Kate Ceberano apologises for using transgender slur on air

Australian music star Kate Ceberano has been criticised for using a transgender slur in interviews following her exit from The Masked Singer.

Ceberano, who was revealed to be The Lion on the mystery singing reality show, used the anti-trans language while speaking with both The Kyle & Jackie O show and Studio 10 after being eliminated from the series.

Speaking to Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O yesterday, Ceberano explained the she had altered her voice after producers told her it was too easily recognised by fans of her music.

“The producers came to me the first day and said, ‘You sound way too much like you, is there any way you can help us along and modify your voice?’ So I put on my best t****y voice,” Ceberano said.

Ceberano repeated the slur again during an appearance on Studio 10, responding to a question from Sarah Harris about disguising her voice.

“I lowered my register and made myself sound like the t****y version of myself,” Cebereno answered.

After receiving criticism from fans after posting footage of the KIIS FM interview to Twitter, Ceberano issued an apology on her Instagram story.

“I’m sending to all of my friends in the LGBTQ community a sincere apology for this morning because I actually didn’t realise that the word ‘t****y’ is as derogatory as it is and I will never use it again,” Ceberano said.

“I plan to go on my next radio interview right now and say as much, and I apologise profusely and it will be erased from my vocabulary.”

OIP Staff

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