Brian Dowling: I've been called a child trafficker, a perverted creep — it's gone too far

Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian with baby Blake Picture: Brian Dowling / @bprdowling

Brian Dowling has said the abuse he has received since becoming a parent has gone "too far", revealing he has been called a "child trafficker," "a perverted creep" and even been accused of incest. 

The former Big Brother winner welcomed a child with Dancing with the Stars judge Arthur Gournounlian in September, with his sister Aoife acting as a surrogate. 

Sharing a picture from his guest appearance on Virgin Media One’s Ireland AM last weekend, the Kildare man said, sadly, he expects "negative/nasty comments" in his line of work, "but lately, the level of trolling and nasty comments is ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS."

"I can handle comments saying I'm a shit tv host, saying I've ruined my face with botox, and comments regarding my fake accent," he said, joking "we all know I have a FABULOUS Kildare accent."

Arthur Gourounlian and Brian Dowling with Brian's sister Aoife Dowling who acted as surrogate for their baby Blake

"But recently, to be called a child trafficker, a perverted creep, womb rapist, accusing me of incest is a step too far.

"To the fools who are leaving these messages, do they not realise they are leaving a vile digital footprint of hate and homophobia," he asked.

"The majority of these people actually have children of their own, that's the scary part." 

Since becoming a dad, Brian says he feels he "must call out all forms of hate" and encourage his daughter Blake "to be the best person she can be". 

Commenting on the abuse people in the public eye face, the 44-year-old said, "it's no wonder on the new season of Winter Love Island that all contestants have been asked to disable all their social media while on the show".

"To think, when I appeared on Big Brother back in 2001, there was no social media at all, and again when I did Ultimate Big Brother back in 2010, social media was just starting. I think this was a blessing for me."

Brian Dowling at the 2022 eir VIP Publishing Power of Women Awards. Picture: Brian McEvoy

Brian has previously spoken out about the homophobic abuse he has suffered since he first announced he was expecting a child via surrogacy.

"There are people out there that can't abide the fact that two men who chose to be gay are forcing this you know, 'raping a womb', 'renting a womb', 'forcing this woman into a situation," he told the Made by Mammas podcast.

The former Big Brother winner said that he "always wanted to be a parent,” but he didn’t always think it was possible.

Recalling a moment when someone asked them to pretend to be his parent to get them on a ride at Disneyworld he said he thought "do you know what, I actually do want to be a dad.” 

“But then you know, being gay and you're going back here to you know the 90s, I didn't think it was possible to be gay and then to be able to have children, I just didn't think it was possible.”