Matt Flint is the UK’s favourite dancer. He won the second and last series of the BBC’s So You Think You Can Dance programme, wowing millions of viewers and the judges with his Billy Elliot inspired story. This month, Matt will be hosting at the ‘Move It’ event at London Olympia between the 8th and 10th of March, so you had better get your ballet pumps on now if you want to meet him in person.
Category: Interview
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INTERVIEW | Bourgeois & Maurice
Bourgeois & Maurice talk to TheGayUK about battling homophobia in Serbia, Sugartits and the temptation of forbidden family relations. Strap yourselves in guys, this pair hold no punches with their original music ranging from the dastardly sounding ‘Lizard Men’ to the druging of children with ‘Ritalin’!
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INTERVIEW: Zoe Lyons
Ladies and Gentlemen and everything in between I give to you the sensationally funny Zoe Lyons. The award winning, cigar smoking, television regular comedian is about to begin a “Pop-up tour” and who knows, she may be coming to a town near-ish you! (more…)
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INTERVIEW | FAB
You may have seen their cheeky ads all over the place and find yourself falling in love with their product range, but make no mistake FAB is an internet shopping phenomenon.
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INTERVIEW | Chef Philip Dundas, About Food And Love
Cook and author Philip Dundas talks to TheGayUK about wine, skiing and Jesus (plus tells us off for calling him a chef.)
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INTERVIEW | Tony English
Meet radio presenter for Gaydio, voice over artist extraordinaire and DJ legend for some of the biggest clubs in the UK and now for the all new Puscha Undercover which opens on the 2nd of Feb.
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INTERVIEW: Cariad Lloyd
The 2011 Edinburgh Fosters award nominated comedian Cariad Lloyd has come freewheelin’ back again this year with a brand new show.
Fresh from her successful 2012 Edinburgh show, where she performed the newest additions to her character comedy, she has now bought the show to the Leicester Square Theatre. For 6pm on a Sunday night, there is a real buzz in the room from the audience, and Cariad certainly doesn’t disappoint. From the moment she cycles onstage to the end of the show, her original and diverse character choices and perfectly structured performance keep the entire audience in the palm of her hand. Moving swiftly between Moomin Mama: Swedish Detective (featuring a grotesquely disfigured Moomin toy and some great references to the current trend in Swedish Detective dramas) to Joey Beschamel, the clever take off of Zooey Deschanels character in New Girl, showcases her superb comic timing and improvisational skills, involving the audience in a way that leaves no one on the front row feeling uncomfortable or awkward. She keeps the pace moving and the energy in the room high, so much so that I was stunned that an entire hour had passed so quickly. Its character comedy at its finest and leaves you wanting more.
TGUK: How did you start out in Comedy?
CL: I was an actor first of all doing very serious (and sometimes dreadful) theatre, but then I discovered improv, and got cast in a comedy sketch show, where I discovered this world where people made their own work and didn’t have to do two lines in a terrible play, so I started writing and performing and I created my first character Andrew, a seven year old boy in a Dr Who jumper (McCoy years) who does stand up and to my surprise other people liked it. It went from there really.
TGUK: When you begin to create a character, where do you take your inspiration from? Are they based on people you know/have met?
CL: They start from all differnet places really. Jacques Le Cock, parkour expert and rapper, was invented becasue I can pretend to rap in French really well, and I wanted to do a charcter that did that, as I realised I no one else was going to let me showcase this useless skill. Kitty Romford, the film noir femme fatale who works in Asda, started again because I love speaking as fast as possible film noir style and adding, ‘see kid?’ to the end of sentences. It’s usually things I like doing or a silly voice, Moominmamma – Scandanavian detective started with my bad Swedish accent, and just pretending to be a Moomin. It’s stuff I do round the house that is a bit odd but seems saner on stage.
TGUK: Who would be your dream comedy partner?
CL: That’s so hard! There’s so many amazing people out there. I’ve always loved Miranda Richardson, ever since Blackadder days, I just think she’s brilliant and there’s a delight to her acting. One of my heroes is Graeme Garden, he’s consistently hilarious without ever seeming like he’s trying, it’s flawless. And if Tina Fey ever wants someone to play her daughter, I will do that. Happily. I really want to play Tina Fey’s daughter. Does she read this? She should. (Hi Tina, please can I play your daughter?)
TGUK: Whats the worst gig you have ever played?
CL: I was headlining a comedy’n’curry night to 250 people on a Saturday in the suburbs, I was playing Andrew and doing 20 mins on the Russian Revolution. They were so confused it eventually became a good gig, because they had no understanding of why a 27 year old woman was dressed as a child and shouting about Lenin, somehow it went so bad, it went through bad and into brilliant. I wouldn’t want to do it again though.
TGUK: Whats been the high point of your career to date?
CL: Being nominated for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards last year was pretty special. I’d gone up with no agent, no producer, just me and my suitcase of stupid costumes. It was such a hard and scary thing to do, that the nomination really did feel so special. (trying to sound modest and very grateful here, hope it’s working).
TGUK: Do you ever get heckled when you are doing Character comedy?
CL: Yeah, not often, I think it’s much easier for character comics than stand up, you’re in a costume and they expect a bit of a distance between you and the audience. But I’ve had a few incidents. A woman just kept drunkenly saying Dr Who at me over and over again, is not that traumatic but it is distracting. In the end I just talked to her, she wanted my jumper, but what she needed was less tequila.
TGUK: Do you think that female comedians still have a more difficult time breaking into the industry than men do?
CL: It’s hard, female comedians get asked this a lot. My position is different, I don’t do straight stand up, and I think in the history of character comedy peple accept women much more than say they do, in stand up. But I do think it’s changing. I think you just have to keep doing your job, making people laugh and not think about whether your a man or a woman, that will eventually stop being important, and quicker if we don’t make it important.
TGUK: Where do you want to see yourself in the next 5 years?
CL: Hopefully still being silly, wearing a stupid costume somewhere, and enjoying myself. And also being Tina Fey’s daughter in her hit new US sitcom. Either would make me very happy.
Cariad Lloyd returns to the Soho Theatre on the 14th,15th, and 16th Feb 2013
http://sohotheatre.com/whats-on/cariad-lloyd-2013/
visit: www.cariadlloyd.com
by Becky Harper
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INTERVIEW | Luke Lalor (Maximus)
Luke Lalor is the CEO of new website and concept Maximus. He has years of experience working in the photo industry along with prominent names within this field.
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INTERVIEW | Gareth Thomas
Lewis Fellows gets a Quickie with rugby superman Gareth Thomas. They talk about Coming Out, Mickey Rourke and his brand new fitness DVD.
TGUK – Gareth! You’ve been incredibly busy recently! What’s been dominating your schedule lately?
GT – Yes it’s been very hectic – first of all I’ve been filming, producing then promoting my fitness DVD which will be hitting the shops shortly. I’ve often been asked how I keep in shape and I thought what a good way to answer if I did a DVD. It’s a very varied DVD which we shot in many places and I am really proud of the production. As a bonus my foundation gets a royalty on every sale!
TGUK – Obviously, you’re a big name in both the sporting world and indeed in gay culture. How did coming out affect your career and of course your life. You coming out was headline news for weeks, and I’m sure you knew that this would be the case?
GT – Yes I always knew that it would be a big deal in the press, especially after my long rugby career, but I never expected where it would lead. It had a massive impact on me, but at the end of the day I thought that if I coming out would help one person who may be going through what I was going through, then it would be worth it. I wanted to come out for many reasons but an important one is that I wanted to inspire people within sport and break down some barriers. There have been some massive highs and lows but it’s mainly been positive.
TGUK – You came out privately to your wife and your family. How did they react?
GT – My family were amazing – once it was taken in, my dad, who is a very tough man, sat me down at home with the family; he opened a bottle of champagne and said “this is a toast to the rest of your life son”. It was overwhelming, and my family as a whole have been superb.
TGUK – As is the case with many newly “out” gay men and women, did you feel as if a weight had been lifted, or were there any feelings of regret?
GT – As you can imagine there were loads of emotions going on! But yes the main one was that an enormous weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
TGUK – So, you have a new fitness DVD coming out… It looks BRILLIANT and is packed with celebrity guests. What was it like working with them?
GT – Superb! My good mates Nicola McLean and Kirk Norcross were excellent, as was Mickey Rourke, who gives us a world exclusive 15 minute interview which is on the extras. It was so good to catch up with them all. And my instructor was great – she really beasted me!
TGUK – Unlike many of the others, this is set in various locations like Hollywood, London and Malibu Beach. What was the filming like?
GT – We had a whale of a time – we filmed below the Hollywood sign and even did a scene in Mickey’s mansion in Beverly Hills 90210! We also filmed at the sugar hut and various places in Wales. We wanted to give the DVD a bit of variety and filming in all the different locations certainly did that.
TGUK – Are you seeing anyone? If not…I’m always available… *cough – cough*
GT – (Laughs) That would be telling… And thanks for the offer!
TGUK – Word on the street is a biopic about you is being made, with names like Tom Hardy and Mickey Rourke attached. Can you give us any details?
GT – Yes I certainly can – the film is undergoing the final contractual bits and pieces and we hope to start filming in the middle of 2013. Mickey is moving to Wales early next year to train and get fit for the filming. So I’ll be spending 4 months showing Mickey the sights!
TGUK – Other than the upcoming film, what plans do you have for the future?
GT – Well I can’t say too much but watch this space come January – I may well be doing something very exciting that will mean you may be seeing a hell of a lot more of me!
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INTERVIEW | Uli Bilke
We caught up with the Chief of Staff, Uli Bilke, at the famed Yelp company to talk about what’s hot for the Holidays 2012
There must be tons of just fabulous places that we can go this Christmas and New Year… What are your top tips and destinations…?One of my personal London favourites is Friendly Society in Soho, which is a really great bar to start off at on any night out, while The New Bloomsbury Set is a beautiful cosy hideaway popular with London Yelp users. Yelpers in Manchester – that is, people who use Yelp and post reviews, not people who work for Yelp – recommend Via Fossa on Canal Street, with its gorgeous Gothic decor, as it’s a lovely bar and restaurant by day, and a club with a great mix of music by night. Up in Edinburgh, GHQ is very popular with some great nights planned for Christmas in the city’s “pink triangle”, and Brighton’s Marine Tavern comes out on top with Brighton’s Yelpers as a bit of a hidden gem.
We’re still wondering what to do for NYE! What do you suggest?
My advice is don’t go out! I always enjoy New Year’s more when I’m with my friends and we’re staying local, either heading out to support our local pub or seeing the New Year in at a friend’s house. This year I’m heading to a friend’s place, who has a flat with a great view, right across Hampstead Heath so we can take in the fireworks.
For a similar experience, there are some great bars in London with fantastic panoramic views. As well as the famous OXO Tower, the Paramount at Centre Point, Soho, has absolutely stunning views of the city no matter where you sit and the cocktails are amazing! The vista at the Trafalgar Hotel offers great views of the city, as does Altitude 360.
Tell us a little bit about Yelp and how it’s relevant for a young man about town…
Yelp connects people to great local businesses. Whether you are looking for the latest best-kept-secret bar or need to find a good mechanic nearby, the reviews on Yelp are written by locals for locals, so you can get a trustworthy, unbiased opinion on where to go. You can access Yelp both online and via free smartphone apps, so it’s great for when you are on the move.
For me, Yelp is all about discovering incredible places you never knew existed, and being able to share them with people you know will love them too. I’ve been living in London for over four years now and am still always discovering new places. I used to live in San Francisco, where Yelp is huge, so I always had great bars, restaurants and cool places to visit at my finger tips via the Yelp app on my phone. But then I moved to London, where no one had really heard of it and it was only then that I realised how much of a lifesaver it is when you’re trying to decide where to go. I didn’t realise what we had in the US until I suddenly didn’t have it anymore! The good news is that Yelp is now very active in London and there’s loads of local tips and tricks available to everyone. Even better still, you too can become a Yelper and start sharing your old favourites and new discoveries with the world as well.
How does Yelp get to know about all the upcoming and under the radar events?
We have a swat team of community managers and it is their job to keep their fingers firmly on the pulse. They have great relationships with local businesses who keep them informed of events and the latest openings. If one of our community managers finds a cool bar, restaurant or venue they think people will love, they’ll host a party and get people down there – some months they could be hosting these parties on a weekly basis!
However, the best thing about Yelp is that anyone can post an event they know of in their area. So if a Yelper sees something cool on their travels that they are interested in, they can share it straight away to inform their local community.We also run our own events to connect the public to great up-and-coming local businesses. We run Elite events at least once a month where we throw a night out for the Yelp Elite Squad. Our Elites are experienced urban adventurers, who go to plenty of parties and gatherings and use social networking to find the best things to do in town. They then regularly share their honest, unbiased opinions with the Yelp community by posting regular reviews, to keep people in the know.
What will you be doing this Christmas Day?
In Germany, Christmas Eve is the big day for celebration; that’s when we get together with family and loved ones, have a big meal and exchange presents. On Christmas Day itself, we’d keep it low key and go hiking or walk the dog.
This year, I’m going to Germany before Christmas to see the family, then I’m off to Keswick, in the Lake District, for Christmas Day itself. My partner and I are renting a cottage there with our Dalmatian, Momo. It’ll be all open fires and watching Christmassy films like The Holiday.
What’s your most memorable night out?Well, last year’s Yelp Christmas party was pretty spectacular! We started with a Japanese cookery class atThe Grocery in Shoreditch. There were only 8 of us in the UK office at the time, so it was a very special night out. We had a fantastic moment when a few of us had a group hug, as we knew it would never be the same again as the company’s expansion plans were about to go into full swing. A year on, there’s now around 50 of us.
Is the reviewing of these places rigorous and involving lots of wine tasting? You must have the best job in the world!
Yes, it’s fantastic working for Yelp, but it’s actually not part of my job to do reviews – the reviews on Yelp are written by Yelp users who just want to share their experiences of great places they’ve discovered. Having said that, I do very much enjoy going out and finding these great places outside of work, and it’s one of my hobbies to review the places I go out to. It’s actually something I did before working for Yelp – I think I must have done at least 300 reviews by now!
• So how does the UK’s Christmas compare with Germany’s?Christmas certainly starts a lot earlier in the UK than it does in Germany. In Germany, it starts at the first advent, whereas here it’s more like mid-October!
I have to say, I absolutely love going to Winter Wonderland in London’s Hyde Park, as it reminds me of Christmas at home. A lot of the traders are German so it’s the real deal. Just walking through and smelling the sausages and Glühwein, or mulled wine in English, brings back the memories.
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INTERVIEW | Ben Cohen
Known for his charity work as much as his rugby skills, World Champion Ben Cohen talks to Domenico Sansalone about how he turned his father’s untimely death into an exciting charity cause, why he fights to make bullying a thing of the past and what is really going through his head during his sexy photoshoots. (more…)