thought well that’s not happening.

She went on to reveal when her career began to take off she ignored her thoughts about gender, adding: ‘Then I took off as Eddie and thought well it doesn’t matter.

Eddie also spoke about the first steps she took in altering her name, after revealing that she now prefers to be known as Suzy.

Talking: Eddie Izzard has revealed she has always known she was trans from a young age

She said: ‘It’s got Edward John in my password, so I thought why don’t I add Suzy in there.’

Eddie said that she understands there may be confusion surrounding her name and identify now but insisted that nobody could offend her with their choices.

She said: ‘So there’s now all this about people don’t know what to say – I prefer Suzy but I don’t mind Eddie. I prefer she/her, but I don’t mind he/him.

‘Nobody can make a mistake with me unless they call me Gregory or Sabrina and then that’s not quite right.

‘Everything else nobody can make a mistake and they can choose.’

Eddie went on to add that it is a ‘hard time’ to be a trans person, saying: ‘This hard time with trans is just something we have to go through. We are in the conversation now. And we will get through it.

‘People get very angry on the internet and I just ignore it. I really try to be positive. I want to be an MP.’

It comes after Eddie introduced her new feminine name which she has wanted to use since she was 10 years old.

Experience: The comedian, 61, spoke about her transition during an appearance on Thursday’s Lorraine, as she admitted she ‘couldn’t define’ what she was feeling as a child

Eddie told the host: ‘I knew I was what seems to be trans, but couldn’t define it when I was a young kid. So I thought well that’s not happening’

She went on to reveal when her career began to take off she ignored her thoughts about gender, adding: ‘Then I took off as Eddie and thought well it doesn’t matter’

The aspiring MP revealed she now alternates between her original name and a new moniker but says people can choose which name they want to address her by.

The gender-fluid performer was interviewed on Matt Forde’s Political Party podcast on Monday and she shared her new name during the chat.

Eddie has used she/her pronouns since 2020, but ‘doesn’t mind’ if people use him/her pronouns to address her.

She said: ‘I’m Eddie. There’s another name I’m going to add in as well, which is Suzy, which I wanted to be since I was 10. I’m going to be Suzy Eddie Izzard.’

Eddie then added: ‘That’s how I’m going to roll, so people can choose what they want. They can’t make a mistake, they can’t go wrong.’

Eddie previously said to Huffington Post: ‘I spent 50 years predominantly in boy mode, so let’s try the next 50 in girl mode.

‘It’s just a language adjustment. And no one should get het up about it.

‘I’m still gender fluid and I tell everyone that’s supported me, ‘Relax people, he or she, it doesn’t really matter.’ The pronoun thing isn’t the important thing, the important thing was coming out [as trans] back in 1985, that was the tough time.’

Eddie calls herself ‘somewhat boy-ish and somewhat girl-ish’. She uses the word ‘transgender’ as an umbrella term.

She became famous as a comedian who cross-dressed, but now identifies as a gender-fluid trans woman.

Eddie announced two years ago that she would prefer female pronouns and intends to be ‘based in girl mode from now on’.

Speaking to The Guardian about reverting to playing a male role in Netflix’s 2021 drama Stay Close and gushed about her co-stars ‘promoting’ her to female pronouns.

‘Don’t get het up about it’: Eddie has used she/her pronouns since 2020 but ‘doesn’t mind’ if people use him/her pronouns to address her

Honesty: During a 2021 appearance on the Sky Arts programme Portrait Artist of the Year first revealed her change in pronouns  (pictured)

Gender: Eddie admitted she couldn’t believe that some were surprised by her words because she has felt this way since childhood (pictured as a child)

It came after a 2021 appearance on the Sky Arts programme Portrait Artist of the Year first revealed her desired change of pronoun.

Eddie admitted she couldn’t believe that some were surprised by her words because she has felt this way since childhood.

She said: ‘I’ve known I was trans since I was four or five. My feelings from the age of five have not moved an inch. Have not moved a centimetre, a millimetre even.

‘Thirty-five years ago, I came out. The rest is language. I went through such hell since ’85 that the idea that I’ve come out recently just sounds ridiculous.’

Eddie’s latest revelation comes after the star revealed she spent much of her life secretly having ‘breast envy’ as she observed other women’s bosoms.

The Yemen-born comedian recently announced herself to be in ‘girl mode’ after confirming that she is a gender fluid woman.

And while the star spoke about her dreams of developing the form of a woman with an ample chest, she also stated that she hasn’t ruled out using non-female pronouns.

In a new interview with The Guardian, Eddie said: ‘I’ve had boob envy since my teens. Just when teenage girls of my age were going “I want boobs”, I was thinking yeah me too. But I couldn’t say it.

‘They talk about penis envy, and I believe some women suffer penis envy. I cannot for the life of me get my head around this. But yes, I’ve always had breasts envy.’