Britain's first transgender newsreader has spoken of her surprise at being nominated as Woman of the Year amid an increasingly hostile debate about trans people. 

India Willoughby, known for presenting Loose Women, said she hoped it would be a "small green shoot" for the trans community and a sign that "most mums, grandmas, sisters are on our side". 

Writing exclusively for The Herald, the outspoken broadcaster spoke candidly about her experiences of abuse on social media, where she says she is frequently called a "groomer", "paedophile", and a "man". 

She said she has blocked 200,000 accounts on X, formerly known as Twitter, as she says "trans visibility and recognition is close to outlawed" in the UK. 

"Since Brexit, transphobia has become one of Britain's most successful exports," Ms Willougby said,  "Just a few years ago, it was the best place."

Read more: India Willoughby: I've been nominated for Woman of the Year - and I'm thrilled

The 58-year-old said she was interested to have been nominated by a panel of women in the Woman of the Year Lunch and Awards, which takes place on Monday (October 16) in London and is hosted by Mel Giedroyc. 

She said: "Interesting, considering I and the rest of the UK trans population are constantly told that the female population view woman like me as a threat and an offence to their dignity."

The media personality, who appeared on the 21st season of Celebrity Big Brother, claimed there is an "unofficial trans ban" across British media, and said trans women in particular are "barred" from mainstream broadcast news and journalism. 

Read more: 'Someone will end up killed if things don't calm down': Trans star India Willoughby

More than 1,000 articles are written about trans people every month, she said, but "not a single one written by actual trans people". 

Ms Willoughby says the situation for trans people has got worse and the UK has "hurtled backwards" as the 'debate' over trans rights and women's rights continues. 

She said: "In 2017, I was a national newsreader. The first trans woman to co-host an all-woman talk show – Loose Women.

"The audience laughing with me as I joked about trans life. Contracts on the table, offers of new shows, writing columns for national newspapers. A new dawn seemed to be breaking for trans.

"Now, none of that would be possible."

But she said the award nomination was a positive sign.

Ms Willoughby said: "Maybe it’s just that some of my sisters are starting to see the injustice of it all, and are tired of the anti-trans movement using them and the phrase ‘women’s rights’ to justify an irrational hatred and bigotry of 0.2% of the population.

"Whatever the reason, I hope the trans community see this as a small green shoot. We are not alone. Most mums, grandmas, sisters are on our side."