If you’ve bought a FleshJack it’s probably become one of your favourite bedroom toys – of all time, but exactly how should you clean it and look after it?
If you want your FleshJack to be ready for action for a long time to come you’ll need to make sure you clean it and maintain it properly. So how exactly should you care for and clean your FleshJack? Getting your cleaning regime right will mean that you’ll get a lifetime of enjoyment out of your toy. It’s really quite easy, so here are the top 3 ways to care for your FleshJack or FleshLight.
1) Warm water. Once you’ve climaxed inside the toy, remove the inner sleeve and run it under warm water. Use only clean fresh water. The material will not react very well with most cleaning products. However there is a specific FleshWash made for the toy called FleshWash.
If you need a tough clean, then you could use isopropyl alcohol. Give it a good clean through.
Former Boy Bander, Lee Ryan is set to join the cast of EastEnders and we’re naturally very excited about seeing Lee’s perky little face pop up in one of our favourite soap operas.
CREDIT: BBC
Blue singer, Lee Ryan is set to join one of the UK’s biggest soaps, EastEnders. He joins his other co-Blue boys, Duncan James and Simon Webb who have both landed roles in Hollyoaks and River City respectively.
So what do we know about Lee’s new character? Well, his name is, Woody Woodward – and apparently, he’s a bit of a trouble maker and his stint on the small screen is due to only be a “short-term role”.
Executive producer Sean O’Connor has teased,
“I’m delighted to welcome Lee Ryan to Walford as ‘Woody’ Woodward. Woody is a man who has worked hard and played hard in bars, clubs and pubs around the world and has finally decided to stop wandering and put down some roots.
“He’s going to ruffle some feathers and obviously break some hearts, so there’s a great deal to look forward to as soon as he bursts onto the square. Lee is a perfect casting for Albert Square and we knew straight away we wanted him for the role.”
Lee Ryan made headlines in January 2014 during his time in Celebrity Big Brother, after a series of revelations about his sex life and sexuality. In a conversation with fellow housemates, Lee admitted that he may have had experiences with “people’ which caused bandmate Duncan James to jump in with a Tweet, that read, “I thought I was the only bi/gay in the band”.
In 2010 Lee stunned fans by stating that,
‘Me and Duncan had threesomes! We did some crazy s**t with each other. In the past we’ve done some s**t like that. It’s not weird… you just high five each other. I think they call it a spit roast.’
EastEnders continues on Thursday (February 16) at 7.30pm on BBC One.
Falling in love in the workplace can often bring with it a number of unforeseen problems, such as how the relationship works when one gets promoted and becomes a manager for their new love? If the relationship ends badly, how do you manage to focus on work or do you leave your job? What personal secrets may get spilled over the coffee machine that you didn’t want out there?
A recent survey by Perkbox found that out of 8.85 million relationships, only 17% go on to marry or have a civil partnership whilst 1 in 7 people had to leave their jobs because of a messy break-up.
With more of us spending longer hours at work and often socialising with work colleagues as well, it’s no surprise that love is bound to blossom at times. However, it may be worth a thought as to whether you announce your new love or not at work as 38% of bosses said they may have a problem with workers getting together and a quarter of workplaces actively said they had policy in place to discourage romantic relationships at work.
One thing that most agreed on is that any love life shouldn’t interfere with your work, which can often be difficult when that new love is sat opposite you giving you that cute little smile all day lo… sorry distracted there, what was I writing?
Reduced Shakespeare Company put on a masterful performance combining Shakespeare’s most and least known plays and characters into a fiendish cauldron, summoning up hilarious crossover tales that made the audience laugh out loud. Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor designed ‘William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play’ with all Shakespeare levels in mind. Whether you are a beginner or a scholar, there was something for you to laugh at, recall the connection, and laugh again. Perhaps rekindle fond memories of school, rehearsal and at a theatre.
The three actors commanded their craft with expertise and mastery. It was very clear, very quickly, that Joseph Maudsley, Matthew Pearson and James Percy had studied, played and understood the plots and twists written by the Bard. I chiefly loved the scene in which one actor was attributing Disney connections with Shakespeare’s plays. The ‘Frozen’ and ‘A Winter’s Tale’ link was one of the funniest moments because when the other actor contested that connection, the other said ‘let it go’. The speed in which the three actors morphed, transformed, and changed to represent the different characters was astonishing, as well as the effervescent energy that glued the audience to their every move. The plot crossovers were also something to remember, in particular, Lady Macbeth coming onto Hamlet, and Richard III getting it on with Falstaff. It was so enjoyable to watch the twists and contrivances that got them to be together. Archenemies Ariel and Puck were the thread that brought the stories together, played by Joseph Maudsley and James Percy respectively, convincingly demonstrated that all of Shakespeare’s plays could coexist in the same universe. Who knew?
The set was very stripped down with only one arch as the backdrop. However, this made it even more special because it became all about the actors, with their props and fanciful attires that coloured the stage with the gags, tricks, and exquisite storytelling that we saw last night. I want to see them again!
Hammersmith born Freddie Fox is making his mark on his own terms, despite being part of the much talked about Fox dynasty. The Fox family are high profile media players, with generations of actors and agents. Freddie is the youngest of this prolific family, born in 1989. He refuses to define his sexuality as straight and isn’t afraid of getting his kit off (if the script demands it). In 2014 he starred alongside acting royalty in the blockbuster landmark film Pride and the critically acclaimed The Riot Club. We speak to Freddie about his latest role in Channel 4’s Cucumber and Banana.
CREDIT: Channel 4
This interview was taken from Issue 9 of THEGAYUK
TGUK: Can you explain a bit about Cucumber and Banana, and who you play?
FF: I play Freddie Baxter, who lives with Dean in the warehouse, and he also works at the insurance company that Henry and Dean work at, but in the canteen. He is 25, incredibly sexually confident, sexually powerful, and is an object of desire for Henry throughout the story. Initially there’s a very hostile dynamic between Freddie and Henry.
TGUK: What was it that attracted you to the role?
FF: Yeah, simply put, the scripts are so good and the stories are so interesting, the characters are so layered, and they all go on such incredible journeys. When I initially heard about the project, and the part I was up for playing, I was a bit ambivalent about it, because it sounded quite similar to parts I’d played recently. But then when I read the scripts and I realised there was no- one like this man, and there would never be anyone like this man on TV ever again. I realised I had to go for it.
TGUK: Freddie, your character’s a little cool and heartless, is that fair to say?
FF: In certain respects, he is heartless about certain things, but ultimately, no he’s not. He has got a heart, and a big one, but he just protects himself with an armour of sex and outward expressions of beauty. That’s so he can control other people, but that’s only there because it’s hiding aspects of his life that he simply will not show. As the friendship between Freddie and Dean and Henry grows, and they become more cemented together by their proximity at the warehouse, you see a much more humane and sensitive Freddie emerge. That’s why it’s such a layered, interesting character.
TGUK: You’ve described him somewhere as a nymphomaniac who gets his entire validation from sex. Is that right?
FF: More or less, yeah. He’s been sexualised from a young age – long before most of us are – and he happens to be very good at it. So he uses it as a way to protect himself and as a weapon, and also, because he’s good at it, as a way to validate his position in the world.
TGUK: Is it fun to play a character like that?
FF: What do you think?! [Laughs]
TGUK: The shoot involved living in Manchester for five months. Was that fun, and did you get to know the place a bit?
FF: Speaking as a non-Mancunian I was probably the one doing the most investigating, as Fis knows it like the back of his hand. I got to know it intimately and I love it. We saw Stockport, the suburbs, Didsbury where my character is from, so it’s great to hear the accent there. We went out a bit and had some fun.
credit: channel 4
TGUK: Did you go out and check out the gay scene in Manchester? What else did you do in the way of research?
FF: Yeah, we didn’t do as much of that as I’d expected. The first time I went to Manchester it was for a show about Boy George and we went out a bit then. For this we shot a lot on Canal Street and the atmosphere kind of pervades, even if you’re not there on a night out. There’s still a buzz there which Russell really wanted to convey. It’s very, very magnetic, and you can feel what it’s about without having to experience it.
TGUK: Freddie, is it true that you stayed in accent throughout the entire shoot?
FF: Yes I did. The accent’s really important for me. I’d never taken it as far as I did with this thought “I’m not going to get this wrong.” I stayed in voice the whole time, even when I was at home with my parents. They didn’t like it at all, but they are actors so they understood!
TGUK: What was it like working with the older actors?
FF: We learned a lot from the older actors. I’d like to point out they’re not old, just older than we are! They have more experience, and all of them also had a bedrock in the theatre, which was great because Fis and I have that too, so we had a sort of shorthand.
TGUK : You’re still young. Do you still feel like you’re learning your craft?
FF: Definitely, that really was one of the most special things on this job. The atmosphere created by Vincent and Russell on set was such that you really, really wanted to come in to work every day. As actors, we have the best job in the world, but occasionally it can be made difficult by ego and by not listening to each other and lack of communication. And on this job, it was just brilliant, and as a result, I think we all felt like we were doing our best work.
TGUK: Have you seen Queer as Folk?
FF: I hadn’t seen it before this job started, but I have now. I loved it. It was a brilliant piece of drama, and the writing was Vwhip-sharp.
TGUK: It was quite controversial when it first went out on Channel 4 15 years ago. Do you think some of the more risqué elements of Cucumber and Banana might cause a kerfuffle this time around?
FF: There should be, as well. Anything that moves public consciousness and public morality forward, which one hopes this show will do, has got to cause a stir otherwise it’s not done its job properly.
TGUK: Do you think Queer as Folk changed the nature of TV, or what was considered acceptable in a TV drama?
FF: I do yes. Everybody who I’ve spoken to who was conscious when Queer as Folk went out says it was a complete game- changer. It completely changed people’s perception of young, gay men especially. Suddenly they were successful, cool, sexy, out there, fun people you wanted to spend time with – not a stereotype. Obviously that was massive when it came out.
Its premise explores the many thoughts that people have before trying to fall sleep, and then still not being able to do so hours later. It’s a great concept for many of us can relate to the drivel that goes through our minds prohibiting our brain to switch off and go to sleep. However, Francesca’s stories were too disconnected for the average person to relate to. The odd story resonated some recollection in the back of our memory archive – like the supermarket couple scenario, but the rest were just tales that didn’t quite grip spectators, having to wait a while for a punchline. It would be a great sketch for a Spoken Word night, but as performance it lacked spark. We were merely watching a woman talk about things that go on in her own head. Sadly, they were things that not many people could connect to, alienating us in parts. It was neither comedic, nor was it dramatic. Stories To Tell In The Middle Of The Night would have been something to play on the radio to help you fall asleep.
There were some poetic notes to the writing. So, audibly, and in some instances, it was pleasing; particularly when Francesca came back to the middle podium and described where we were in the night using astronomical angles and nautical references to help us imagine the arrival of the dawn, and the familiar feeling of ‘oh shit, I need to be up in a few hours’.
The Rep Foundry is a fantastic programme that gives new writers the opportunity to create, and later perform, their own work. Perhaps the next draft would benefit from a framing device whereby the three podia that the protagonist utilises may represent the id, ego, and superego of the insomniac psyche portrayed. As it stands, the stream of consciousness text is lost in the back waters.
Jamie is 16 and is not like his friends at school. His best friend wants to be a doctor, but he wants to be a drag queen. Raised by his mum in a single parent family on one of Sheffield’s tougher estates, Jamie finds himself, and his alter ego, Mimi Me, with the help of fading drag queen, Hugo, and with the support of his ever doting mother and her best friend. But Jamie’s difficult relationship with his dad dents Jamie’s confidence; and the school aren’t particularly enthused about the big question on everyone’s lips – namely, whether Jamie will go to the school prom, or whether Mimi Me will. ★★★★★
Writer Tom MacRae’s script is beautifully written, packing into it a wealth of instantly likeable and relatable characters, plenty of laugh out loud one liners and genuine heart. He gets the story across by celebrating the protagonist rather than victimising him and Jamie’s journey is well paced, moving and entertaining. Complementing the book perfectly are the musical numbers written by Dan Gillespie-Sells, which, quite honestly, doesn’t have a bad song amongst them. The show opens with “You Don’t Even Know It”, a bubbly piece of contemporary pop and each and every song that follows is a delight. Balancing out the upbeat numbers are some tender ballads, including “It Means Beautiful” and “My Man, My Son”, the latter quite literally bringing a tear to my eye. Kate Prince’s choreography fuses multiple styles of dance, from street dance to ballet, with energetic, fresh and uplifting routines, whilst Jonathan Butterall’s steady direction seamlessly blends comedy with pathos and makes the most of his well-rounded and diverse cast.
With such well written characters, you need a solid cast to bring them to life. John McRea is delicious in his portrayal of Jamie, vacillating between oozing self-confidence and brimming with self-doubt, most of which was done whilst strutting around in a pair of heels so large that even RuPaul would shy away from them. Josie Walker gives a touchingly understated performance as Jamie’s Mum and belted out her two main numbers with a powerful voice which seemed to come out of nowhere; and she was complimented well by Mina Anwar’s comic performance as her best friend, Lee.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is a coming of age story which is more reflective of today’s society than most of the genre. Gone is the stigma of sexuality, and gone is the major struggle for acceptance by his peers. Jamie is embraced by his supportive mother and loved by his friends at school. The story is more about Jamie’s internal struggle and his relationships with family, rather than it being “him against the world”. This refreshing approach makes for a more intimate and focussed narrative and one which genuinely pulls you in. It has been a while since I have seen an audience get so much behind a show, with cheers of support echoing around the theatre at key points in the story, which can only be a testament to the quality of the production.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is everything a musical should be – well-crafted with instantly catchy songs, makes you laugh, cry and cheer and amounts to a thoroughly entertaining piece of theatre with a strong heart at its centre. Jamie is not to be missed, and is simply uplifting, joyous and inspirational.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is currently playing at The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield until 25th February 2017. Visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk or call the box office on 0114 249 6000
One of the best feelings in the world is to snuggle up with a loved one on the sofa, a bag of chocolate sweets and a good romance film to get you in the mood for love this Valentine’s Day. We’ve pulled together the top 10 films on Netflix to set the heart a flutter.
A play that was originally produced off Broadway in 1968 has returned to the West End again, it’s the famous gay play ‘The Boys in The Band.’
Written by Martin Crowley, and fresh from last year’s run at the Park Theatre, the durability of this play is a testament to the crisp and hilarious writing, and the performances of the actors, of the trials and tribulations of eight gay men (and one possibly straight man) which makes this play endure.
The story, in case you don’t know, is about a birthday party for Harold (a very good Mark Gatiss), a posh 42-year old gay man who seems to have everything. The party takes place in the very nice apartment of Michael (Ian Hallard, Gatiss’s real-life husband), with posters of film divas (Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis and lots of Judy Garland) that cleverly hang on the walls. The first to arrive at the birthday party is Donald (Daniel Boys), good looking and employed as a cleaner. He seems to be the most stable of the bunch. Then there’s Hank (Nathan Nolan) and Larry (Ben Mansfield), a couple who bring down the mood because of the constant tension between them. Do they really love each other? Then there’s Emory (an excellent James Holmes – the true star of the show). He’s witty, camp, funny and hilarious with the best lines. Emory, incidentally, has hired a not too smart male stripper named Cowboy (Jack Derges) who was supposed to arrive at Midnight (Midnight Cowboy – get it?), but arrives before the birthday boy gets there. He’s as hot and sexy as you would expect, and Derges plays him perfectly. Then there is a straight friend of Michael’s who comes to the party because he happens to be nearby. Throw this in along with a phone game and all of this creates more drama and tension in a play with a multitude of characters that you will either love or hate, though more than likely you will hate them
‘The Boys in the Band’ is a play that is very outdated. It portrays gay men as bitter, angry and more importantly, lonely and outcast, but times have changed. And this show, which has been produced many times, has the same cast who were in the Park Theatre production last October. The actors are all very good (Holmes is really living it up on stage and looks like he’s really enjoying himself), the set is very clever, and the rest of the cast are very good, but it’s time to put this story to bed. ‘The Boys in the Band’ has been done to death. And as one of the characters says in the show ‘show me a happy homosexual and I’ll show you a gay corpse’ – this show is no longer relevant.
‘The Boys in the Band’ is playing at London’s Vaudeville Theatre until Saturday, February 18th.
If, like me, you’ve been single for more than 1 month of your life then you have, at some point, used online dating apps (or a website). You would have definitely experienced at least one of the following;
Catfish (people using other people’s pictures deliberately to be someone they are not).
A Dorian Grey (someone who ages in real life but doesn’t seem to online until their online picture is wildly different).
Time wasters (all chat and no trousers (sometimes literally))
Hot ’n’ colders (interested one day then cold the next)
Droughts (weeks if not months of nothing)
To name just a few!
Now these are all very annoying but generally go with the territory, But, why do they? I was sat chatting to a group of friends and were talking about in one form or another we had been one of these things. So, does that mean that we are all one of these at some point?
All of us in the group said that we had never been a catfish BUT had considered it. And you can see why there is a certain appeal, especially if there is a really really hot guy that does not have you on their radar. You’d never do it, but the mind does fantasise about pretending to be someone equally as fit and flirting with them. No? Just me? Oh, well pours another gin.
What about a Dorian Grey? This is something I believe I’ve named myself (and a quick search online didn’t seem to find anything). I’ve noticed that as gay men approach key milestones they tend to fog the lines around a set age. I’ve seen a few friends do it, they extend being 30/31 (or even in their 20s) when in fact they are a little older than that. And we all do it. I’ve recently turned 30 and while I proudly put my age on my profile I did often refer to myself as a late 20s guy (more for a joke but nothing is ever done without meaning). At least half of the friends in the group admitted to doing it, having done it in the past or were considering it.
Time wasters are the most common and the easiest for ‘your average guy’ to fall in to. Picture it, you’re all set for a ‘meet’ but as the day approaches things come up, stuff happens, and suddenly it’s 19:30 on a Friday night and the prospect of going out just seems a mission. So, they get a politely worded “sorry I can’t make it’, I’ve got this thing’ or ‘I forgot I had to do X’. We’ve all done it at some point and don’t you dare try and claim that you haven’t!
Now hot n colders are definitely people we have all been and they are very literally people that blow hot and cold. A flurry of interest one day then naff all the next. I know that I do this. But not always through choice, sometimes life just takes over and responding to that text works its way down the list of things to do. There, in most cases, isn’t any malice in it but as the person on the other side waiting for that text the only way to really take a lack of response is badly. It is a sure-fire way of harming your ‘dating chances’ and yes you can argue that maybe you shouldn’t be online if you can’t handle online but when has anything ever been that simple?
Finally, droughts aren’t something you can be but they can push a person in need into being one of the above. No ‘booty’ equals a horny moment, an approach to a fellow app user for a ‘meet’ which then loses its appeal after a ‘self-release’. Hence, time waster. Droughts come to us all and they can have the ability to make us to things that we wouldn’t consider doing. I do have a story about a guy that didn’t get any action for 4 weeks, but that’s for another time.
So, while I don’t look to excuse or validate such things, as they are annoying, instead aren’t we all guilty of being one of these at one point or another? Maybe with a little more acceptance of that when it does happen we can just accept it as a fact of life and move on. If ‘online behaviour’ really is an extension of ‘physical behaviour’ then just as we do silly things when nervous in real life maybe, we do silly things in our electronic one.
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Six million Brits admit they sleep with their mobile phone, a new study has revealed. Research suggests that one fifth of the nation keep their phone in their bed, or even under their pillow, every single night to ensure they don’t miss a single text message or email.
CREDIT: monkeybusinessimages-bigstock
Such is the nation’s obsession with their smartphone that half of the 2,000 adults questioned in 2013 admit that looking at their phone is the very last thing they do in the evening, and the first thing they do when they wake.
The mobile phone has now become such a regular fixture in our bedtime routine that it takes until 10:58pm for the average Brit to relinquish their device.
Mark Fells Director of Digital at Premier Inn, who conducted the survey of 2,000 adults, said,
“In the last five years owning a smartphone has become common place for most adults, and we all love the freedom and accessibility that technology allows us to have.
“However, with almost half of those surveyed struggling to take their mind off what they have read on their mobile, and a huge 69% receiving late night e-mails and text messages from work colleagues and their boss, it appears we need to learn to ‘switch off’ when it comes to our bedtime routines.”
Worryingly, one in five admit to regularly waking in the morning with their smartphone still glued to their hand, and a third claim they have ditched reading books in bed in favour of browsing the internet, social networking and catching up on work emails instead.
A social media savvy 20% bid a virtual ‘goodnight’ to their friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter when tucked up in bed, with a further 8% acknowledging they are more likely to say goodnight to their online pals than their own partners that sleep by their side.
Although the nation may be smitten with their smartphones, the addiction to mobile technology appears to be having an adverse effect on love lives, with one in five Brits admitting they frequently row with their partner over how much time they spend on their phone while in bed.
Almost one in three deemed using a mobile in bed anti-social.
