THEGAYUK

Category: Review

  • AUDIO REVIEW: SonicSport Ath Sport 2 by Audio Technica

    The bright yellow wiring provides a distinctive, playful and sporty feel to Japanese designed Audio Technica’s leap into the in-ear bud for the fitness fan.

    Perhaps better known for their On-Ear, enclosed and noise cancelling earphones, for which they make with an engineering prowess to rival Bose and Sennheiser, ATH Sport 2 provide a viable option for the serious sports fanatic who want a fuss-free listen.

    As with any in-ear bud, the quality of audio is compromised, with a slightly tinny top end and a bass that is slightly muffled. This can be fixed a play around with your device’s EQ settings, which can see the little speakers deliver a punchy bass, however, AthSport 2 is not ready for a plug and play without a little manipulation. However, this more present, un-coloured mid boost, lends itself to more spoken word content, such as podcasts or talk radio – especially good if you’re more likely to be listening to this type of programming as you run or workout, meaning you never miss another word because of outside noise sources.

    The earphones are provided with four sets of rubber in-ear pieces to ensure the best fit possible, meaning you get a good sound isolation experience. However, annoyingly the product doesn’t provide inline controls or a microphone, meaning you will have to remove your device or phone should want to skip tracks or answer a phone call – a bit of an oversight on Audio Technica’s behalf as the majority of music is now played on smartphones rather than iPods or other MP3 players.

    Brilliantly these earphones are IPX5 Waterproof Certifed, which could mean the end of ruined in ears because of sweat – yes, headphones can be irreparably destroyed with a few drips of sweat from your hair.

     

    The Good: Bright colours are attractive and the ear moulding provides a good fit for the ear – even when jogging. Strong brand Waterproof certified.

    The Bad: Strong mid, lacking in bass. In inline controls or microphone.

  • FILM REVIEW | I Am Yours

    ★★★ | I Am Yours

    Newbie Norwegian filmmaker Iram Haq’s new drama is based on her own life and her struggle as a woman caught between two cultures. Struggling actress Mina, a second-generation immigrant, is an attractive 27-year-old divorcee who shares custody of her 6-year-old son with her ex-husband, a successful architect, and his new wife who can barely contain their disapproval of Mina and her rather flighty life.

    Even her hypocritical mother, the matriarch in their traditional Pakistani family, cannot stop criticising her daughter every time they meet. ‘What a fine man, imagine if he were still a member of this family’ she intones about her ex-son in law. Mina’s only joy, asides from her son, comes from her all her sexual liaisons with a slew of unsuitable men. When they sense her neediness, they all use this an excuse to manipulate and abuse her.

    This comes to a head when she meets Jesper a Swedish filmmaker visiting Oslo. He is quite the charmer and so Mina chooses to overlook that he is both self-centered and extremely passive/aggressive when it comes to the relationship that they fall into too quickly. She goes to great lengths to please Jesper in whom she has invested all her hope even to the point that doing so may jeopardise the one stable thing in her life i.e. her relationship with her son.

    The same time that Mina eventually appreciates that Jesper can not/will not make any commitment to a relationship especially when he realises he has to compete with a 6-year-old child for her attention, her mother comes to visit cap in hand to admit that her own perfect marriage is not what it seemed after all.

    It’s an impressive first feature from 38-year-old Haq and was selected to be Norway’s’ Official Submission for a Best Foreign Picture Oscar Nomination. She cast the movie very well with convincing performances from her two leads: Amrita Acharia a Norwegian/Ukranian/Nepalese actress best known for playing Irri in the Game of Thrones and Ola Rapace who was in Skyfall but is better known for being the ex-husband of Noomi Rapace.

  • FILM REVIEW | Pelo Malo (Bad Hair)

    ★★★★★ | Pelo Malo (Bad Hair)

    The opening scene of the extraordinary refreshing movie reveals a very reluctant Marta cleaning a luxury apartment aided and abetted by Junior her 9-year-old son who she has dragged along, as she cannot afford a babysitter.

    She’s annoyed as she feels that this work is beneath her but has to do it anyway as she is unable to get re-hired in her Security Guard job that she was suspended from for some unspecified reasons. Marta lives with her two children in a decaying tower block housing project in one of Caracas’s poorest working class areas and it’s a daily struggle simply trying to make ends meet and get enough money to feed the family.

    This is not the only reason why this attractive, but sullen, young woman looks angry all the time, as she is constantly battling with Junior, who even at this very early age, she suspects may have homosexual tendencies. The boy’s best friend is a potty mouth girl and he prefers to play with her dolls rather than pitch in with the other boys on the Estate and join their rough-horse games. Not only that but as he has inherited from his father (since departed) an unruly mop of curly hair, he is desperate to have it straightened in time for the obligatory photograph he needs to start High School next time.

    It’s yet another reason to continue the running spate with his mother who can barely disguise her loathing for her eldest child, and who chooses to use all her motherly love on the baby instead. However, Junior’s paternal grandmother, who has no real love for her ex-daughter in law, is happy to indulge her grandson. She has an ulterior motive though as she would like him to come live with her so that he will be around to take care of her when she gets older. She helps Junior experiment straightening his hair and even makes him an outfit to wear for the photograph. It’s based on one that his favourite pop idol wears but when the end result looks too girly for him, he starts to fight with his grandmother too.

    Junior is too young to understand what he is feeling and his fawning admiration for handsome teenager Mario who runs a news kiosk could, of course, be just a schoolboy crush, but Marta has already decided that it is unhealthy and is the reason that her effeminate son is developing into something that she so obviously finds abhorrent. She also knows that as the adult in this situation she has the power and the ultimate control and it’s what she will use to get her own way.

    All this family drama is played out against the rapidly changing political instability in Venezuela that is pushing this family (and so many others) into an uncertain future and making sheer financial desperation become a major factor in shaping people’s beliefs and standards. The odd thing that in this patriarchal society Marta is clinging to this outdated attitudes, which are rank with homophobia even though the job that she is so desperate to recover for herself is one that is traditional, a very masculine occupation.

    It is nevertheless a wonderful melodrama that even with the futility of the embittered mother’s position she still wants to fight the natural development of her child even though he obviously has no idea of what he is even happening to him and his sexuality. Samantha Castillo as Marta, and a complete scene-stealing turn by Samuel Lange Zabrina as Junior enhances it with a stunningly realistic performance.

    It won writer/director Mariana Rondón the major award at the prestigious San Sebastián International Film Festival but the main reason that this excellent movie deserves our attention is because she chose to tackle the very sensitive subject of budding sexuality, and in an environment/culture that is facing such turmoil right now anyway.

  • CLASSIC CAR REVIEW: BMW 840Ci

    Fancy a luxurious, distinctive and powerful GT car for less than the price of a new Ford Fiesta? The 840Ci could be the car for you.

     

    The 8-Series, or E31 for the BMW geeks out there, was launched in 1989 after a long and expensive development period that started in the mid 80’s. Although it replaced the 6-Series as the flagship coupe it was a lot more expensive, competing with cars such as the Porsche 928 and Mercedes SEC. It was launched initially with a 5.0 litre V12 with the option of a smaller V8 a few years later.

    The first thing you notice as you approach the car is the sheer size of it, this is a big luxury coupe that occupies a lot of road space. As you duck down into the low set cabin, you are greeted by huge multi adjustable leather seats along with more buttons and digital displays than you can shake a stick at. The cabin is of a high quality but very 90’s and Germanic (read very, very black), thankfully the interior is lifted in this example with yellow piping on the seats. The 8 may be a 4 seater but not a spacious one, I’m 5’ 4” and just about fit comfortably in the back.

    On turning the key you are treated to a deep chested V8 rumble, helped on this car by a full stainless steel exhaust which also releases a few more ponies. A manual gearbox was available but most, including this one, were automatics. As you shift into drive and get onto the road you realise that this is totally in keeping with the character of the car. Even on low profile rubber the ride is comfortable while the engine has plenty of low down torque to allow you to mooch around effortlessly if not discreetly. The combination of loud exhaust and even louder paint mean you’ll be getting plenty of stares from passers-by.

    If you want to up the ante, you can move the gearstick over to manual mode. Instead of the car gently slurring its way to as high a gear as possible, you can hold gears to let the engine rev. Do this and you reveal a whole different side to the 840. Suddenly this luxury coupe starts to feel a lot more interesting, going from feeling brisk to pretty bloody fast. On paper it’s slower than many a modern hot hatch (0-60 in around 6.5 seconds) but on the road it always feels plenty. You’ll also get a much better soundtrack thanks to that V8, the engine developing a much harder almost NASCAR style exhaust note as it approaches 6000 rpm.

    Flick a switch on the transmission tunnel and the dampers stiffen to give much tighter body control, sharper turn in and less roll around corners. Couple this to accurate steering and you’ll soon find yourself carrying more and more speed around bends, helped by the width of the delicious 3 piece BBS wheels. Don’t confuse this for a sports car though, the steering while precise is lacking in feedback and you always feel the not inconsiderable weight while braking and turning. This is not a B road blaster.

    Prices today start at less than £4000 although the very best can command over £20,000. The stunning yellow example you see here is a later V8 engined car with 4.4 litres giving 286 bhp. Although less powerful than the V12 models, the lighter weight means performance is very similar unless you find a super rare 850CSi which came with nearly 400 bhp. One big plus point of the V8 is that the engine is a lot less complicated and so cheaper to repair. A repair bill in excess of £1000 isn’t unheard of though, there’s plenty of complicated electronics to go wrong and the early 4.0 litre V8s can suffer from serious engine issues.

    The good news is that classic insurance is cheap and values are on the up. Buy one today and as long as you look after it, you’ll probably be able to sell it for as much or more than you paid. Choose carefully and you’ll have a handsome, fast and luxurious GT that can cover huge distances comfortably. I guarantee you’ll never get bored of playing with the pop up lights either.

  • HOTEL REVIEW | The Out NYC

    Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan is New York’s right hand that throws the glitter in its Cousin Chelsea’s face! As an ex New Yorker, I often wonder around Chelsea and have withdrawals from the energy Hell’s Kitchen famously oozes.

    Regardless of budget head straight to 9th Ave (between 42nd & 52nd Street) and trip over gay bars such as Posh, Flaming Saddles and Mickey Spillane’s – all offering warm welcomes and steering you away from the capitalist aroma of NY by drawing attention to their generous happy hours! New York’s real estate is hands down one of the most lucrative in the world therefore accommodation can flare a hole in your tutu unless you stay at THE OUT NYC.

    Described as one of the most high energy, full service hotels in the area this urban resort in Hell’s Kitchen at 510 W. 42nd Street is not too far from 9th Ave – it’s probably the same walking distance from London’s Astoria (RIP) to the Candybar.

    THE OUT NYC predominantly welcomes the LGBT community on diverse travelling budgets. This hotel offers plush Quad rooms featuring 4 full size bunk beds with full amenities including individual TV’s – the bathroom is shared but relax as you don’t seem to care when you have to share a powder room at a bar or on a plane and if you do like your own space and travel on helicopters instead of the tubes then without the hefty price tag THE OUT NYC also offers private bedrooms listed as deluxe, studios and one bedroom suites all draped with particular mirrors and comfortable lighting. They also offer dog house suites (where you might find your clothes from the night before or an ex). All visitors are welcomed to use their Spa that has a sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi.

    The staff all headline gorgeousness inside and OUT – you will have a hard time not asking them to join you for a drink at the hotels KTCHN bar and restaurant. THE OUT NYC is deep in Hell’s Kitchen but far from Hell on earth.

    REVIEWED BY: Ray Si
    ADDRESS:
    PHONE: +1 212-947-2999
    WEBSITE: http://theoutnyc.com
    RATING: ★★★★★
    PRICE: from $110 per night

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Boys Upstairs

    ★★★★ | The Boys Upstairs

    For their first play of 2015, Above the Stag have turned to another American comedy, The Boys Upstairs. Dubbed a cross between Sex and the City and The Boys in the Band, Jason Mitchell’s play first premiered in the 2009 New York Fringe Festival, where it played a completely sold-out run at the Soho Playhouse. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it achieves a similar feat at Above The Stag in Vauxhall.

    Brilliantly witty and funny, the play details the lives of three young chums, their disastrous love affairs, their arguments, and their quest to find out if the hunky new guy downstairs “is” or “isn’t.”

    Director Andrew Beckett’s pacing never falters in this fast and furious comedy, aided by a cast of talented young actors. Simon Weston maintained from start to finish a brilliantly dry delivery as the geeky, wise-cracking Josh who suffers from OCD, whilst Stanley Eldridge as his former boyfriend and untidy flatmate, was equally funny but also touchingly real as Seth. Joe Leather turned in a hilarious performance as the endlessly promiscuous Ashley, waking up every morning with a different lover, after getting drunk yet again, and Daniel Garcia was perfectly cast as the slightly gauche but stunningly handsome Eric. Last but not least there was the multi-talented Hugh O’Donnell who has a high old time playing all the various boyfriends that come in and out of their lives. Every one of his characterisations was spot on, but his turn as the musical theatre queen (one of Ash’s one-night stands) is an absolutely side-splitting tour de force, which quite rightly brings the house down.

    One should also mention Zoe Hurwitz’s excellent set design, one of the best I’ve seen at Above The Stag.

    If you’re suffering from those post-holiday January/February blues and feel you could do with a lift, you could do much worse than getting yourself down to Above The Stag for this crazy comedy, which is guaranteed to lift your spirits and get you laughing.

    The Boys Upstairs plays at Above The Stag in Vauxhall until February 2015

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | The Meat Co.

    Getting to The Meat Co. is super easy. Tube to Shepherd’s Bush turn left out the station and 3 minutes away is The Meat Co. a huge dining vicinity, perhaps a spacial reflection of their slabs of meat. With a fantastic menu, high ceilings and cool décor, with tables next to a large glassed front, perfect for people watching. With my arrival being fed over an intercom and an option to have a lift take me up to the restaurant I had high hopes for their service.

    Unfortunately, I was left with my menu for quite some time and with a pretty much empty restaurant floor over an early lunch, this was pretty disappointing. At first I thought this may be due to them thinking I was waiting for another diner to join me but the table behind me had to shout to get the waiter’s attention so I was not the only diner being neglected.

    There were about 5 members of staff in the area, all appeared to be busy preparing for the evening shift, but this did give me an opportunity to observe that they all seemed to get along extremely well and clearly enjoyed working with one another. When I did have interaction with them they were all really friendly and smiley.

    I decided to start lunch with an Apple Crumble vodka cocktail- it was Thursday so it counts as the weekend! It was strong and made well so I later in the meal decided to try another being the Strawberry Basil Martini, which was even better. A perfect balance of flavours, it beckoned me to take the afternoon off and have another, but I reluctantly resisted.

    With The Meat Co’s menu boasting interesting international dishes like Braised Rib Meat Cigars & Balsamic Mayo, Eggplant & Mascarpone Tart, and South African Sausage Boerewors, I asked to try the Chef’s Soup of the Day. The soup was some version of leek & potato which was okay, but I was really hoping for something a little more exotic and in tune with the rest of the menu.

    I chose the South African sausage Boerewors to start. The sausage was laced with interesting spices served curled up with polenta that was cooked very well, which can be a difficult thing to get just right. Alongside was a smoky sweet glossy tomato sauce that brought the dish together – all in all, a good starting point.

    For main I chose the Kangaroo steak which comes with a potato dauphinoise stack, and ordered grilled asparagus on the side. The potato stack was not cooked through and tasted of just raw potato. Luckily, the kangaroo steak which came in a generous portion was cooked perfectly, easy to slice and adorned in a deep red, rich lightly spiced sauce. The asparagus was also cooked well.

    The dessert menu is full of goodies with interesting twists; Passionfruit brulee, Peanut butter cheesecake, Tiramisu with Churros. I went for the Toasted Coconut and Raspberry Vacharin – which was fantastic. It arrived in 3 small tasting experience bowls.

    One a sharp raspberry sorbet, terrine style, with toasted coconut. Lovely textures and flavours. The next a coconut cream with a sharp raspberry jam-syrup, and finally chewy-crispy morsels of meringue (just how I like them) with fresh berries. A very clever, pretty, sweet toothsome dessert from The Meat Co. I would be tempted to revisit The Meat Co and explore the rest of their dessert menu.

    I genuinely believe The Meat Co. serves great food- but on this occasion, it is such a shame that simple points such as; a bland soup, uncooked potato, and pre-occupied staff let them down. Unfortunately, I cannot score based on a belief and have to go by the experience that I had, which is why I have scored two stars. The meal did have some fantastic qualities; the spices in the South African sausage, kicking kangaroo meat and a beautiful dessert so I would still say to check this place out, but perhaps do not go at lunchtime as I did, and head for dinner time where there hopefully will be a little more focus.

    Reviewed by Jordan Lohan
    ADDRESS: Unit 1026, Westfield London, Ariel Way
    VENUE PHONE: 0207 930 8408
    PRICE: ££££
    WEBSITE: http://themeatco.com/index.php/visit-london
    STAR RATING: ★★
    TIPPING POLICY: Discretionary service charge of 12.5% added to bill

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Blood Brothers – Sheffield Lyceum and National Tour

    Over the last 29 years, Blood Brother has nuzzled its way into the hearts of theatre goers with its blend of music, comedy, pathos and social commentary.

    The show tells the story of Mrs Johnstone, a single mother struggling to make ends meet. Finding herself pregnant with twins, she realises that she can only afford to keep one of them, so enters into a pact to give one of them to a well-to-do neighbour, Mrs Lyons. The boys meet and become best friends, never knowing that they were twins secretly separated at birth. But as they grow up, their friendship is tested; as their lives take different paths, leading to tragedy. Featuring the songs “Bright New Day”, Marylyn Monroe” and the heart-breaking “Tell Me It’s Not True”, the show still packs out theatres up and down the country and is affectionately known as “the standing ovation musical”.

    There is a reason why this play has been so enduring, and that is primarily down to the superb writing by Willy Russell. The loud first act establishes the characters nicely and is very comedy orientated, if sometimes a little bit too shouty in its presentation. But it is in the second act where the writing shines through, with both the progression and changes of the characters and the genuine drama which captivated the audience as it unfolded, leading to the ending which still packs an emotional gut-punch. The production values of the show were very high indeed, with its detailed sets, costumes and props and the presentation as a whole was relatively polished.

    There are some very good performances in this production, primarily from Sean Jones, who portrays the transition of Micky from giddy schoolboy to troubled young adult with ease, having made the role very much his own over the years. Kate Jarmon as Mrs Lyons provided an impressive turn as a woman descending into madness and paranoia and rounding off the leads were Joel Benedict as Eddie and Danielle Corelass as Linda, both of whom were equally as strong.

    With those performances in mind, it’s a real shame that Marti Pellow disappoints as the Narrator, looking awkward and uncharismatic as he skulks around the set utilising an indeterminable accent whilst over singing and over emphasising every syllable of every word he delivered. Maureen Nolan, offered a really warm portrayal of Mrs Johnstone garnering a genuine empathy from the audience, but whose singing voice was not quite on form on the evening, which is a shame when I have seen her perform much better.

    Having seen the show many, many times, this was the first time I felt that Blood Brothers is now starting to show its age a little, with its overuse of electric drums and echo microphone; but it could be said that in some way, that adds to the nostalgia and emphasises that the socio-economic issues addressed when the play was first written are still relevant nearly 30 years later.

    Blood Brothers is opening its 2015 tour at the Sheffield Lyceum (www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk) before touring the country until May, details of which can be found at http://www.kenwright.com/index.php?id=590

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Bilbao Berria

    RESTAURANT REVIEW | Bilbao Berria

    Bilbao Berria from Barcelona opened their latest restaurant a 2 minute walk from Piccadilly Circus tube, landing London with their Basque / Spanish cuisine. The restaurant is bang on trend at every angle. Their menu is essentially designed like Tapas / Pintxo. An entire wall acts as a glorious wine cabinet, and a brief giggle fit as we noticed our table was adjacent to umpteen bottles of a wine named “Pricum”.

    (more…)

  • FILM REVIEW | American Sniper

    ★★★★ | American Sniper

    Add American Sniper to the list of good Clint Eastwood movies.

    While it’s not his best film ever (see Unforgiven and J. Edgar) nor his worst film (see the recently poorly received Jersey Boys), it’s a loyal and factual re-telling of the true story of Chris Kyle, a member of the elite Nave SEALS. He was the most lethal sniper in the history of the US Military, having 160 confirmed kills. He was also a husband and the father of two children, but being the best sniper and serving his country were the most important things in his life.

    Kyle (played valiantly and accurately by Bradley Cooper) in the beginning of the film is a ranch hand in Texas. His life doesn’t amount to much, especially after he finds his girlfriend in bed with another man. But after injuring his arm, he decides to join the navy. His commitment for his country becomes embedded in him after the catastrophic events of 9/11. After months of gruelling training, he and his team are sent to Iraq to fight the enemy. And they are tasked with some of the most dangerous missions in the military. This includes heading directly into enemy territory and looking for a man called Shiekh Al-Obodi (Navid Negahban), one of the leaders of the Taliban.

    Kyle serves four tours, in between each one going home to be with his family but getting the pull to serve again. He’s urged against it by his pretty wife Tanya (an amazing Sienna Miller). Even the birth of his two children doesn’t keep him home. He continues increasing his sniper kill tally, which includes women and children who threaten to kill US soldiers. Kyle is also determined to kill a man called Mustafa (played by Sammy Shiek). Mustafa is a Syrian shooter who had competed for his country in the Olympics. He’s also killing the insurgents (the Americans on the ground). Kyle is determined to kill him as he has killed one of his fellow soldiers. The film then becomes a cat and mouse story to dramatic effect, where Mustafa aims to shoot the soldiers but Kyle aims to shoot him. It all culminates in an amazing shootout between the US soldiers trapped on a rooftop in Sadr City while the enemy comes in from all sides, all in the midst of a massive sandstorm. It’s one of Eastwood’s best film sequences I’ve ever seen.

    However, American Sniper doesn’t end there. Kyle, after getting shot in the massive shootout, returns home, but has a hard time rejoining society, and his wife has a hard time getting connected with him. He’s a changed man, but seems to slightly recover after he starts helping soldiers at a local veterans hospital and also helps to train them on weapons and combat tactics to lift their spirits. American Sniper would’ve had a better impact if the film ended after the shootout in Sadr City. This last bit of the film seems to be tacked on to tell the rest of Kyle’s story.

    Cooper plays Kyle to great effect, however, he’s a bit too old to be playing Kyle in his younger years. But Cooper is believable as a soldier during the war, he holds his gun and interacts with his fellow (younger) soldiers very well. It’s a performance that has just won him a nomination for the Best Actor Oscar. Miller is the standout of the film, she’s excellent as Tanya – it’s the best performance of her career. And while American Sniper looks and feels like a good film, the last ten minutes don’t need to be there. American Sniper is adapted by the book of the same name by actor turned-screenwriter Jason Dean Hall. Kyle was shot and killed in Texas in 2013 by a 25-year old Marine Corps Veteran, a veteran he was trying to help.

  • TV REVIEW | Cucumber, Banana, Tofu

    ★★★★ | Cucumber, Banana, Tofu

    He’s a clever bugger that Russell T. Bloke – you know the one who is basically is the godfather of Gay TV.

    Forget Kim Kardashian breaking the internet, Russell T Davies’s Queer As Folk broke terrestrial television with many asses back in 1999 and it looks as though he’s about to do it again with a brand new interwoven, multi-platform series that celebrates sexual and gender diversity, like no other writer or broadcaster for that matter, has ever done before.

    The erect penis has been studied, not just in this office, but scientifically, yes money has been spent on measuring how hard penises are – and they (the scientists) came up with a scale of hardest – from Tofu to Cucumber. Meet Henry, the story which Cucumber, the terrestrial offering from Channel 4. He’s a man in his late forties who hates the gay scene. Absolutely loathes it. It doesn’t resonate with him anymore, the young’un with their apps and inability to hold a conversation longer than their ejaculations. He’s been in a sexless, long term relationship for years and is having a bit of crisis of his placement in ‘the community’; fifteen years on is this how Stuart Jones would have turned out?

    But let’s get this straight, as best we can, Cucumber isn’t Queer As Folk 2.0. It’s a different story, a different set of characters. It’s gay-centric, but packs huge laughs, sex and asks the big questions: What do ‘WE’ want? That’s the big ‘WE’ of course – and while Cucumber focuses mainly on a gay man, Banana delves into the world sexuality and gender and rips it open in a way that could break the digital channel.

    Banana is the other side of the story. The young guns with their apps and their multi-sexual and gender identities and how these can collide. If Cucumber is generation gay, Banana is generation ‘Whatever’.

    Boxes and labels are so 1997/2004, so BBC 3… Generation just-get-on-with-it, are about to have their say, and while viewers on e4 probably won’t bat an eyelid, their parents might just be a little confused at the ever changing landscape.

    Then there’s Tofu an on-demand series, this is where the beauty of interwoven, multi-channel programming come into its own. Prepare to see people, yes real people, from all demographics talk about their sex lives. Even legendary Corrie actress Julie Hesmondhalgh talks sex – and as we heard at the press conference, “you heard it here first…”

    Potentially not a groundbreaking as QAF, (times have changed) but certainly just as necessary. It is about time than the LGBT demographic had something more than a storyline here and there. We want our own series dammit and Cucumber, Banana and Tofu deliver this in loads… (wipe the smile off your face, you dirty bugger).