The former "Human Ken Doll" has appeared on UK television chat show This Morning today to announce her new name and proudly speak out on being a transgender woman.
Jessica Alves - who was previously known as Rodrigo - appeared on the British talk show to discuss her transition, explaining that she felt as though she has been playing a role for most of her life.
Speaking to hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, she said: "I have always known that I was a woman since the age of three, four, five, six. I always played with dolls I was in touch with my feminine side."
You can watch the interview below:It was a recent photoshoot, however, which really brought home the tenents of gender fluidity for Jessica.
"I did a photoshoot where they called me Jessica as a nickname, ever since I kept the wig, the lingerie, the shoes – then I started to cross-dress at home as a secret," the reality television star stated.
She added:
"So I would come to your show [This Morning] and then come back home crossdress and sit in front of the television, no one knew. But that is what made me feel like me.
"Over the years I have been playing a character and being a man and I tried my best to be a male, after all, I was born in this body as a male. But I was very unhappy and I either had the transition or die. It was one or the other."
Jessica then added that once she has completed her transition, she will "be done" with cosmetic surgery. She said:
"I still need two or three more surgeries to complete my transition, and then I swear I will be done with plastic surgery – there is only so much one can take," the 36-year-old added.
Alves then spoke about the personal pressures of living as a man wanting to be a woman and the risks of the transitioning process. She said:
"Yes, it is scary, but it’s what I have to do to be the person I am today. I don’t wish that I transitioned earlier, I had to go through all that experience as a man and that suffering I was going through inside myself.
"Having said that, surgery can be risky and unhealthy. I’m a very healthy person, I don’t drink, I eat well, I sleep well, and I have a lot of exams like blood tests, to make sure I’m okay to go through it."
When asked if she knew anybody who had been through the transgender process, Jessica replied: "I don’t. I would love to but I don’t have any close transgender friends. It was a decision I made by myself with the help of my doctors.
"I told my family and close friends. But the truth is, we don’t know transgender people. I think transgender people should be more recognized."
"We should see more transgender people on TV, in film, in art. We are like everyone else, we are just born differently."
When asked about her love life, Jessica replied that she is currently focusing on herself, but that she would one day like to have a baby. She said:
"First, is to love yourself. My priority is myself and my transition. I would like to have a child and like to have a baby.
"I visualize myself taking care of my baby and being with someone who loves me and accepts for me for who I am."
Per news.com.au, Alves has undergone over 100 cosmetic procedures since the age of 17, with her most recent being a $37,000 bum augmentation.