Nadia's long-lost father has been tracked down by The Sun.

Shop worker Luis Leodoro, who hasn't seen his family since 1992, had no idea that Nadia was appearing in Big Brother or had undergone a sex-change last December.

When shown a picture of Nadia, he said: “I think Nadia is extremely beautiful — perhaps the most beautiful woman our family ever produced. But my son, my daughter, it makes no difference to me. I’m just happy he is happy.”

Luis has been apart from Nadia - then known as Jorge - and her brothers Duarte, Agostinho, Luis, Miguel and Andre since his wife Conceicao left him.

“Every day I cry about my sons and my wife," he said. “I lost my passport and didn’t have any money to buy a plane ticket to go and see them. But although they’re not here they are in my heart and I love them all as much as ever. I am still alive, that’s all I have going for me. But if I saw my wife and children again then I could die a happy man.”

He wished Nadia luck in tonight's final. “Good luck to Nadia — my son, and now my daughter. I wish you well in the Big Brother competition, I know you will win and hope we can be together again some day. Lots and lots of love to you, my wife and all my family.”

He added: “Me and my wife always wanted a daughter. We gave up trying for a girl after six children and now, after all this time, God has given me the daughter I always prayed for. If she wants boyfriends or a husband that is fine by me, as long as he makes her happy. I don’t understand why a man would want to be a woman, but I’m happy if Jorge’s happy. He was the first flower in my garden and I will love him forever — son or daughter.”