Up with my realise it’s not money
things at the cab, calling me a tranny. Things like that. But I don’t let people drag me down.”
After her Lotto win Melissa believes she now has the platform to become an ambassador for LGBT rights.
She said: “There’s a lot of hatred and misunderstanding out there.
STATUS
“But this is the most wonderful opportunity – at the moment I’ve got the status and money to become a force for good.
“How can you create my life? You can’t. There are a lot of stories about me, but I have to stand up for myself if people are saying things that aren’t true.
“If I can help promote understanding and acceptance of LGBT rights, it’s a dream. I will hopefully become a louder voice.” Melissa said she also plans a book about her transgender journey.
She said: “What counts more than anything is somebody who’s been there, done it and campaigned for change. I think in 2018 people should be accepting.
“The transgender path to where I am now has been very difficult. I received my operation almost seven years ago and I’m really proud of who I am today.
“I now want to help others in similar situations – and I believe my autobiography will do just this.”
Melissa said she first realised she was born in the wrong body aged just three.
She said: “Inside of you there is one thing, while everyone sees something else.
“You are told and conditioned to be what everyone else wants you to be. It’s driven into you that you are that person. But life is too precious. If you want something, you have to grasp it. I was living a lie but was conforming to what others wanted.”
Melissa has been estranged from her children since starting to undergo her transition procedures.
But her son has said they are not angry about her becoming Melissa – but that they felt humiliated by her online video posts in skimpy outfits. She also told how she plans some cosmetic work, and hopes to launch her own fashion range.
She said: “I looked at myself on TV – I think maybe a nose job, new teeth. But I don’t want to change beyond recognition. A bit of tidying up.
“If I’m going to live this lifestyle I might as well look the part.”
Melissa revealed she has already started to spend her windfall on clothes, a new phone and a car. She said of her first shopping trip: “I didn’t even look at the labels. I looked at something and if I liked it I said, ‘Thank you’.”
MELISSA EDE ON BEING ATTACKED IN HER TAXI IN A TRANSPHOBIC ASSAULT