Kellie Maloney's brother Eugene has insisted that there were no signs that his sibling had the desire to live as a woman.
The boxing promoter, formerly known as Frank, has been living as Kellie for a year, but only opened up about his desire to undergo a sex change in the last month.
Kellie revealed in an interview with The Mirror that she is in the process of gender reassignment.
After seeing the front pages of the newspaper, Maloney's brother Eugene told the same publication: "I didn't know what was going on. I got indoors still shaking and I saw the pictures. I cut them up. I felt too sad to look at them.
"We did everything together. Imagine what it's like when you've known someone all your life. There was no inkling at all that he ever seemed like he didn't want to be a man. It's unbelievable."
Kellie is currently a contestant in Channel 5's Celebrity Big Brother.