THEGAYUK

Category: Celebrity

  • Olly Alexander to lead the cast of Russell T Davies’ next TV drama

    Olly Alexander to lead the cast of Russell T Davies’ next TV drama

    The Years and Years singer is set to join a host of other stars for Russell T. Davies’ next TV drama.

    Olly will be joining Keeley Hawes, Stephen Fry, Neil Patrick Harris, Tracy Ann Oberman, Shaun Dooley, Omari Douglas, Callum Scott Howells and Lydia West for a 5-part series charting the joy and heartbreak of four friends during a decade in which everything changed

    Casting has been announced on multi-BAFTA Award-winning writer Russell T Davies’ (Queer As Folk, A Very English Scandal, Years and Years, Doctor Who) brand new 5-part drama for Channel 4, Boys (working title) which will be produced by RED Production Company (a STUDIOCANAL company).

    It’s 1981, the start of a new decade and Ritchie, Roscoe and Colin begin a new life in London. Strangers at first, these young gay lads, and their best friend Jill, find themselves thrown together, and soon share each other’s adventures. But a new virus is on the rise, and soon their lives will be tested in ways they never imagined. As the decade passes, and they grow up in the shadow of AIDS, they’re determined to live and love more fiercely than ever.

    http://gty.im/1171437854

    Olly Alexander, from the band Years & Years, plays 18-year-old Ritchie Tozer, the family’s golden boy, though he’s determined to keep his secrets from them.

    Newcomer Omari Douglas plays London-born 17-year-old Roscoe Babatunde, a wild, brittle party boy, always on the run.

    Newcomer Callum Scott Howells plays Colin Morris-Jones, a quiet, unassuming, boy from Wales, about to become an apprentice on Savile Row.

    Lydia West (Years and Years) plays Jill Baxter, Ritchie’s friend from college, straight-talking, funny, and the rock on which they rely.

    Nathaniel Curtis plays Ash, a faithful friend through thick and thin.

    The cast also includes Keeley Hawes (Honour, Bodyguard, The Durrells, Line of Duty), who plays Valerie, Ritchie’s mum, Shaun Dooley (Gentleman Jack, Broadchurch, Woman in Black) who plays Clive, his dad, Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother, Gone Girl, A Series of Unfortunate Events) as Henry Coltrane, Stephen Fry (Wilde, Gosford Park, Bones) as MP Arthur Garrison, and Tracy Ann Oberman (Friday Night Dinner, Toast of London, After Life) as Carol Carter.

    Olly Alexander says, “I feel like the luckiest boy in the world to be a part of this project, I’ve been a fan of Russell T Davies ever since I watched Queer As Folk in secret at 14 years old. His work helped shape my identity as a gay person so I’m absolutely over the moon we’ll be working together. The script was amazing to read, I laughed and I cried a lot, it’s a privilege to be helping to tell this story and I’m so excited.”

    http://gty.im/1174898250

    Neil Patrick Harris says: “I’m so pleased, and incredibly proud, to be a part of Russell T Davies’ new series. This drama, Boys, is two things: it is an irresistible, funny, jubilant story of young people discovering their true identities and the unalloyed joy of living life to the fullest, it is also a deeply resonant exploration of a decade when so many of these lives were cut short by the devastating effects of the nascent AIDS pandemic. Russell’s scripts chart the highs and lows of this time so beautifully and deftly, it’s an honour to help tell this story.”

    Filming begins next week and the series will air on Channel 4 in 2020. The series is overseen at Channel 4 by Lee Mason, Commissioning Editor and Caroline Hollick, Head of Drama. The series will be produced by RED Production Company (a STUDIOCANAL company) and executive produced by Nicola Shindler (Years and Years, Safe, Happy Valley, Queer As Folk, Cucumber) and Russell T Davies (Years and Years, Queer As Folk, A Very English Scandal, Doctor Who, Cucumber). Phil Collinson (Gentleman Jack, Good Omens, Doctor Who) is the producer. The series is directed by Peter Hoar (Umbrella Academy, The Last Kingdom, Da Vinci’s Demons).

    Boys is the 10th collaboration between Russell T Davies and RED Production Company. The partnership is known for producing relevant, timely and emotionally charged dramas having previously created hit series including Queer As Folk, Casanova, Cucumber, Banana, Bob & Rose and The Second Coming.

    All3media International are global partner.

  • Sam Smith: “I’m more of a man than you’ll ever be”

    Sam Smith: “I’m more of a man than you’ll ever be”

    CREDIT: kathclick / bigstock

    “And more of a woman that you’ll ever get…”

    The singer has left a powerful message on Instagram for any detractors since Smith’s non-binary gender revelation earlier this month.

    Earlier in September, Smith “came out” as non-binary saying that being called “They” was beautiful.

    However Smith’s reveal attracted a certain amount of criticism.

    Taking to Instagram, the “How Do You Sleep” singer quoted, Rent writer and creator Jonathan Larson, saying, “I’m more of a man than you’ll ever be and more of a woman that you’ll ever get”.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B267CwVAXX1/

    The quote received quite a large reaction with over 1,200 comments with artist, Jeremy Kost saying, “Sam, you’re the star the world needs right now… Outrageously talented, loving yourself, and unafraid to be who you are.

    People need to all be less judgmental and if they don’t like something, move on without being an as*hole”

  • Mark Ronson rolls back on the Sapiosexual talk

    Mark Ronson rolls back on the Sapiosexual talk

    The musician and producer Mark Ronson has apologised for sapiosexual revelation.

    Speaking to the Rolling Stone, Mark Ronson said that he didn’t consider himself part of any “marginalised” community saying, “

    “I do not consider myself part of any marginalised community and I apologise if anybody misunderstood or took offence to it”.

    Mark Ronson made headlines earlier this week when, on a segment of Good Morning Britain he said that he identified as a sapiosexual.

    Sapiosexuality is a relatively new term and those who identify with it, might not neccessarily fall into the LGBT+ community.

    What is a sapiosexual?

    According to gender and sexuality support charity, My Umbrella, a sapiosexual is a “person who finds intelligence sexually attractive or arousing”.

    Meaning that a person’s intelligence is a turn on over physical or gender attributes.


  • Ryan O’Connell: “Being gay, in a weird way, is more understood than being disabled”

    Ryan O’Connell: “Being gay, in a weird way, is more understood than being disabled”

    Special

    The Special star spoke out about how many TV networks just couldn’t get their heads around a TV show where the main character was both gay and disabled.

    Speaking at the University of Washington, out actor, Ryan O’Connell, the creator and star of Netflix’s Special spoke about how he almost gave up pitching the show after years and years of hearing “No!”.

    He said, “I went out with my gay mafia and pitched it to all these networks, “It was four years of like no, no, and f*ck no.”

    “There were so many times where I was like ‘f*ck this, I wanna quit.’”

    That was until Netflix “just bought it” revealed the star.

    Special

    Speaking about the unique quality of Special, which is a TV show about a gay man who also has a disability, (O’Connell himself has cerebral palsy), he explained,

    “I think disability is not discussed. There are so many conversations about being gay. These chairs are gay. I don’t think people know how to talk about [disability].”

    “For the first time in 28 years of my life, I was being who I was, and I wasn’t lying about something,” he said. “It was always either being gay or being disabled, and I was finally just me” he added.

  • Clive Davis: Bisexuality: “I never felt it was understood by much of the straight or gay community”

    Clive Davis: Bisexuality: “I never felt it was understood by much of the straight or gay community”

    The legendary music man, Clive Davis has spoken about his experience of bisexuality since coming out as bisexual at the age of 80.

    The man who was responsible for bringing the world Whitney Houston opened up to Rolling Stone about what bisexuality meant to him.

    He said,

    “I don’t look upon it as the signal event in my life, but there was no way I was going to do an autobiography and not include the fact that only in middle age, after two failed marriages, would I look beyond gender for a relationship.

    I embraced bisexuality, which is the most misunderstood term in sexual identity. I never felt it was understood by much of the straight or gay community. You had to be either gay or straight — there was no in-between. I just opened myself up to the person rather than to the gender.

    I’ve read how, as some in the younger generation try to find their sexual identity, it doesn’t make any difference which gender it is until they locate the person.

    “I relate to that.”

  • Chester Pride awards Hazell Dean “Icon Of Pride” award

    Chester Pride awards Hazell Dean “Icon Of Pride” award

    Chester Pride has awarded pop icon Hazell Dean the Icon Of Pride award.

    The “Who’s Leaving Who” singer Hazell Dean was awarded the Icon Of Pride award by Chester Pride over the weekend for her continued support of Pride across the UK. According to the singer, who had numerous hits during the 80s, she has performed at over 150 pride events since 1983.

    Speaking about the award Hazell wrote, “Headliners come and go and many of us who have been playing our part for so many years are overlooked that’s why this award means so much to me”.

    https://twitter.com/HazellHD/status/1176105515853778947

    During her set at this year’s Chester Pride, Hazell sang her hits, “Who’s Leaving Who”, “Searchin’”, “Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)” and “Turn It Into Love” which she dedicated to the on-going struggles faced by the LGBT+ community.

    Hazell has been a stalwart supporter of the LGBT+ community, with her hits proving to be huge hits at gay clubs during the 80s, 90s and beyond.

  • No, Katy Perry didn’t call her rainbow shoes after this gay slur

    No, Katy Perry didn’t call her rainbow shoes after this gay slur

    Katy Perry has been dragged by people on social media after calling her range of shoes “sissy”.

    Katy Perry has come under fire by some on social media after users assumed that she had called a rainbow flag-inspired design of shoes “sissy”.

    However, it turns out that the range of shoes, which retails for $89.00 on the singer’s website, doesn’t just come in the rainbow style, but a range of colours – and the name, well, it turns out that’s actually how the “Roar” singer refers to her sister – not as suggested by some, a reference to the anti-gay slur, sissy.

    Most of the drama was caused when one eagle-eyed Twitter user questioned why Katy Perry had named the rainbow-inspired shoe “The Sissy”, stating, “Katy Perry named her LGBT flag colored shoe “The Sissy”. WTF @katyperry”

    The user then tweeted at Buzzfeed prompting for a story on the finding, asking “can we get some exposure on this mess?”

    https://twitter.com/mamabethanyjoan/status/1175010023572946946

    Speaking about the design on TV, Katy said, “It’s called the Sissy, not because you become a sissy if you wear it, it’s dedicated to my sister”.

    The rainbow style shoe did not make an appearance on the show, but other versions of the design did feature.

  • Mark Ronson has come out as sapiosexual

    Mark Ronson has come out as sapiosexual

    Superstar music producer has come out as a sapiosexual.

    The chart-topping Mark Ronson has come out as a sapiosexual on today’s Good Morning Britain. The show’s host, Ben Shepherd and Kate Garraway congratulated the “Uptown Funk” hitmaker for his decision to be “out and proud”.

    Mark told the show’s producers that he identified as a sapiosexual then during his interview he was asked if he was “identifying as a man who likes intellect?”

    Speaking about his identity, Ronson said, “I didn’t know that there was a word for it. We were all arguing backstage in the dressing room with a couple of your producers. And yes, I feel like I am identifying as sapiosexual”.

    The producer recently split from his wife Joséphine de La Baume.

    What is a sapiosexual?

    According to gender and sexuality support charity, My Umbrella, a sapiosexual is a “person who finds intelligence sexually attractive or arousing”. Meaning that your intelligence is a turn on over physical attributes.

     

  • Journalist told Gareth Thomas’ parents about his HIV status

    Journalist told Gareth Thomas’ parents about his HIV status

    Rugby champ reveals a journalist told his parents about his HIV status.

    Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas has criticised the journalist who revealed his HIV diagnosis to his parents before he had told them, in an emotional interview on BBC Radio 5 Live this morning.

    Speaking to Nicky Campbell on 5 Live Breakfast the former Welsh captain shares his anger that he was not able to break the news to them himself.

    “They love me, they love me whatever,” he says. “But you know I can never have that moment back to sit down with them and be able to explain to them why their son is going to be OK and is going to be able to live through this and live a normal, healthy life.

    “Because that person came and took that moment away from me. My parents will say that they’re  fine because that’s my parents.  But I can’t really tell you how they felt because I can’ t imagine how they felt.”

    Embed from Getty Images

    He says that he resents the intrusion into his personal life, and regrets not being able to reassure them about his diagnosis:

    “Can you imagine somebody coming to your door, can you imagine someone coming to your door and saying something so personal and so intrusive to you about the thing and the person that you would love and protect through anything?  Can you imagine how that would feel?  I can’t, I can’t so I can’t really tell you.

    “But what I can tell you is that I’ve got the best parents on the planet because to this day they stand by me and they believe in me and they believe in what I’m doing now.”

    Gareth was speaking ahead of a documentary Gareth Thomas: HIV and Me on BBC One tonight.

    Listen to Nicky Campbell’s full interview with Gareth Thomas on today’s BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast on BBC Sounds:

  • Former X Factor winner compares HIV to smoking and obesity

    Former X Factor winner compares HIV to smoking and obesity

    A former winner of X Factor, Steve Brookstein has been slammed on Twitter after making comments on the “hypocrisy of gay men”, and calling HIV a “burden” on the NHS.

    Steve Brookstein has angered users on Twitter after a flurry of tweets about Gareth Thomas and his HIV status. He also took a swing at gay men, calling them hypocrites when talking about HIV.

    Gareth Thomas recently revealed that he was living with HIV, after being forced to reveal his status by blackmailers.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Taking to Twitter, the singer, who won the very first season of X Factor, wrote a series of Tweets aimed at Gareth Thomas and likening HIV to smoking and obesity.

    He wrote, “I don’t give a damn what he does in his private life that’s his business. I do however think we should treat HIV the same way we treat smoking, obesity and drinking. It is a public health issue. We need to help but also educate.”

    He continued,  “The hypocrisy of gay men discussing HIV is astonishing. They don’t like HIV being compared to obesity or smoking. Yes it is unfortunate and treatable but so is obesity and smoking.”

    One follower replied, “I’d love to know if you know the circumstances under which Gareth actually contracted HIV? Was it a choice? Like putting food and fags in your mouth are? I highly f***ing doubt it.”

    Embed from Getty Images

    While another wrote, “Another added: “Its a disease you can get even while taking all precautions. Obesity and smoking are ppl failing to control themselves, over and over again. Hardly the same you moron.”

    Burden on the NHS

    However, in one tweet, he claimed that HIV was a “burden on the NHS” just like obesity, writing, “As yet I’ve not had one person make me even think about changing my mind. HIV is preventable, it is a burden on the NHS and people need educating. Just like Obesity. If you find that offensive that’s your problem. Bye.”

    One user, DolanTalk offered to meet with Brookstein to educate him on HIV, offering “How about me meet and I educate you. Smoking and obesity are both related to addictions. Someone who is HIV+ isn’t that by choice. Honestly, I’m up for you educating you…”

    To which Brookstein replied,  “All preventable. Same as accidents in extreme sports. My point is that there are many things that are a burden to society. I’m not suggesting any should be stigmatised. Drunks in A&E on a Saturday night are a burden and need educating. HIV is also preventable”.

    “Hate from homosexuals”

    He also questioned why he was getting “hate” from gay men. Saying, “…I am getting hate from homosexuals for talking about it. Why is that?, The reason gay men are offended is because Gareth Thomas is gay. If I had made my comment about a straight man with HIV you people wouldn’t say a word.”

    The singer then published a bizzare poll in which he asked his followers, “Before any more homosexuals come to me all offended answer this: Which of the following is NOT preventable?, Obesity, Smoking, HIV or Death”

     

     

     

     

     

  • Katie Hopkins reaches over 1 million followers on Twitter

    Katie Hopkins reaches over 1 million followers on Twitter

    Katie Hopkins, one of the UK’s most outspoken voices on social issues has gained over 1 million followers on Twitter.

    CREDIT: LBC

    Katie Hopkins has managed to achieve the 1 million status on Twitter, despite hundreds if not thousands of reports to the platform over the nature of her Tweets.

    Many find the tweets to be offensive, however, Twitter has rarely found a reason to remove tweets and have not unverified or deplatformed the former Celebrity Big Brother star unlike other right-wing commentators, such as Milo Yiannopoulos.

    She frequently comments on migration, race, Brexit and transgender issues. Her comments on Twitter generate thousands of replies from her fanbase – and the controversial pundit has often Trended on the platform because of her commentary.

    Embed from Getty Images

    The former Daily Mail and Sun writer was even investigated by the police over allegations of hate crimes (transphobia) due to her Tweets, however, no charges were ever brought against her.

    In a message to her new followers Katie wrote, “Welcome to all my new followers. This is your place for your views to be shared & uncomfortable truths to be told. Don’t like me? No matter. Have something important to share. Great.”