ATTITUDE.CO.

UK @ATTITUDEMAG SUMMER 2013 THE UKS BEST-SELLING AND AWARD-WINNING GAY MAGAZINE
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I N THE RUGBY
CHANGI NG ROOM WI TH
UNA SATURDAY, FYI
WO R L D E X C L U S I V E
HURTS
Eurovision
. . . and you thought
what goes on
on stage was gay. . .
P
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We were
never camp,
we were so
much more'
E X C L U S I V E
I'm so excited!
PEDRO
ALMODVAR
AND HI S
GAYEST
MOVI E YET
9
7
7
1
3
5
3
1
8
7
0
2
1
0
5
U.K. 4.25
S.A. R99.95
231_COVER.indd 1 17/04/2013 17:47:43
calvin klein DPS.indd 2 17/04/2013 13:02:01
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www.twsteeluk.com
Official UK Watch Partner
IN CINEMAS JUNE 14
#manofsteel
2013 Warner Bros. Ent. Inc. All Rights Reserved. MAN OF STEEL and all related
characters and elements are trademarks of and DC Comics
TW steel.indd 4 17/04/2013 14:36:42
5
EDITORS LETTER
INBOX
10 OF THE BEST
STYLE ICON:
THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY
TREND: FLORALS
SOCKS TO MAKE YOU SMILE
IN THE BAG: WORTH 2,300
SWIMWEAR
UNDERWEAR
8
13
116
129
54
54. ABBA: AGNETHA
WE LAY ALL OUR LOVE
ON THE SWEDISH ICON
60. EUROVI SI ON
BANGABANG BOOM, SEX
AND THE SONG CONTEST
1 08. HURTS
THE HIP SYNTHPOP DUO
ON THEIR SECOND ALBUM
F EAT URES
ACTI VE
CHRISTIAN JESSEN
WORKOUT: BEACH BUM
HIV: STEFAN KYRIAZIS
IAN MARBER
CONTEXT
TABLE FOR TWO
TRULY MADLY DEEPLY
RELATIONSHIPS
TRAVEL: GREECE
PROPERTY
CARS: PEUGEOT 208
HOW GAY ARE YOU?
EDI T
THE ALIST
JOE STONE
HARP ON
THE PACKAGE: JON HAMM
HOT BOY: ED DREWETT
PEDRO ALMODVAR
PAUL FLYNN AND GAL PAL
GADGETS: CAMERAS
CULTURE CLUB: WALT WHITMAN
MUSIC, FILM: STAR TREK
67
SUMMER
STYLE
SPECIAL
ATTITUDE.CO.UK SUMMER 2013 @ATTITUDEMAG
42
BEN FODEN
SEXY AND CHARMING
RUGGER STAR.
WHO KNEW?
231_EDIT_CONTENTS.indd 5 17/04/2013 15:31:22
6
ATTI TUDE
Commercial Director
Mike Buckley (020 7608 6496)
mike.buckley@attitude.co.uk
Group Advertising Manager
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andy.goddard@attitude.co.uk
Senior Display and Online Executives
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steven.aslam@attitude.co.uk
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scott.davison@attitude.co.uk
ATTITUDE MEDIA Ltd
Chief Executive
Justin Sanders
Finance Director
Vince Nicholls
Publishing Director
Darren Styles
darren.styles@attitude.co.uk
Communications Director
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Web Development
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Subscriptions enquiries
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Warners Subscription Department, Freepost, PE211,
Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9BR
The next issue of Attitude is out on May 29 2013
Attitude Magazine attitude.co.uk
33 Pear Tree Street, London EC1V 3AG
e-mail: attitude@attitude.co.uk
Editor Matthew Todd
matthew.todd@attitude.co.uk
Art Director Shaun Craig Parkinson
shaun.parkinson@attitude.co.uk
Acting Deputy Editor Daniel Fulvio
Fashion Editor Elauan Lee
elauan.lee@attitude.co.uk
Designer Lucy Hendel
lucy.hendel@attitude.co.uk
Design Intern Ike Muotoh
Sub Editor Mark Cook
Of ce Assistant Ben Kelly
Books Editor Will Davis
will.davis@attitude.co.uk
Film Editor Matt Mueller
matt.mueller@attitude.co.uk
Interns Nick Byam, Sam Failes,
James Cunningham
Senior Contributing Editors
Simon Edge, Paul Flynn, Simon Gage,
Jamie Hakim, Johann Hari, Philip Reay-Smith,
Tim Teeman (US Editor East Coast)
Copyright Attitude Media Ltd2013 all rights reserved. No part of this magazine may
be reproducedinwhole or inpart without the writtenpermissionof the publishers.
Unsolicitedcontributions must be accompaniedbya stampedaddressedenvelope if
theyare to be returned. We cannot accept responsibilityfor unsolicitedmanuscripts and
photographs or for material lost or damagedinthe post. Letters submittedto Attitude or
its editors are assumedto be intendedfor publicationinwhole or inpart. The mention
or appearance or likeness of anypersonor organisationinarticles or advertising inthis
publicationis not to be takenas anyindicationof sexual, social or political orientationof
suchpersons or organisations.
Newstrade distribution by Seymour Distribution Limited,
2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A9PT. Tel 020 7429 4000
Published by Attitude Media Ltd.
Printed by Benham Goodhead Print Limited
On the cover Ben Foden wears
underwear by Calvin Klein at Selfridges.
Photography Joseph Sinclair.
Styling Elauan Lee, assisted by
Nick Byam and James Cunningham.
Hair Marc Ramos using Kevin Murphy.
MICHALIS TZIVITZIDIS
Michalis has 20 years
experience with hair and make-
up in fashion, cinema and
theatre. Based in Athens, where
he zips around on a moped, hes
the go-to man for all visiting
international titles, including
LOf cial Hommes, Vogue and Elle.
Handsome, stylish and calm,
Michalis was a Greek godsend
for our team this month.
Noma studied at the Jerusalem
Academy of Art & Design before
moving to London in 2001.
A combined artist, illustrator
and designer, Noma seeks the
maximum communication with
minimum elements. His books
are design industry must-haves
and he exhibits work worldwide.
This month he provides our
Eurovision illustrations.
NOMA BARR
We put cheeky chappie Blur frontman Damon Albarn on this 1995 cover, and
wondered whether or not wed kick him out of bed. Luckily we decided not, and
18 years on hes a fully edged British musical genius. We also chatted to Christian
Slater and Delia Smith (though regrettably not together), weighed up various
religions and got ahead of our time with a piece about cyber safety. So on it!
18th BIRTHDAY! | ATTITUDE
attitude.co.uk 11
attitude:CULTURE 15
178_ATTITUDECOVERS.indd 11 27/3/09 12:52:21
003 july 1994 004 august 1994 005 september 1994 006 october 1994 007 november 1994
010 february 1995 011 march 1995 012 april 1995 013 may 1995 014 june 1995
017 september 1995 018 october 1995 019 november 1995 020 december 1995 021 january 1996
024 april 1996 025 may 1996 026 june 1996 027 july 1996 028 august 1996
031 november 1996 032 december 1996 033 january 1997 034 february 1997 035 march 1997
ATTITUDE | 13
217_FEAT_COVERS.indd 13 20/3/12 16:48:25
DEBATI NG THE HOTNESS OF DAMON ALBARN
ISSUE 20 DECEMBER 1995
BEN KELLY
Originally from Northern
Ireland, Ben has been based in
London for four years, where
he studied at UCL, appeared on
The Voice and became a friend of
Attitude. When hes not making
music, he writes about it, too. In
this issue he interviews Hurts,
Jamie Cullum and Bonnie Tyler.
He likes cofee chains, puppies
and rolling news.
CONTRI BUTORS
ON THE COVER
FROM THE ARCHI VE
231_EDIT_CONTRIBS.indd 6 17/04/2013 16:56:19
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8
EDI TOR S LETTER
Can it be? Could it actually be true? Could we nally be getting a bit of goddamn
sunshine on this shivering country? Ive written a fair bit about climate change and I
think theres a strong chance the world will crash and burn in the not too distant future
(read Boiling Point by Ross Gelbspan, its good for nightmares. Fun!), but my God I could
do with some sun. To celebrate the arrival of summer (eventually), I wont be running
round Stonehenge in a thong inging tulips hither and yon and clanking coconuts
together, but we do have for you our Summer Special.
Yes, once again we celebrate the changing of the seasons by teaming up with the lovely
people at Selfridges to produce an amazing summer style portfolio and also throw a
fantastic fashion show and party in London. And you are invited (rst come, rst
served, obvs). There is a very cool fashion show (men in pants, what you gonna do) in
a specially constructed catwalk in Selfridges basement followed by a party upstairs
in the underwear department, where there are drinks, goody bags and all manner of
exciting things going on. Check out the portfolio that we went all the way to Greece to
shoot on page 86, with details about how to get your free tickets on page 73.
This is also a rather exciting issue because its full of incredible exclusives. First,
we have got the man-wonder that is rugby player and Mr Una Saturday, Ben Foden.
He is the hottest thing I have laid eyes on since we got Will Mellor to show us his
undercarriage in 1999. Inside there are more exclusives. We have the only UK magazine
interview that legendary lm-maker Pedro Almodvar has given to promote his fun
new lm Im So Excited. We also have a gay press exclusive with Hurts and we go behind
the scenes to nd out about all the naughty goings-on at the Eurovision Song Contest.
But perhaps most excitingly we have a gay press exclusive with someone who is a bona
de megastar of the highest order, one of the most iconic gures of contemporary pop
music, queen of Abba, Agnetha Fltskog. We ew to Sweden to meet the apparently
reclusive superstar to talk to her about her new album and how she really feels about
Abba. It is rather amazing.
So if you like what were doing, then take out a subscription. I need to eat. You can get
the magazine online, on iPad, Android or all manner of devices, or you can just have the
magazine sent to you (in discreet packaging so we dont out you to the postman, parents,
wife, head of staf at the Bishops residence, etc). Look out for next month: its our Youth
Issue. See you then ;)
M AT T H E W T O D D E D I T O R
@AT T I T UDE MAG
@MRMAT T HEWT ODD
Download the
latest bespoke
edition now
available
from iTunes
231_EDIT_ED_LETTER#.indd 8 17/04/2013 15:10:45
www.jockey.co.uk
jockey.indd 9 17/04/2013 14:20:25
10
ATTI TUDE | LETTERS
Loved the Beautiful Thing reunion in
@AttitudeMag - getting the DVD out
now and will be booking tickets for
London. Such an important story.
@MrDanielEdwards
Oh @AttitudeMag. If youre going to
have David Witts on the cover why is
he so clothed inside?
@TweetsbyJonesy
Cannot wait to climb into my Onesie
and curl up with a cuppa and the new
@AttitudeMag
@Eamumc
This is potench one of my fave issues
of @AttitudeMag in ages!
@MrBaileyM
Its snowing but im snuggling up to
read my may edition of
@AttitudeMag with the tasty David
Witts on the cover! :D x
@PremWadher
Excuse me @AttitudeMag but you
could have told us before hand that
Glen Berry had turned into a hottie!
@Gnaes
@AttitudeMag Just read in the
latest issue Gay Marriage the enemy
within What a relief to read an
article on this issue not full of hatred
@bluefox42
Just read in @AttitudeMag that
thebomber jacket is in this season.
Result. Cant wait to dust off my little
blue Gap number! #result
@JonMundy79
tinyurl.com/facebookattitude
twitter.com/AttitudeMag
attitude@attitude.co.uk
33 Pear Tree Street, London EC1V 3AG
TWEETS
CONTACT
HAVE WITTS ABOUT YOU
Attitude, I salute you for nally
getting that stud David Witts on
the cover. Hes been a favourite of
mine ever since he rst appeared
on EastEnders, and you managed to
make him look even better than
I thought possible. I loved the James
Dean look, it really suits him. But
I think I voice the disappointment
of many when I say that I was sad to
see him only with a shirt on!
MATTHEW, CARDIFF
A GREAT ISSUE
Your piece about gay marriage was
very current and great to read. We
have made so many gains in the
ght for marriage equality, and it
only helps when our most vocal
opponents in politics and religion
are revealed to be hypocrites. An
issue which was once a distant
hope for the gay community is now
being discussed at the top tables
and involves the whole country, and
that shows just how far we have
come. It was nice to see a personal
perspective on it from Ian Marber
as well.
SHANE, NEWCASTLE
PUTTING THE GAY INTO SITCOM
I had heard nothing about this
Vicious show, but after reading Paul
Flynns piece I am now very excited
about it. It looks like something
completely fresh that weve never
had before, telling an untold story
with two theatre legends slap bang
in the middle of it. Looks like it will
fit right in with the great British
comedy shows we know and love.
Plus, I enjoyed the story of Ian
proposing to Derek at the filming.
DOMINIC, YORKSHIRE
BEAUTIFUL MOMENT
I remember Beautiful Thing when
it first came out, and I was just
beginning to understand myself.
Seeing two young men fall in love
on screen was not something I
was used to, and it gave me hope
that other people were in the same
position as me. It was, and remains,
such an important piece in gay
culture, and you have rightly given
it pride of place in this months
issue, with the original interview on
the iPad, and even Suranne Jones
in How Gay are You? Getting my
tickets booked for the revival now!
STEVE, KENT
ROCK ON
As a gay rocker, it was really nice
to read Ian Galeas story. I think
people are surprised when they learn
that people like me and Ian are gay
because of how we look, but its good
to break peoples stereotypes, and hes
right the more alternative scenes
tend to be much more accepting. Best
of luck to him with the RockHARD
night in Manchester.
JAMES, MERSEYSIDE
231_EDIT_LETTERS#.indd 10 17/04/2013 15:13:10
Deciem.indd 11 17/04/2013 14:14:42
sendoptics.com

U S E D I S C O U N T C O D E A T T 1 2 3 A T C H E C K O U T
15% D I S C O U N T
glasses AD.indd 12 16/04/2013 12:05:52
send optics.indd 12 17/04/2013 14:31:37
13
S
H
O
T
B
Y
H
O
L
L
Y
F
A
L
C
O
N
E
R
Vest by Marc Jacobs at Harrods, shorts from Topman, sneakers from New Balance at Urban Outftters
ED DREWETT
ON PALLING
UP WITH
OLLY MURS
P.20
EDI T | ATTI TUDE
FILM/MUSIC
TV/NEWS/OPINION
PERFORMANCE
STYLE/BOOKS
AND BOYS
O
U
R
GUI D
E

T
O
231_EDIT_OPENER.indd 13 17/04/2013 15:52:37
14
T H E
PALOMA I N THE WOODS
Paloma Faith will cap of regular arena
dates (including the O2 London) with a series
of Forest Live dates, where shell perform in
woodlands around the country. You know, to
tone down the quirk.
Nationwide, May 27 to July 5. palomafaith.com
MUSIC
SEASI DE SHORTS
The new swim shorts from Orlebar Brown feature aerial photos of
seaside bliss from photographer Gray Malins A La Plage, A La Piscine
collection, digitally printed onto the classic Bulldog-style shorts.
Available at Selfridges
STYLE
THEATRE
SWEET LI KE
CHOCOLATE
Sam Mendes is bringing the
classic Roald Dahl book to the
West End stage in a brand new
musical promising to be the
delicious treat of the summer.
Previews from May 17, Theatre
Royal Drury Lane, London.
charlieandthechocolatefactory.com
T H I N G S W E L O V E T H I S M O N T H
231_EDIT_A LIST#.indd 14 17/04/2013 15:14:57
15
WORDS BY BEN KELLY
HAI M
Since being named BBCs Sound of 2013,
Californian sisterly trio Haim are fast becoming the
hottest band on the scene. Catch them at pre-festival
shows in Glasgow and London before they get huge.
May 27, SWG3, Glasgow; May 30, KOKO, London.
haimtheband.com
MUSIC
HOUSE OF CARDS
Kevin Spacey is a scheming senator in the US remake
of the UK series that merges The West Wing with Richard
III. Get it on DVD if you havent already seen it on Netix.
Available on DVD and Blu-ray from June 10
DVD
PATTI LUPONE
The Broadway legend is making a rare UK appearance with
a week of intimate London shows. Expect career anecdotes and
iconic signature songs from Evita, Gypsy and Sunset Boulevard.
June 16-23. leicestersquaretheatre.com
MUSIC
CHARITY
NATI ONAL AI DS
TRUSTS SPRI NG
AWAKENI NG
Christopher Biggins hosts
this years National AIDS
Trust agship fundraiser,
featuring a live set from
Erasures Andy Bell. A
glamorous night of drinks and
canaps, with an auction of
money cant buy prizes.
Haberdashers Hall, London,
May 30. nat.org.uk
231_EDIT_A LIST#.indd 15 17/04/2013 15:15:30
FIVE (REALLY BAD) REASONS FOR HAVING SEX
twitter @Joe_Stone_
A recent survey has highlighted
some of the hilarious reasons why
we have sex. Apparently, six out of 10
people admitted to having done it out
of boredom, while 22% had done so
out of pity for their partner, and 18%
had slept with someone out of spite.
Spite! Do we assume that they mean
that the other person really didnt
want to? Isnt that plain old-fashioned
rape? Or do we think they did it to
spite someone else? That probably
makes more sense, but still Nice.
Once you step away from the
because youre married and you
wish to procreate prerogative (which
Im guessing most of you already
have), what are the truly justiable
reasons for having sex with
someone? Because you love them?
If that were the case Id only have
had sex with two boys, which, TBH,
isnt exactly the case. How about
because you really fancy them? Is
that OK? One things for sure, thanks
to my winning combination of being
prepared to do almost anything
to get out of a socially awkward
situation (usually by running head
rst into an even more awkward one)
and making terrible rash decisions,
Ive had sex for some TERRIBLE
reasons. These are ve of the worst.
Im not proud of any of them but
what can you do? (Keep your pants
on The World.)
To get out of a date
Ever gone out for a drink with a new
friend and realised that you are,
in fact, on a date? Awkward. You
really like them but not like that. Its
dawning on you that they probably
have a romantic interest in you but
you dont want to ask outright in
case youve completely misread
the situation. What you need is an
opportunity to demonstrate that
youre not into them, without looking
like a total prick. So, when they
introduce you to an acquaintance
after six pints you go home and have
sex with him. Simple! (Yes, I am a
total prick.)
Because all my friends thought he was t
Despite being unappealingly
stubborn in many, many respects,
Im quite susceptible when it comes
to the lusty inuence of my friends.
If somebody tells me another guy is
sexy enough times, I start to believe
them. This has got me into some
sticky situations.
Because I was at an exceptionally
boring party
Im not saying I wouldnt have had
sex with him if I hadnt been at a
boring party, because he was really
handsome and quite funny. But, as I
expect youre coming to learn, for me
its all about context. The boring party
was the catalyst for our glorious
union I wouldnt have had sex with
him had we met at, for instance, the
supermarket. All. About. Context.
Because I wanted to stop him sleeping
with someone I actually liked
This has happened twice. Once was
when I knew a boy I was sleeping
with fancied someone else, so I slept
with the boy he fancied to try and
abolish the attraction. It didnt work.
Then I had to sleep with him a second
time to prove that the rst time wasnt
just to put the boy I actually liked
of him. I had basically prostituted
myself to my own scheming.
Because he looked a bit like a
celebrity I fancied
This approach probably accounts
for 80% of the bad decisions I have
ever made. Notably, the only time
I did actually sleep with a celebrity
I fancied, I was so drunk that I
threw up in his en suite and we both
just pretended it hadnt happened.
Romantic, eh?
MICHAEL DOUGLAS AS LIBERACE
Weve seen the lm but were not
allowed to say what we think just yet...!
KYLIE & DARK CHILD
Theres a new album, apparently.
Shes got shot of the old manager
and its all going on!
DAFT PUNK
Da funk. Da rock. Da pop. Da everyone
says you have to like them to be cool, so
were going with it as its very important
to t in, even if its actually impossible
and doesnt mean anything (Punk pride).
DAVID SEDARIS
Funny. Read Me Talk Pretty One Day.
GENERAL ZOD
From the new Superqueer movie.
Amazing. Wonder if hes a Zodomite.
EMPIRE OF THE SUN
Actual balls of actual amaze.
HENRY CAVILLS HAIR
Bit too 80s Hamptons Preppie lawyer
for us to look much like Superman,
but what can you do.
WHITE PARTY
White party, blue party, fukkin oblong
fukkin hexagonal party. WHATS THE
POINT?! *Runs of, plays hopscotch*
MICHAEL HOWARD
Satans little helper on Earth.
FRENCH PHOBES :
We love le French but why do you
not like the gays getting married, mes
amis? ETC NOTHING TO WITH THE
RELIGIOUS, IS IT?!
JEREMY IRONS
We like you, especially as the Lion in
The Lion King. AS YOU DO. Please dont
say daft things about equal marriage and
we wont marry our dads. Deal? Deal.
(Screams: WTF!)
WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH
As we went to press they were blaming
the Boston bombings on us. Please lets
not mention them ever again.
16
the one time
i slept with
a celebrity
i fancied,
i was so
drunk that
i threw up in
his en suite
Joe Stone
IS ON IT
S
E
X
UPPERS
DOWNERS
231_EDIT_JOE-UPPERS.indd 16 17/04/2013 15:50:43
PECCA.indd 17 17/04/2013 14:27:51
ATTI TUDE | EDI T
18
Dear Harper,
I wish to make a sausage
casserole for a dinner
party. Is this the done
thing in 2013?
Tobias, Surrey Quays
LIFESTYLE
ADVICE FROM
OUR NEW
FAVOURITE
FASHIONISTA
TOP
V
VI RALS
1
Cher:
denitely
not dead.
2
3
Thatcher
behind
the scenes.
Zulu gay
wedding
in South Africa.
4
Michael
Douglas
in Liberace
biopic.
5
Beyoncs
a Grown
Woman with
Pepsi.
IMAGE: GETTY
bit.ly/16Pf0V
bit.ly/10Z0KW0
bit.ly/YLrNF5
bit.ly/16MXM9F
bit.ly/11U87zs
H
A
R
P
O
N
CONCLUSION:
ITS NOT FOR
US TO GUESS
WHY, BUT
THOSE PANTS
SPEAK FOR
THEMSELVES
T HE PACK AGE
SEEN HERE IN
HIS NATURAL
HABITAT, JON WAS
RECENTLY ASKED
TO START WEARING
UNDERWEAR ON THE
SET OF MAD MEN
Harper says,
My esteemed Tobias, by all
means, but please festoon your abode with
merriment and jollity if one wishes to serve
cuisine of such an ironic manner. Irony is
paramount! Wear something suitable, be
merry in your manner and remember to host
as you would wish to be hosted. Be judicious
in your choice of banger (ha!), and if at all
troubled by any of your guests reactions to
said rustic plate, then never forget that help is
at hand from a local catering company. I send
you richest felicitations for a perfunctory
evening at the very least and an optimum
celebration at best. A bientt.
J O N H A M M
THE ALLAMERI CAN
MAD MAN
231_EDIT_THE PACKAGE#.indd 18 17/04/2013 15:17:03
easy jet.indd 19 17/04/2013 14:16:12
20
ESSEX BOY ED DREWETT
WRITES NUMBER-ONE POP
SONGS, FOR OTHER PEOPLE.
HERE HE TALKS ABOUT
DOING IT FOR HIMSELF
Sweater and jeans
by Paul Smith at
Harrods, sneakers
by Nike
ED S
231_EDIT_ED DRUITT#.indd 20 17/04/2013 15:21:09
21
It should, in theory, be the easiest
sell in the world. For Ed Drewett is hot,
funny and can pen a number-one-selling
tune when he wants to.
But the world, kids, does not always
work the way we want it to. For despite
putting together The Wanteds big-
time single All Time Low, when it came
to launching his own singing career in
2010, Essex boy Ed stalled. There was
a single, Champagne Lemonade, all right,
but then he went through two successive
record companies without getting his
debut album out. Frustrating, much?
Ive only really had a couple of days
where Ive felt really shit, says the
25-year-old blondie who cuts his own
hair, but other than that I have so
much faith in the music that I write. That
sounds a bit naf but thats what keeps
me going.
So much so that, in between writing
gigs for the likes of Olly Murs, Ed
decided to put the album Blink out on
his own, starting with lead-of track
Drunk Dial, an indicator of the geezerish
pop thats become a bit of a Drewett
trademark. No wonder, then, that he hit
it of with Murs, pops prince of mum-
friendly swagger, when they got together
to write for the latters second record.
They got on so well that Ed ended up on
Ollys Caribbean lads holiday earlier
this year, the pap pics of which are worth
a Google for the more pop-perv-minded
among you.
We all got pissed a lot, recalls Ed of
the sunshine jolly. On the last day, me
and Ollys mate Jake said, Today is
gonna be a little bit more mental than
the night before. So its like half-nine in
the morning and the butler brought out
some Cheerios. So I was like, Right, lets
put some beer on the Cheerios and call it
Beerios, and we ate it and it was awful.
Despite the beers-for-breakfast larks,
both Olly and Ed share a work ethic that
should, with luck, see the songwriter
nally get to sing his songs.
Ive had a lot of let-downs so Im kind
of at peace with it, Ed says. If it doesnt
work I can say I went for it on my own
and I tried. So Im kind of OK with it not
working. I know that Im always gonna
be able to write songs.
Eds debut album, Blink, is out this summer PHOTOGRAPHER ASSISTED BY JO SCOTCHER STYLING CHRIS HOBBS GROOMING GEMMA WHEATCROFT USING ELEMIS SKINCARE KEVYN AUCOIN MAKE-UP AND BUMBLE AND BUMBLE FOR HAIR
WORDS
COLIN CRUMMY
PHOTOGRAPHY
HOLLY FALCONER
UP
231_EDIT_ED DRUITT#.indd 21 17/04/2013 15:22:16
22
ATTI TUDE | EDI T | THE RULES
SETTLE
ON A
TAKEAWAY
PLAN INTERNATIONAL CUISINE BELIEVE IN BONNIE
SHOT FOR EVERY
12 POINTS...
...OK, A SHOT FOR
EVERY POINT
Words Ben Kelly
HOPE FOR THE BEST
T HE RUL ES
FOR A EUROVISION PARTY
EXPECT THE WORST
MOAN AT EASTERN
BLOC VOTING
CHEERS AT GENEROUS
IRISH VOTING
231_EDIT_THE RULES#.indd 22 17/04/2013 15:26:28
banglads.indd 23 17/04/2013 12:57:57
ATTI TUDE | EDI T
THE REAL MESSAGE FROM THE SAD CASE OF LUCY MEADOWS
Im not one for signing e-petitions
swapped around social media. But
something about the case of Lucy
Meadows, the transgender primary
school teacher in Accrington who
committed suicide soon after her
gender realignment became national
news, caught me ofside. Because I
grew up in the frosted repetition of
northern suburbia, I know its rhythms
and characters well. This case seemed
not only to be about the death of Ms
Meadows but the death of everybodys
small dreams of happiness and
acceptance in places like Accrington.
In the e-petition that I found myself
habitually clicking back to there was
some intimation that the wider media
involvement sparked by a column
written by the noted controversialist
Richard Littlejohn in the Daily Mail may
have had some bearing on Ms Meadows
emotional state. The petitioners called
for Mr Littlejohns sacking and an
apology from his employers.
While hovering over signing, I began
thinking of the kind of supermarket
Ms Meadows would go to and the
conversations she might have buying
shoes in a small northern town. The
tragedy of Ms Meadows appeared to be
one that was an inch away from being
just a local curiosity that locals had
made their peace with. I thought about
the lessons she might teach, about being
her pupil and whether I would like her
or not. She had been accepted by the
children and staf at school. Her story
was so close to being a triumph, its
tragedy loomed ever larger. She was just
a person. I clicked again.
I read Mr Littlejohns piece. He seemed
uncomfortable with, antagonistic
even to the subject of transgenderism,
turning Lucy Meadows into more than
a person: a symbol. Im sure there were
many people in Accrington of a similar
age, disposition and political leaning
Weve wanted to be pals
with Pippa ever since her
booty stole the show at
the royal wedding. Shes
the toast of Chelsea and
only works two days a
week. Apparently. Shes
going to be the fun aunt
to the royal baby, and
may well get of with
Uncle Harry, too. Never
mind being friends,
we literally want to be
her! Well, except for the
awkward book op.
24
to the writer that, before Ms Meadows
case brought it to their doorstep, were
similarly antagonistic. He is paid his
magnicent salary for that very reason.
The silent triumph of the story of Lucy
Meadows is that those local minds
appear to have had their minds changed
by her before national news agencies
got involved. After her suicide, no one
in Accrington had anything but good
to say about their local primary school
teacher. There was an opportunity
here to leave a community and an
individual alone.
Why was her story too irresistible to
editorialise? Perhaps just by choosing
Lucy Meadows; of each story on the
wires that day to direct sensation
towards there was some dread moral
culpability at the Mail. It might have
made no diference. But still they could
have left her alone.
I went against my own instinct and
signed. I dont think Richard Littlejohn
should be sacked. And even if I did, the
aming reaction against him has proven
many are quick to cast caustic judgment
on other peoples intentions. Social
media often behave as much like a
superannuated lynch-mob as the press,
anyway. Ive kind of appalled myself by
jumping aboard.
But on this occasion it would be lovely
to think that all the little triumphs Lucy
Meadows achieved on a local scale
could be matched by one nal, national
ourish to make a columnist on what
is now, without question our national
newspaper, pause for thought before
wading in his opprobrium at executive
level on personal matters. With power
comes responsibility. These local
dramas are resolved best by amazing
local communities who are perfectly
adept at taking their own moral
temperature. The tenacity of small-
town Britain has rarely looked more
impressive or open-minded.
Pre-diving:
Tom lounges by the pool
TOM
DALEY
Whether Kate
turns up or
not, this gal
can throw a
hell of a party.
Paul Flynn
IS OVER IT
Q
u
a
l
i
t
y B
e
z
z
y
P
i
p
p

M
id
d
le
to

Ga
Pa
Th ladies
w lov...
Littlejohn
seemed
antagonistic
to lucy
meadows
and turned
her into a
symbol
231_EDIT_PAUL_GAL PAL#.indd 24 17/04/2013 15:29:15
FIND 2(X)IST AT SELFRIDGES AND OTHER QUALITY RETAILERS
ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.BANGLADS.COM
2xist.indd 25 17/04/2013 12:56:08
ATTI TUDE | EDI T
26
IM HAPPY
TO CONNECT
WITH LOTS
OF GIRLS.
I WANT TO
INSPIRE
THEM
WORDS BEN KELLY
YOUVE BEEN SUPPORTING OLLY MURS
AROUND THE UK. HOWS THAT BEEN?
Its the biggest thing Ive done in my
career, I cant really believe it! Last
summer I did outdoor arenas, but
when its indoors and its dark and full
of ashing lights, thats a bit scarier.
YOUVE TOURED WITH BIEBER AND
MADE FANS IN ONE DIRECTION. HOW
DO GIRL AUDIENCES TAKE TO YOU?
Well I dont think Im very threatening.
I just sing happy pop music, so I think
theyve warmed to me. Theyve all been
excited and supportive at the shows. Im
really happy that Ive connected to lots
of young girls. I want to inspire them.
DO YOU LIKE HAVING THAT CONSTANT
INTERACTION WITH PEOPLE ONLINE?
I love it. A lot of people say it takes
away the mystery but Im not really a
mysterious person! I just love getting
to know as many people as I can. My
Twitter following has doubled to
40,000 I call them my TichFam!
DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THE SAME
CATEGORY AS OTHER BRITISH POP
ACTS LIKE JESSIE J OR LILY ALLEN?
As long as Im a female doing pop there
will always be comparisons made but
I never see myself anywhere near those
girls. Jessie is incredible, and Ive got a
bit of that cheeky Cockney thing, too.
PLAYING THE KEYBOARD IS A BIG
PART OF YOUR ACT.
Yes, I love the piano, Im really
connected to it. I can play a bit of guitar,
but Ive never taken to it. Im passionate
about songwriting as well.
WHAT DO YOU WRITE ABOUT?
I write based on my moods and my
emotions. If Im feeling something, it
just comes out, but I dont sit down to
write consciously. Its a constant thing.
IS YOUR DEBUT ALBUM OUT IN 2013?
Yes, its pretty much done. Ive been
writing so many songs that we keep
adding to it and taking away. I have
incredible connections with my
producers (Matt Prime, Nick Jonas,
Andrew Frampton). The whole album
will be done with them, really.
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO IN
YOUR MUSIC CAREER?
I just want to make a lot of music and
reach out to as many people as I can. Id
also love to do lm scores and maybe
the Disney movies. Thats my dream. Id
love to have themes and write 30 songs
for a musical. Thats really exciting.
Tichs debut single, Dumb, is out on May 12
She counts One
Direction as fans
and has done a UK
tour supporting
Olly Murs. And
shes only 19
T I C H
I N T R O D U C I N G
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231_EDIT_GADGET#.indd 28 17/04/2013 15:39:22
sheffield pride.indd 29 17/04/2013 14:34:26
30
C
U
LTU
R
E C
LU
B
Matthew Cain
With
orn in 1819 on Long
Island, Walt Whitman
worked as a journalist,
teacher and carpenter
before self-publishing the rst
edition of Leaves of Grass in 1855.
It caused a sensation, its prose-
like free verse breaking all the
rules of poetry and its celebration
of the joys of nature rejecting
the convention of rejoicing in
the spiritual. Perhaps most
shockingly, Whitman revelled
CHANNEL 4S MATTHEW CAIN
ON THE 19THCENTURY
AMERICAN POET WHO
SCANDALISED WITH HIS
SEXUALLY EXPLICIT VERSE
The new book from the
writer of On the Holloway
Road is about a man juggling
multiple selves as he
presents diferent faces to the
world. But when a beautiful
woman mistakes him for a
famous blogger, he is forced
into increasingly desperate
measures to maintain the
person she believes him to
be. An intriguing novel about
perception and identity.
A VIRTUAL LOVE
ANDREW BLACKMAN
Barbara Vine, alter-ego of
the prolic Ruth Rendell,
examines betrayal in a
family situation, probing the
themes of illegitimacy and
homosexuality in her new
novel. Set in London and
Devon over half a century ago,
it portrays how social attitudes
have changed, and yet remain
stubbornly the same in many
respects. Sure to be a page-
turning literary event.
THE CHILDS CHILD
From prize-winning author
Aminatta Forna comes a
novel about a man leading a
quiet existence in a Croatian
town. But when an English
family moves into a local
house and hires him for repair
work, ancient passions and
well-buried memories start to
surface Sure to be a riveting
piece of literature from the
writer of Ancestor Stones and
The Memory of Love.
THE HIRED MAN
AMINATTA FORNA
BOOK PREVI EWS
Book previews Will Davis
celebrate what he calls the manly
love of comrades. He wrote the
series after falling in love with
Fred Vaughan, a teenager he
lived with in the late 1850s, and
some of the poems express his
despair at the couples split. But
out of the relationship comes
Whitmans acceptance of his
sexuality and a desire to shout it
out to the world.
In In Paths Untrodden hes
Resolvd to sing no songs today
but those of manly attachment
and in Native Moments he declares,
I will play a part no longer, why
should I exile myself from my
companions? In some of my
favourite lines in the same poem,
he addresses other gay men and
expresses a sense of solidarity
which I nd hugely moving 150
years later.
Oh you shunnd persons, I at
least do not shun you,
I come forthwith in your midst,
I will be your poet,
I will be more to you than to
any of the rest.
He even goes as far as telling us
the kind of man hes attracted to
the lawless, rude, illiterate and
confesses that, I am for those
who believe in loose delights,
I share the midnight orgies of
young men. Try reading that
after a wild weekend and I dare
you not to shudder.
BARBARA VINE
in the sensuality of the human
body, over the years adding to
the collection several poems that
celebrated everything from the
wonders of erections (love-esh
swelling) to ejaculation (jets of
love or love-juice).
As if all that werent enough
for 19th-century readers, much of
the sexuality explored in Leaves
of Grass is what wed now call gay.
In the Calamus poems Whitman
announces his intention to
WALT WHITMAN
TWEETS
@rozgoddard I love the
forensic way Walt Whitman
interrogates the everyday.
He breaks the surface of the
world, dives in.
@Due_Strade Read it a few
years ago: breathtakingly
beautiful.
@Keats_Shelley I suspect I
sing the body electric is one
of the sexier pieces of poetry
in the C19th!
@zach2504 The work of Allen
Ginsberg is certainly infuenced
by Whitman, which is worth
mentioning.
@bakerpictures I like the verse
Song for Occupations, of many
jobs that existed then but
now long gone afer machines
arrived to replace men.
@m_a_r_t_y_n Spent a
beautiful evening in Milan
with Italian I was in love with
translating & reading To a
Stranger 2 each other once.
@Mavro_Arni Hard to say
whether Whitman was
despised more in his home
country for openly loving
men or for being the frst
modern pagan.
@MatthewCainC4
THINK YOU DONT LIKE POETRY?
THINK ITS BORING, WORTHY AND UNSEXY?
WELL THINK AGAIN AND DISCOVER
THE POETRY OF WALT WHITMAN
231_EDIT_CULTURE CLUBBOOKS#.indd 30 17/04/2013 15:43:22
31
EDI T | ATTI TUDE
CLASSI C READ
The tempestuous relationship
between Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas
now stands as one of the most iconic gay love
stories of all time, certainly one of the most
dramatised. Looking at Oscar Wildes own
50,000-word letter of accusation to his Bosie,
its easy to see why.
Written in 1897 during Wildes imprisonment
for gross indecency, the letter is a furious
indictment of Lord Alfred, as a lover, a friend
and a man. Wildes manuscript positively throbs
with passion at Bosies betrayal of his feelings.
He drags up one example after another of the
injustices committed against him, from Bosies
repeated failure to care for Wilde in the same
way that Wilde cared for him, to his readiness to
spend Wildes money.
At the same time, Wilde artfully blames
himself for Bosies spoilt behaviour, careful
to make it seem as though his only real
shortcoming is a willingness to believe in
goodness and ultimately identifying with none
other than Jesus himself.
But even a pen wielded with skill like Wildes
cant disguise from the reader the portrait that
emerges: of a genius who allowed himself to be
destroyed by love, an act for which he ultimately,
had himself to blame. It is this sad truth that
resonates with such power in De Profundis, the
ultimate gay love letter.
DE PROFUNDIS
OSCAR WILDE
A casual glance at Whitmans
diaries conrms his tastes; he
describes in detail picking up
young working-class men on the
streets and taking them home
for sex. But the poet also enjoyed
lengthy, loving relationships,
perhaps most signicantly
with Irish bus conductor Peter
Doyle. The pair met one stormy
R
E
X

F
E
A
T
U
R
E
S
night when Whitman was a
passenger on Doyles horse car.
In an interview after his death,
Doyle said, We were familiar at
once I put my hand on his knee
we understood. Whitman
taught the illiterate Doyle how
to read and the two of them were
photographed looking lovingly
into each others eyes.
But while all the evidence
suggests Whitman was out of
the closet privately, he stopped
short of publicly conrming
his homosexuality. Ever since
the rst edition of Leaves of Grass
was denounced as obscene, hed
been dogged by scandal, with
one critic accusing him of that
horrible sin not to be mentioned
among Christians. Of course,
theres still some resistance to
accepting that Whitman was gay,
particularly as hes widely taught
in American schools. But theres
no doubt that he was. Just dip
into Leaves of Grass its all there.
And I love it. For me it opens
up a space for reection in our
frantically paced modern lives
and ofers a retreat from the
brutalising inuence of the more
self-destructive lifestyles that
can take a tight hold on so many
of us. But you have to be brave
enough to read it. Go on, I dare
you. And then tell me poetry
isnt sexy.
Born May 31, 1819, died
March 26, 1892.
Friends with Oscar Wilde who, afer
visiting him in 1882, boasted, I have the
kiss of Walt Whitman still on my lips.
Infuenced the Beat poets,
DH Lawrence, Bram Stoker, Benjamin
Britten and Isadora Duncan.
Quoted by Madonna in her song
Sanctuary on the Bedtime Stories
album and ofen referenced in
American TV series Breaking Bad.
FACT FI LE
231_EDIT_CULTURE CLUBBOOKS#.indd 31 17/04/2013 15:43:48
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MUSI C REVI EWS | EDI T | ATTI TUDE
33
Lyrically, Little Boots is still the
girl at the disco but she digs deeper
musically on Nocturnes, moving
closer to Goldfrapp territory on
songs such as Broken Record. Here
she goes back to basics, referencing
70s disco on Beat Beat, and house
inuences of the 80s and 90s on
Every Night. Full of nostalgia and
retro, its a creative sophomore efort.
Ben Kelly
In a rare retreat from her life of seclusion
in Stockholm, Abbas blonde bombshell,
Agnetha, is back with a new solo album in
English her rst in nearly a decade. Lead
single When You Really Love Someone is a
triumphant pop track with a soaring chorus
somewhere between Abba and Take That,
thanks to the writing skills of our own Gary
Barlow. He sings on another track, where
Agnetha notes that their voices work so well
together. Classic production with a slightly
modern edge leaves her sounding like Lana
Del Reys nan on melancholic tracks such as
Flower and Past Forever. Largely a mid-tempo
record, it seems Agnetha knows where she
stands when shes playing solo.
Ben Kelly
Its not every day you come across a singer
who plays classical violin, but thats exactly
how 24-year-old Marques Toliver was
discovered, busking on the streets of NYC.
This debut album delivers beautifully crafted
songs, showing of his talent and skill, with
similar vocals to John Legend. Already
known for writing deep lyrics, often with gay
themes, Land of CanAan references biblical
and American notions of slavery, taking the
listener on a 10-song journey its a solid
piece without a ller in sight. With Adele as a
fan and a Jools Holland appearance in the bag,
Toliver is surely a musical sensation in the
making. Watch your back, Frank Ocean.
Ben Kelly
Nice girl, that Gaby Aplin, even if
her cover of The Power of Love for John
Lewis did get us sobbing into the
eggnog this Christmas. Her debut
album is packed with pretty folk-
pop songs but its not soft. Maybe
you were happy, I was bored, she
tells a tedious ex on Panic Cord. On
this evidence, shes the kind of nice
girl we like one with a feisty side.
Nick Levine
The Dixie Chicks star has made
her rst solo record with a mix of
originals and classic rock covers.
Shes steering in a diferent direction
but her distinctive voice cant escape
her famous band. At times the music
is sparse, like the Pink Floyd cover
that titles the album, but has rockier
moments. Its experimental, but she
knows what shes talking about.
Ben Kelly
Beyoncs
summer plans
One Direction
vs The Wanted
Bonnie Tyler
at Eurovision
PIE CHARTS
50%
Homoerotic
50%
Homophobic
40%
Where
am I?
15%
Bacardi
Breezers
10%
Key
change
5%
Leather
5%
Builders
hat
5%
Whooaaa
Body
Form
20%
Smoke/wind
machine
LITTLE BOOTS
NOCTURNES /
ON REPEAT
4/5 3 /5
3 /5
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APLIN
ENGLISH RAIN/
PARLOPHONE
NATALIE
MAINES
MOTHER / SONY
AGNETHA
A / POLYDOR
MARQUES TOLIVER
LAND OF CANAAN / BELLA UNION
20%
Defeating North
Korea
20%
Creating
a clone
30%
Album
no 5
20%
Plotting royal
baby/Blue Ivy
matchmaking
10%
Teaching Blue
Ivy the Single
Ladies dance
3 /5
3 /5
231_EDIT_MUSIC review#.indd 33 17/04/2013 15:47:08
34
Star Trek whether in its
multiple cinematic or TV incarnations
is a miraculously gay-friendly
phenomenon. Put it down to the socially
inclusive sensibility of its founder,
Gene Roddenberry, whose original
vision of the USS Enterprise and its
crew members was sexually equal and
racially diverse (the show famously
featured US televisions rst interracial
kiss). Or the buddy-buddy closeness
of Captain James T Kirk (William
Shatner) and the logic-obsessed
Mr Spock (Leonard Nimoy), who is
forever grappling with the vagaries of
human emotions. And while were on
the subject of Spock, can it really be a
coincidence that his fathers planet of
origin shares its name with an old UK
gay porn magazine (Vulcan)?
Then there are the camp or
extravagant villains, notably the
glamorous Khan, played with
matinee-idol pomp and swagger
by Ricardo Montalban, originally
in the 1967 episode Space Seed,
and then again in the excellent
1982 lm Star Trek II: The Wrath
of Khan. (Montalban may be the
most romantic smoothie of all sci-
villains, wrote the critic
Pauline Kael. He looks
like an Inca priest) Maybe Star Treks
gay appeal comes down to nothing more
than the butt-hugging black kecks and
brightly coloured jumpers sported by
the cast. But something about the Star
Trek universe has always made it the
science-ction entertainment of choice
for viewers whose imaginations reach
over the rainbow.
JJ Abrams snazzy reboots Star Trek
in 2010, and now its 3D sequel, Star
Trek: Into Darkness have done nothing
to diminish this aspect. What do you
expect when you cast as Captain Kirk
the twinkly eyed pretty boy Chris
Pine, and then give him an entire scene
rolling around in his underwear? Or
when your Dr Spock (Zachary Quinto)
is one of the few out gay actors in
Hollywood? Not that Quinto is the rst
Trek cast member to boldly go out of the
closet: George Takei, who played
Sulu in the original series
and six feature lms, bows to
no man in his openness; in
recent years he has popped
up as a gay fairy godfather
on popular nerdcom
The Big Bang Theory.
Now, there are women on
board the Enterprise, and
a very important role
they play, too. But lets not disregard
entirely the sexual tension that is bound
to arise when there are so many men
cooped up together in a conned space,
and when one of them was as Davy
Jones-ishly adorable as Chekov, the
pocket-sized Russian Second Of cer.
Chekov was played by Walter Koenig
and installed as a direct sop to teenage
viewers; the characters cuteness
factor went into overdrive once Anton
Yelchin took over the part in Abrams
instalments.
At the time of writing, the new Star Trek
lm has yet to be unveiled. But with
dashing Benedict Cumberbatch as the
villain, and Abrams pledging to look
into the long-overdue inclusion of one
or more gay characters, the darkness
referred to in its title is unlikely to be
that of the closet.
Star Trek: Into Darkness opens on May 9
Words Ryan Gilbey
5
4
3
Klingon Kang from the
original series, always
up to no good.
Tribbles. Well they
get everywhere.
Captain of the USS
Voyager, silver-
tongued Captain
Kathryn Janeway.
Weyoun of Star Trek
Deep Space Nine, camp as
Christmas, and then some.
1 2
From The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine
and Voyager, the
omnipotent Q.
Fabulous
wardrobe!
ATTI TUDE | FI LM
Spock Uhura
Khan Chekov
Kirk Gay Spock
Sul u
K
l in
g
o
n
B
ir
d
o
f
P
r
e
y
U
S
S

E
n
t
e
r
p
r
i
s
e
N
C
C
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1
7
0
1
231_EDIT_FILM REVIEWS#.indd 34 17/04/2013 16:01:32
35
NEW RELEASES | ATTI TUDE
3/5
3/5
The ninth edition of this
praiseworthy series delivers
another eclectic, genre-bending
collection of LGBT shorts from
around the globe. Its always
intriguing to see gay experiences
ltered through the lens of other
cultures: top marks in this batch
goes to Family Afair from Brazil,
which depicts a council-estate
youth trying to t in with his
brothers friends; Its Not a Cowboy
Film, a tale of French classmates
chatting about Brokeback Mountain
the morning after it has been shown
on TV; and our gold-star winner
the accomplished Prora, in which
a French and German teen explore
a vast, deserted holiday complex
built by the Nazis.
Available now
BOYS ON FILM 9:
YOUTH IN TROUBLE
Javier Cmara, Cecilia Roth, Lola Dueas
Considering Pedro Almodvars last lm, The Skin I Live In, was such a chilling house
of horrors, the volte-face he pulls with this extravagantly camp airborne comedy
couldnt be more startling. But also welcome, with our man Pedro snuggling up to
his feisty, funny 80s work like a drowning man clinging to a life raft. The screwball
set-up couldnt be simpler: when a Peninsula Airways ight develops engine trouble
after take-of, the crew drugs the economy cabin to stop them complaining, leaving the
pilots and business-class passengers (including Roths dominatrix and Dueass virgin
psychic) in the hands of three gay ight attendants (Cmara, Ral Arvalo and Carlos
Areces). Theyre a amboyant, mescaline-ingesting Greek chorus whose salty chatter
gives way to carnal antics and a choreographed routine of the titular disco smash. If
Almodvar feels like taking a break from dark materials, who are we to complain?
Frothy fun, with cameos from Penlope Cruz and Antonio Banderas to boot.
Released on May 3
Gemma Arterton, Saoirse Ronan
Youre forgiven if the diabolical Hansel & Gretel:
Witch Hunters made you swear of Gemma Arterton
for a while. But trust us, this vampire thriller is
heaps more fun. Its also a century-hopping jumble,
although the campy, vampy Arterton, dressed in
sex-shop skimpies, has a blast playing her role
like a blood-sucking drag queen. The always
winning Ronan brings the mope as Gemmas sulky
daughter, and director Neil Jordan (Interview with
the Vampire) revels in his return to gore.
Released on May 31
BYZANTIUM
I'M SO EXCITED!
Reviews Matt Mueller
Riz Ahmed, Liev Schreiber, Kate Hudson
Mira Nair makes a decent st of adapting
Mohsin Hamids best-seller, mostly capturing
the complexity of a novel that slams extremism
of any variety. Ahmed is superb as Changez, the
Pakistani whose American dream (Wall Street job,
rich artist girlfriend in the miscast Hudson) goes
sour post-9/11 and who ends up a terror suspect
back in modern-day Lahore, where hes now an
Islamic studies lecturer. Changezs journey, told
in ashback, is compelling; the CIA thriller Nair
plasters across the top like sloppy cement, less so.
Released on May 10
THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST
3/5
Steve Coogan, Anna Friel, Imogen Poots
British smut-mag pioneer Paul Raymond, whose
London property empire saw him dubbed The
King of Soho, gets a biopic that falls between
two stools. On the one hand, director Michael
Winterbottom and Coogan relish the happy
hedonism of Raymonds self-made rise drug-
hoovering, mistresses. On the other, they attempt
to deliver an emotional sting in Raymonds soft-
hearted relationship with beloved daughter Debbie
(Poots). Neither strand satises nor delivers.
In cinemas now
THE LOOK OF LOVE
2/5
DVD
RELEASE
231_EDIT_FILM REVIEWS#.indd 35 17/04/2013 16:17:34
36
ATTI TUDE | FEATURE Words Xxxxxxxxxxx Photography Xxxxxxxxxxx
BI G GAY FOL LOWI NG
PEDRO
One of the worlds most
successful and distinctive lm
directors is back with one
of his campiest lms to date.
With a UK exclusive interview,
Attitude meets the Spanish genius
231_EDIT_BGF#.indd 36 17/04/2013 15:56:58
ALMODVAR
G
E
T
T
Y

IM
A
G
E
S
231_EDIT_BGF#.indd 37 17/04/2013 15:57:26
38
ATTI TUDE | FEATURE
231_EDIT_BGF#.indd 38 17/04/2013 15:57:59
39
BI G GAY FOLLOWI NG | ATTI TUDE
Since launching his career in the late 70s, Spains most celebrated
lm-maker, Pedro Almodvar, has always treated the sexual
predilections and passions of his characters with an unjudgmental
eye. Whether gay, straight, bisexual, transsexual, porn star or
kidnapper, they meet and fall in love in any and all combinations.
He has also ercely resisted stereotypying, and, in that sense, his
new lm, the frothy airborne comedy Im So Excited!, is a departure.
Its trio of trolley-dolly protagonists Joserra, Ulloa and Fajas
are the most amboyant gay men ever to have minced through an
Almodvar movie. When a technical failure aboard threatens their
Peninsula Airways ight, this chatty trio drug the economy class
passengers and turn the business-class cabin and pilots cockpit into
a hedonistic den of tequila-swilling, drug-taking, orgiastic sex and
choreographed dance routines.
If only Attitudes ight to Madrid to meet Almodvar had been this
much fun. The headquarters of his production company, El Deseo,
occupies a ve-storey building in the citys swish Salamanca district
and is decorated with jumbo-sized posters from his lms (Volver, All
About My Mother, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!).
We happen to meet the same day that Margaret Thatcher died,
although Almodvar is far more concerned by the same-day passing
of one of his beloved icons, the Spanish singer-actress Sara Montiel.
Im very sorry for Sara Montiel but in my heart there is no place for
Margaret Thatcher, he says. She was a very bad example for some
of the Spanish politicians that are now in power. Having grown
up in Francos shadow, Almodvar laments the fact that the spirit
of La Movida, the Madrid-based owering of cultural and sexual
liberation that exploded in the Spanish dictators wake, is growing
ever more distant. When I think of those years it seems like some
sort of mirage. But I dont want to be pessimistic.
While Im So Excited! references Spains economic crisis, Almodvar
wants it to be embraced as he intended: a giddy escapist comedy.
Rebottling the screwball spirit of 80s comedies such as Women on
the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, the lm feels like an exuberant
love letter to the fans who have long adored him for embracing
transgressive themes. While Almodvar has always endeared
himself to gay moviegoers, hes also guarded his private life with
ferocity. The temptation is there to ask him whether the younger
man accompanying him from the hospital is his current partner. But
when he recounts a story about snapping one journalists head of
after he had dared pose such an impudent query, that temptation is
best resisted.
Nonetheless, Almodvar, who has often appeared reluctant to
discuss his sexuality in print, is more than happy to do so with
Attitude, speaking with lively exuberance about Im So Excited!, his
early years in Madrid and his desire to be young again
I M SO EXCITED! CAPTURES THE SPIRIT OF YOUR CAMP, ANARCHIC
1 980S COMEDIES, IN PARTICULAR WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS
BREAKDOWN. WAS IT FUN GOING BACK TO YOUR ROOTS?
I actually thought that making this lm would be a much lighter
experience for me than the lms Ive been making but it wasnt like
that at all. For the actors it was just a party, day after day. But comedy
is one of the most difcult genres because it requires much more
precision. But the lm was a joy for all of us to make, particularly
because it took me back to the tone of the rst lms that I made when
I started of my career. It became unconsciously a kind of tribute to
the 80s. That decade impregnated my memories when I was writing.
YOUR FILMS ARE OFTEN BEING TURNED INTO PLAYS, INCLUDING A
WOMEN ON THE VERGEMUSICAL THAT S COMING TO THE WEST END
THIS YEAR. THIS ONE IS SET ALMOST ENTIRELY INSIDE A PASSENGER
PLANE. DID YOU HAVE THE STAGE IN MIND?
No, what I had in my head was the typical American screwball
comedy. But I did have this red curtain in the lm because they have
to separate the spaces on the plane, and the idea there is denitely
to bring the impression of a theatre stage curtain. And the three
stewards, theyre just perfect for some sort of Broadway musical
comedy; theyre like the chorus in a Greek tragedy.
ARE YOU INVOLVED AT ALL IN THE WOMEN ON THE VERGE MUSICAL,
WHICH OPENED ORIGINALLY ON BROADWAY IN 201 0?
Im coming to London for the rst workshop. Its the same team but
not the same actors. They are going to approach it in a completely
diferent way to what it was on Broadway and Im very comfortable
with that. But I try not to interfere.
IS I M SO EXCITED! AN ATTEMPT TO PUT A BIT OF LIGHTNESS BACK
INTO YOUR WORK AFTER TWO DARK TRAGEDIES, BROKEN EMBRACES AND
THE SKIN I LIVE IN?
I wanted to go back to comedy and, thinking about the situation we
are living with now in Spain, I thought it was a good idea to release
a comedy in this moment. I think its great to be able to celebrate
at this time just being alive, and also to remind people that the
greatest gift given to us by nature is sex, and to pay tribute to the
new freedoms that we gained here in Spain. Its a good time to think
about those things.
BESIDES BEING A LOVE LETTER TO THAT EARLY CAREER EXUBERANCE,
THE FILM ALSO FEELS LIKE A CELEBRATION OF GAY SEXUALITY.
I wouldnt say its necessarily a celebration of homosexuality itself.
Its more to do with the fact that its a screwball comedy. When
youre doing a crazy comedy and its set inside a plane, the obvious
[ WORDS MATT MUELLER]
L EF T
Posters for High Heels
(1991) and All About
My Mother (1999)
231_EDIT_BGF#.indd 39 17/04/2013 15:58:32
40
ATTI TUDE | BI G GAY FOLLOWI NG
RI GHT
Titillation in Kika (1993)
and shooting for Bad
Education (2004)
OPPOSI T E PAGE
The Skin I Live In (2011),
Penlope Cruz in
Volver (2006) and
Law of Desire (1987)
thing is to make the three ight attendants who are your main
characters as amboyant as you can. These three are more overtly
feminine compared to my other gay characters. But Im more
celebrating the explosion of freedoms that we gained back in the
1980s than homosexuality itself. Its a celebration of feelings and its
a celebration of sexuality itself, whether its bisexual, heterosexual,
homosexual, and with virgins or non-virgins.
HAVE YOU EVER DRUNK A VALENCIA COCKTAIL LACED WITH MESCALINE,
WHICH IS WHAT THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS SERVE BUSINESS CLASS?
Oh yes. It was a cocktail very in vogue in the mid-80s, a bit like a
Bellini. The real cocktail didnt include mescaline but in 1985 we
tried mixing it with mescaline and they were very efective. It was
an extremely strong aphrodisiac. I think it lasted only two years
because people really went a bit crazy with that concoction.
DO YOU FEEL NOSTALGIA FOR THOSE HEADY DAYS OF DRUG-TAKING AND
SEXUAL LIBERATION THAT YOU EXPERIENCED IN MADRID AT THE TIME?
More than nostalgic, Id just like to be young again. The 80s
coincided with two things: it was a new democracy, the new opening
up of Spain, and I was also very young at the time. It was the ideal
combination. But times have changed, the world has changed. Im
diferent. Weve all changed over the years, for the worse, I fear. The
Madrid now is not the Madrid of the 80s because the young people
today are not the same as we were. Madrid used to be the city that
lived through the night but now thats gone. I think I had much more
freedom when I started of being a director than someone like me
would have today. And thats more than nostalgia, I think.
YOU FIRST MOVED TO MADRID AGAINST YOUR PARENTS WISHES, WHEN
YOU WERE 17. SPAIN WAS STILL UNDER FRANCO. WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR
A YOUNG, LIVELY GAY PERSON DURING THE DICTATORSHIP?
I came from a small village, so Madrid for me symbolised freedom.
It was a chance for me to see lms, go to the theatre, live my own
life. But I also went to London in the early 70s, and that meant much
more freedom. It was the moment of what they called the permissive
society. It was also when glam rock was hitting the headlines, and
David Bowie. Everyones paying tribute to the great Bowie now. At
that time he was a completely liberating experience.

DID YOU GO TO GIGS WHEN YOU CAME TO LONDON, OR WERE YOU
LISTENING TO MUSIC IN CLUBS?
I went to both. I remember going to see Alice Cooper, Roxy Music.
I even went to a club called Sombreros where I dont know if its
true or not they say David Bowie used to go to, which was near
High Street Kensington. That was the only gay place that I went to
in London because all the waiters were Spanish so I could get in for
free. Lots of people from the music scene used to hang out there. And
I went almost every day to the cinematheque on the South Bank,
even though my English was worse than now.
AND WHAT ABOUT MADRID WERE THERE PLACES TO GO? WHAT KIND
OF SOCIAL LIFE DID YOU HAVE?
Ive never gone to gay clubs. Ive spent my spare time, my life in
general, in the same way as any heterosexual. I live, work and love
in mixed places. Ive never liked ghettos. But that doesnt mean that
the life of someone openly gay was easy during the dictatorship.
Not at all. Gay clubs did exist under Franco; they existed a lot. But
homosexuality was prosecuted and they could put you in prison in
the blink of an eye. There was this law for the idle and delinquent
that included homosexuality as a punishable crime. When I arrived
in Madrid there were so many things to enjoy that I almost didnt
realise the underlying horror. Except for some specic moments,
I didnt have to face that horror personally.
WHEN DID THINGS REALLY CHANGE FOR THE BETTER?
I remember that fear was in the air, and I remember how that fear
disappeared in 1977. Freedom became tangible, something you could
feel. For me what was important was the opportunity to write short
scripts and make Super-8 movies. Before Franco died we were free
inside, behind closed doors, just not outside. The 70s was such an
important time for me. I was making short lms, I was in the theatre,
even my day job working at Telefnica was a learning experience
because I was nding out about the middle classes, which came to be
important later in my lms. But if I hadnt thought the dictatorship
was going to end, I would have gone to live in Paris or London.
FROM THE START, YOU CREATED EXPLICITLY SEXUAL NARRATIVES AND
HONED YOUR SIGNATURE STYLE FOR FOCUSING ON STRONG FEMALE
CHARACTERS. DID YOU FEEL YOU COULD DO ANYTHING IN FILM?
The canvas was blank because I was at the beginning and there was
freedom. But I had nancial limitations, experience limitations.
I didnt have money to make the rst movie [1978s Fuck Me, Fuck Me,
Fuck Me, Tim!] so we did something that now has a name crowd-
funding. But what I did have was unlimited desire to become the
lm-maker I wanted to be. So I made the rst couple of no-budget
movies and people talked about them and I got the chance to make
lm number three, Labyrinth of Passion, which I actually had a budget
to make. I was very fortunate. If Id become a director ve years
before, I dont think there would have been the interest internationally
because it wasnt until 1985 that people started to say, Oh look, Spains
changing, Madrids changing. I was just there at the right time.
231_EDIT_BGF#.indd 40 17/04/2013 15:58:57
41
BI G GAY FOLLOWI NG | ATTI TUDE
I READ ONCE THAT YOU DISLIKED BEING CALLED A GAY DIRECTOR, OR
COMPARED TO OTHER GAY DIRECTORS WHO MAKE SO-CALLED WOMEN S
PICTURES, LIKE GEORGE CUKOR. IS THAT DISTINCTION STILL
IMPORTANT TO YOU?
I remember saying that. Here in Spain no one calls anyone a gay
director or says they make gay movies. Maybe you get it in the
US and England but here nobody pigeonholes you. In the US they
always introduce you as the gay director. I said, Why do you do
that when youd never say, This is Ronald Reagan, the straight
president? Im not saying its negative at all to say Im homosexual,
Im simply saying that there is no sexuality in lm itself. I mean,
there are lm-makers like Derek Jarman who were militant in
their approach but Im not like that. Truman Capote was a so-
called amboyant gay but you would never say that In Cold Blood
was a gay novel. They pin these adjectives on you so quickly and
unthinkingly I just think theyre rude.
ARE YOU A FAN OF THE CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD FILMS WITH STRONG GAY
SENSIBILITIES, LIKE CUKOR S THE WOMEN?
I love George Cukors movies but my movies are not like his. Except
perhaps Im So Excited!; that is the one lm Ive made that has an overt
gay sensibility. Just to give you a comparison, Law of Desire was the
story of two men, but the problems between them could be the same
for a heterosexual couple, even though, of course, they were making
love, they were naked, they were men. I was very erce when I started
going to America. Even now in Spain, nobody asks me the name of
my boyfriend. But I remember when I was in New York for Tie Me Up!
Tie Me Down!, the rst question from the Village Voice was, Whats the
name of your boyfriend? I said, Go to hell. Do you know what it is to
have respect for someone? What I dont like is to classify because its
not that easy. There are many more things to dene a movie.
YOUR FILMS DEPICT GAYS, STRAIGHTS, BISEXUALS AND TRANSSEXUALS
ALL FALLING IN AND OUT OF LOVE WITH ONE ANOTHER. YOU VIEW
SEXUALITY IN AN EXTREMELY FLUID WAY.
Its what I try to reect in my lms but its not really about sexuality
being uid, its something that I see as much more natural than that.
Im portraying a world of ction in my lms but its also my world,
its the world that I see and live in. If I have gay characters, its simply
one of the characteristics of their personality. Of course, sexuality
can lead to problems in relationships. For me it was always about
portraying everything without any prejudice. I always made movies
like Franco never existed. That was my small revenge.
DO YOU KEEP TABS ON ANY OF THE GAY CINEMA OR GAY FILM-MAKERS
OUT THERE? HAVE YOU SEEN WEEKEND OR LAURENCE ANYWAYS?
Yes, I saw Weekend. I havent seen Laurence Anyways. I have it at
home and I will do hes very interesting, Xavier Dolan. Im also
curious about Todd Haynes work. I think hes brilliant. Im a good
moviegoer: the problem is there are not so many good movies to
watch any more. But I like to go to the cinema at least twice a week.
IT WAS GREAT TO SEE PENLOPE CRUZ AND ANTONIO BANDERAS
CROPPING UP FOR A BRIEF CAMEO IN I M SO EXCITED!
I just spoke to Penlope. She is very big at the moment [Cruz is
pregnant with her second child with Javier Bardem]. She called
me because she was very sad about Bigas Luna dying [the Spanish
director who helped launch Cruz and Bardem in 1992s Jamon Jamon].
DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU RE DOING NEXT?
Ive got a few scripts ongoing at the moment. Theyre not as dark as
the lms Ive been making but theyre denitely not comedies.
Im So Excited! opens on May 3 from Path UK
231_EDIT_BGF#.indd 41 17/04/2013 15:59:20
C O V E R
S T A R
B E N
F O D E N
VEST BY SUNSPEL
AT SELFRI DGES, BRI EFS
BY VERSACE AT SELFRI DGES
231_FEAT_BEN FODEN#.indd 42 17/04/2013 16:43:54
43
ATTITUDE
MEETS ONE OF
THE UKS BEST-
KEPT SECRETS.
RUGBY STAR
AND HUSBAND
OF UNA FROM
THE SATURDAYS,
THERES MORE
THAN MEETS THE
EYE TO BEN FODEN
WORDS
SIMON GAGE
PHOTOGRAPHY
JOSEPH SINCLAIR
SLYLING
ELAUAN LEE
BIG
BEN
231_FEAT_BEN FODEN#.indd 43 17/04/2013 16:44:58
44
Ben Foden is a gentleman. Despite the fact
that he plays full-back for Northampton
Saints (thats rugby, they tell us), he is a
pussy cat, a sweetheart and a charmer. One
of the nicest gentlemen that Attitude has ever
had the chance to photograph for the cover,
he even mentions how much he enjoys going
to G-A-Y (calm yourself, its with his famous
girlfriend, more of which later). Despite this,
it takes precisely two-and-a-half minutes for
the subject of his nakedness to
come up. And I dont even
think its my fault.
He bowls into this quaint
country pub near where he
lives in Hertfordshire, all arms
in a sleeveless pufa jacket,
orders himself a pint of Coke
and comes to sit by a roaring
re. A romantic scene, dont
you think? A bit like a blind
date (fat chance).
Asked if he knows what the
Attitude shoot is going to
involve, he says he thinks its
swimwear because we wanted
something summery. Then he
laughs. He knows exactly what
Attitude wants, and the seasons
of the year have very little to do
with it. Hes obviously all right
with it all.
Its surprising that hes never
done the Dieux du Stade thing,
those black-and-white arty
photographs of rugby players
in the altogether. He says hes
been asked to do it but has
never had the time. I probably
wouldnt have gone full-on like
some of the guys have, he says.
Shame, obvs.
No, I wouldnt go fully naked.
I think it would be weird. Id
hate to see my mum Googling
my name and there being
pictures of me naked popping
up. Mind you, shes done that already and
naked pictures have popped up of me at my
stag do. This is literally the rst thing we
talk about.
The stag do in question saw him being a bit
naughty, doing what rugby players do, ie
taking his clothes of. In other words, we
wished wed been there. Although not as
much as his now good lady wife Una does.
Una, in case youre wondering, is the red-
head from pop outt The Saturdays, now
Bens wife and mother of his one-year-old
daughter. Ben has even been to Londons
legendary popfest, G-A-Y, to see his missus
perform. Ive been twice, he says. I had a
great time. They met after he saw her on the
TV and said he fancied her. Yes, like QVC.
I think I said, I want that one to my agent,
and he went and got her for me, he laughs
before explaining.
Hed been having lunch in a pub with his
agent and the conversation had turned to his
single status. He said, Hows your love life?
and I was, Oh, non-existent. And he said,
Is there anyone youre thinking about?
And I was like, Not really. Then the girls
[The Saturdays] popped up on the music
channel in the corner and I said, Oh, the one
in the blue tights. I wouldnt mind a bit of
that. And he said, Funny you should say
that because I know someone who knows
someone who works with them. Ill see what
I can do, and I was like, Oh, whatever, and
the next thing I know Ive got a text saying,
Shes expecting your call.
A meeting was set up and before
the end of it the couple had
decided to spend the new year
together, and here they are now
with a baby girl just learning to
walk and saying her rst words.
All this without Ben ever having
gone out with that one-woman
rugby-entertainment committee,
Kelly Brook.
Ive met her a few times, he
laughs. I met her when she was
going out with Danny, and then I
met her when she was going out
with Thom (Evans, former
Attitude cover star) and its, Oh,
hi Kelly. Shes now, obviously,
going out with Danny again.
But does this mean that Ben is
looking to move on from the
celebrity lifestyle? He explains
that, what with the likes of Danny
and Thom and Gareth Edwards
and Kyran Bracken, who did
Dancing on Ice, Matt Dawson on
Question of Sport and Gavin
Henson, who married Charlotte
Church, the celebrity side of
things is becoming more of a
possibility for the hitherto largely
ignored stars of rugby.
Its another way of making a
living, he says. And its a good
living. But I dont see myself as
a celebrity. A friend of mine said
if I ever go on anything like Im a
Celebrity hell shoot me, but never say
never. Im a sportsman and I suppose the
possibility of celebrity status crept in a bit
because Im married to a pop star.
Ben even had a crack at the pop lark
himself, once auditioning for a series of Pop
Idol. I got through to the next round, which
fell on the same day as my rst training
session with Sale Sharks. Pops loss was
rugbys gain and his team-mates have never
let him live it down. I think theyd say I
wasnt a very good singer, he admits with
a laugh. I dont think I will be following in
Unas footsteps.
I dont see myself
as a celebrity.
One friend says
if I ever go on Im
a Celebrity... hell
shoot me
B E N F O D E N
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BEN FODEN | ATTI TUDE
OPPOSI TE PAGE: UNDERWEAR
BY UNDER AT SELFRI DGES.
THI S PAGE: SHI RT BY APC
AT SELFRI DGES, SHORTS BY
ORLEBAR BROWN AT SELFRI DGES
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ATTI TUDE | BEN FODEN
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B E N F O D E N
He has done red-carpet events, mind you,
and has even started to hear his own name
called out for him to go over and sign
something on someone. Maybe just a pad.
But he is starting to look for a Plan B now
that hes hit the rickety old age of 27 and
rugby players tend to bow out around 30 or
35. I know 27 sounds relatively young, he
says, but when youre looking on the sheet
about who youre playing and the guy
opposite you was born in 1991, you realise
that youre pretty old. God help us all.
Try to press him on what that Plan B is, and
he is very cagey. It turns out that he loved
acting at school and, if he hadnt got a rugby
scholarship, he had every intention of going
to Queen Mary college in London to do an
acting degree. Make of those details what
you will. He does say when pushed that he is
still very interested in acting and the movie
industry but its still very early on to be
deciding on a denitive path.
Ask Ben if he has any gay mates, and he has
to think about it before coming up with quite
a posse. Sorry, he says, I forgot they were
gay. And that shows the attitude towards
gays in rugby, as opposed to the attitude in
football, though Ben insists that he thinks
its the football fans rather than the football
players who would be the problem if a
soccer player ever came out.
I never met Gareth Thomas, he says of
rugbys openly gay superstar. I played with
a lot of people who did. Hes from Barry,
which is one of the hardest places in Wales,
and you see him and hes ripped to the bone
and covered in tats. I think that what hes
done is shown the world that it doesnt
matter what your sexuality is, it doesnt stop
you from being a great sportsman.
He also admires the way he nally came
out, knowing the stick he might get from
fans. He had to live with the lie for 20 years
when he was married, and for him to come
out and say, Im gay and have been hiding it
for 20 years, its a massive credit to him,
really. Its a great thing to do. Probably 20
years ago it wouldnt have been as accepted
as it is today but talking to people who
played alongside him, I think it was known
for a while. It doesnt stop him from being a
great player and rugby guys are pretty
chilled out about sexuality.
He thinks that Gareth probably got a bit of
taunting from fans There are always going
to be idiots but nothing serious. Football,
he thinks, would be a diferent story
altogether. You see the problems with
racism in the game at the moment, where
matches are stopped because of it. If you
came out in todays football, because of the
way the fans are, it would be a very hard
place to go and make your living. Its
probably a very daunting thing for an
athlete to have to face. With Gareth it was
towards the end of his career anyway, so he
BEN I N THE ALL-WHI TE STRI P OF
ENGLAND AND, BELOW, SCORI NG
A TRY AGAI NST SCOTLAND
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B E N F O D E N
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ATTI TUDE | BEN FODEN
BOXER BRI EFS BY UNDER
AT SELFRI DGES
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didnt have to stomach
it too much.
But he salutes Gareth
for what hes done and
gures that it has
cleared the way for gay
rugby players in the
future. Gareth has been very intelligent in
the way that hes done it, he says. He knew
what he was letting himself in for and
probably wanted to test that out to see what
the reaction was. To see if it would be
embraced so that it might give a bit of
incentive to other gay rugby players out there
at the top of the game, if they were thinking,
I cant live with this secret any longer.
Its strange how the cultures of rugby and
football are so diferent, something some
people put down to class. They always say
football is a gentlemens game played by
thugs, and rugby is a thugs game played by
gentlemen, he says before explaining that in
rugby they dont have ends, in that they
dont isolate the supporters of one team from
another and yet, despite the fact that at
rugby matches youre allowed to drink,
while at soccer matches alcohol is banned,
you still dont get trouble between the fans.
But then rugby does reach the very highest
echelons of society: Ben was hanging out
with no less than Her Majesty the Queen
when he went to the wedding of rugby
player Mike Tindall and the Queens grand-
daughter, Zara Phillips.
It was fantastic, he said. The Queen gave
a wave and we toasted her and she went of
in her helicopter. Well, the Queen hanging
around a wedding reception would tend to
put the kybosh on everyone getting
slaughtered and copping of with the
bridesmaids, wouldnt it?
Being a ladies man, something of a rugby
players speciality, is a thing of the past now
that Ben is settled down and doing daddy
B E N F O D E N
daycare when his wife
is of on Saturdays
duties. I wouldnt say
that I was a lad before
I got married, says
Ben, but I wasnt
exactly a good boy. Una
knows that. Shes happy. Shes like, At least
you got it out of your system. In rugby its
quite laddy: lets all go out and have a few
drinks and go after girls. All the girls knew to
stay away from us as we were always quite
drunk and messy and sweaty and horrible.
Girls, eh? They never know a good thing
when they see it.
But never mind girls, rugby players are
famous for getting naked and fruity with
each other. Whats all that about? Its
something to do with male bonding, says
Ben. The diference between football and
rugby is that rugby is very much a team
game: the team wont be successful unless
everyone does their job. Football can rely on
having three superstars. In rugby youre
only as good as the guys around you, so the
bond is more important. And if youre
wondering how come Ben has picture-
perfect looks, a nose direct from a statue
a good statue! and all his own teeth, its
because hes one of the ones up the back
who get the ball and run with it not to
get too technical.
You should see the state of them after
theyve done a few scrums. They get scrum
pox with all the stubble rubbing against
stubble Be still our beating trousers!
But Ben never really experienced any of
those nude initiation things or anything
like that. No, no naked initiation, he says.
But we did do a naked lap of the pitch.
You see? The mans obsessed!

Ben Foden plays rugby union for
Northampton Saints and England
STYLIST ASSISTED BY JAMES CUNNINGHAM AND NICK BYAM
MAKE-UP BY ADAM BURRELL USING YSL
HAIR BY MARC RAMOS USING USING KEVIN MURPHY
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A G N E T H A F A L T S K O G
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W O R D S A N D R E W F R A S E R
In an eerily hushed hotel, resembling a Swedish baronial castle,
I sit in silence in a bare white room where a single candle ickers.
And I wait. A blizzard moans gently outside the windows, through
which an icy lake disappears into the dusk. The atmosphere is holy
and almost stupidly metaphoric of the enigmatic Agnetha Fltskog,
who I have come to meet. Or at least of what we imagine her to be.
Five minutes later, as the opening tinkles of The Winner Takes It All
pirouette around my brain, she arrives, beaming and exuding a gentle,
warm energy that I swear enters the room a few footsteps before she
does. While most daintily attractive girls either see their looks fade
or mature into beauty, Agnetha is still girlishly pretty at 62. Girlish.
Ive interviewed a few people over the years, from the sublime to the
ridiculous, from Joan Collins to Peter Andre. But at this moment all
journalistic distance is lost. Oh God, please like me, Agnetha. Actually,
if you can bring yourself love me, just for a moment or three. And
please, for heavens sake, dont fear me. Meeting Agnetha is a nigh-on-
religious experience. She was, with her fellow Abba legend Frida, and
later Morrissey, the voice of my formative years.
The Abba phenomenon began with Agnetha and Frida bopping
cheerily in Lycra and spangles on Eurovision in 1974. A succession
of simple, hopeful and childlike (but not childish) hits (Dancing Queen,
Chiquitita, I Have a Dream) ensued. They sang of believing in angels,
dancing away the pain and redemption through love. Of fairy-tale
endings. There were melancholy moments, but on the whole their
songs spoke of the joy of love, romance, kissing your teacher and
banging boomerangs. Within 10 years it was all over. Agnetha and
Frida had divorced their husbands, the two Bs, Bjrn and Benny. The
dream died before our very ears. It ended with Frida sitting alone on
a rocking chair, in the gloom of their last album track Like an Angel
Passing Through My Room, with only a ticking clock to remind her of lifes
decay. Like the embers as they die, love was one prolonged goodbye,
she sighed. Meanwhile Agnetha poor Agnetha! was huddled in her
windswept bedroom. And rattling on the roof I must have heard the
sound of rain, she sang in broken, scared tones on The Day Before You
Came, Abbas last masterpiece. Of course, we related to them. The story
of Abba, like the story of our childhoods, was one of innocence lost.
Oh, the rivers of blue mascara Agnetha must have cried.
They say never meet your heroes, but Agnetha is wonderful. There
is a motherly kindness to her countenance but she is still very much
the little girl lost as she speaks of lifes sadnesses. As her often visceral
vocals suggest, Agnetha wears her soul on her sleeve it is the only
way she knows how. When we talk about the good times her eyes
sparkle like a childs; when we talk about the sad times, they become
watery and pleading. Far from the Garbo-esque, mysterious Swedish
snow queen she has been portrayed, Agnetha is an open book she
simply cant hide her emotions. Its a childlike quality I have seen in
Chaka Khan and poor Amy Winehouse. Perhaps its that connection
to the inner child that makes these womens voices so great.
The term legend is much overused but Agnetha Fltskog is that.
The Abba girls have earned their place alongside Elvis, Jacko, John
Lennon and Karen Carpenter in the pantheon of musical superstars.
And they surely stand above even Madonna and Kylie in the roll-call
of gay pop icons. Nobody, but nobody, breaks a heart like Agnetha
does on The Winner Takes It All. And here she is doing it again on her
new album, where she sings once more of dancing away the pain and
wanting to lay down and die. She need never have sung another note,
but thankfully for us she has. If you have tears to shed, grab a hanky;
if you have a spine, prepare for it to shiver as that crystalline voice
soars and breaks with emotion all over again. Thank you for your
music, Agnetha. Weve been lost without you.
THE WI NNER
TAKES I T ALL
There are superstars and then there are legends, but Abbas
Agnetha Fltskog is up there with the likes of Michael Jackson, Madonna and
The Beatles. As she returns with a new solo album Attitude was granted a rare
interview and a gay press exclusive with one of musics true originals
231_FEAT_AGNETHA ne#.indd 55 17/04/2013 16:56:41
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A G N E T H A F A L T S K O G
Attitude: How does it feel to have a new
album out? Is it scary?
Agnetha: No. [She beams] Its exciting and
very, very good response. Do you like it?
A: Its beautiful.
AF: [Agnetha looks genuinely thrilled] Oh
thank you very, very much.
A: Is it true that before the album you
thought you may never sing again?
AF: When I made my last album I thought,
Maybe this is the last album I do. I thought,
well if that is how it must be, that is how
it must be. The producers came to me and
said, We would like to play three new songs
for you and see what you think. I said, I
would like to listen. And then I was just...
[Agnetha exhales in awe] I just thought they
were so wonderful. After a while I said, I
think I have to do this. There is a lot we have
to talk about rst because I am not so young
any more and I dont know what my voice
sounds like now.
A: Your voice sounds as fresh as it did when
you were 18.
AF: Yeah, its strange. But it didnt from
the beginning. I could feel that I had lost
some energy in my voice and you get easily
tired. But everywhere it sounded good. It
got better and better. I took some singing
lessons too.
A: I cant believe Agnetha took singing
lessons.
AF: [Laughs] But that was mostly because
I felt rusty. It was easy to get into it again.
A: You sing, more than anyone I can think
of, absolutely from the soul.
AF: Yeah. [She beams] Thats what I hope.
I really go into a song and I have to know
exactly what the song is about. It is like
going into a role. It feels like each song has a
story to tell and I would like to give it exactly
the feeling that the composer has been
thinking of.
A: My favourite piece of storytelling ever in
a song was on The Day Before You Came.
AF: [She smiles broadly] Ah, you like
that? Its so strange, I have read that some
people didnt think I could sing any more
when I did that song. Because my voice was
breaking as I sang it but that was why. It
was part of the storytelling that it should
sound like that.
A: We are left wondering what happened the
day after he came. It leaves us with a dot, dot
dot... Was it a very good thing, or a terrible
thing? Did you have an idea in mind when
you sang it?
AF: Yeah. [She leans forward and whispers]
I think that it was a very bad thing.
Unfortunately. [Laughs] Yes, it was denitely
a bad thing about to happen, Im afraid.
A: Was it your last Abba recording?
AF: It was one of the last. I dont know so
much any more. The Visitors, I think, was our
last album. It was a bit deep. Heavy, I think.
Thats when we stopped. Was The Day Before
You Came on that album?
A: No, it wasnt.
AF: So that was just a single? [Laughs] You
know more than I do! Yes, I like that tune.
A: How would you describe the mood of the
new album, A?
AF: I think it is a good mixture. It is about
love, because nearly every song in the world
is about love. It just isnt the same to sing
about politics, or something else. Thats
why you can give so much when you sing
because love is so strong. Its easier... every
human being is involved with love in some
diferent way and it touches you very much.
The last song on the album, I Keep It on the
Floor Beneath My Bed...
A: Its my favourite track on the album.
AF: Oh really? When I sat down to write it,
I meant to write a childs lullaby. But it came
out as a total love song. I am so happy that
you like that song.
A: I heard The Winner Takes it All when I was
too young to understand what heartbreak
felt like. It becomes clear, when you listen to
it, that Oh, this is going to happen to me at
some point and it will feel like this.
AF: Youre right. The Winner Takes It All is
my favourite Abba song. It is incredible and
very, very touching.
A: I always imagine that you sang it all in
one take.
AF: I think I did. Because I remember that
song recording. It was both difcult and
easy to do at the same time. You can get the
best recording from the rst time you do it,
because that is when you feel the emotions
and the energy most strongly. Its new and
you havent got tired of it yet.
A: Was it about your life? People assume
that it was...
AF: Frida said a short while ago that Bjrn
wrote lyrics about the four of us. So I think
its a mixture of both of our feelings and
sadnesses.
A: Your producers said that on A they
wanted to explore what you would have
sounded like if Abba had never happened.
AF: Yes, they have said that, but I think that
I dont want to look on it like that because
Abba was such a big part of me and we are,
all four of us, so proud of what we achieved.
But I know what theyre thinking about.
I had a career long before Abba and so I
joined Abba as a famous singer in Sweden.
A: Did you ever want to write songs for
Abba?
AF: They asked me a lot. I didnt actually
have time, and also the boys were writing so
THE WINNER TAKES IT
ALL IS MY FAVOURITE
ABBA SONG. IT IS
INCREDIBLE AND VERY,
VERY TOUCHING
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FI NAL CONCERT TOUR I N
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TOP LEFT: AGNETHA
AND BJ RN ARRI VE AT
HEATHROW I N 1 978;
MI DNI GHT SPECI AL
TV SHOW I N 1 977;
AGNETHA PERFORMI NG I N
ROTTERDAM I N 1 979; ABBA
ON HOLI DAY ON VI GGS
I SLAND I N 1 975; AGNETHA
I N CONCERT I N AUSTRALI A
I N 1 977; THE STOCKHOLM
PREMI ERE OF THE MAMMA
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A G N E T H A F A L T S K O G
good, so I didnt have any chance. I did one
song and that is called Disillusion. I couldnt
have done it, though, because during the
times when we were free and the boys were
recording and writing, I wanted to be with
the children. That was my slow, cool period.
A: The other song of yours I love is Slipping
Through My Fingers.
AF: Yeah. It is heartbreaking. And I can see
our little girl when she goes to school, up on
the street [she wells up] and I think Bjrn
saw that too when he wrote the lyrics.
A: Would you ever want to sing again with
Frida? Your voices are very special together.
AF: Yeah. Really. We have talked about it.
Fantasised like that. But we have done so
much, both of us now. I met Frida during the
summer, in Majorca, and we sat and... well,
you easily get very nostalgic.
A: They were tough times too...
AF: Yeah, they were. And I am sure that
Frida and I, we still could do it, but now I
have this CD to think of. Im not sure Im
going to do any more after this. But then I
thought this the last time I brought out a CD.
It would be stupid to get too old and to sing,
and you dont have the same quality. We are
very aware of that now and I said that if it
sounded too old, or I dont have the same
energy, we should not release it. But it came
out sounding good and fresh.
A: What do you listen to?
AF: We have a very talented Swedish singer
called Robyn. I follow the Eurovision Song
Contest in Sweden and I was amazed that
there were so many good songs and artists
and they dance and sing at the same time.
A: You have a huge gay audience.
AF: I know that in that world, our music
is very, very beloved and that makes us
very happy to hear. And I wonder what it
is that makes that? The honesty and the
feelings...and also, maybe the mixture of
happiness and sadness which appeals to our
gay audience.
A: After Muriels Wedding Abba became
known as camp, which I never thought you
really were.
AF: What is camp?
A: Kitsch.
AF: Ah! Abba was so much more than
that. It was not simple. It was serious and
carefully worked. It was good, special
original music and lyrics, our voices
together... the mixture of a lot of fantasies.
It was never kitsch.
A: When you were given the chance to make
the new album, your daughter warned you,
It could all start again. What is IT?
AF: [Laughs] She said, Are you sure youre
gonna do this, Mother? It means that the
carousel starts all over again. Yes, I said,
lets hope so! Music is really my world. It
has been since I was four or ve years old. It
is hard to get away from it totally.
A: The press has said that you are a recluse.
You dont seem like that.
AF: Well there have been times when I have
been hurt by what the press writes about
me, and sometimes, when you are being
hurt or sad, you are not in the right level that
you should be. Life goes up and down for all
of us. And yes, it is very hurtful She is a
mysterious lady, she is like Greta Garbo. I
am not like that. I am a very earth-grounded
human being. Im also very sensible. One
has to think that it is not always easy to be
a world star alone. We were world stars
but there were four of us. We helped each
other a lot during the interviews. The boys
could talk much better English than at least
I could. So to be on your own and have a
world career is very difcult.
A: Your producers have worked with
Britney Spears.
AF: [She sighs] It must be hard for people
like her, to just get into it and be so young.
Amy Winehouse, its just so tragic... her
voice was amazing.
AF: It was said that you and Frida were
rivals who threw gold discs at each other
and couldnt stand one another.
AF: [Laughs] Yes, I read that! I cant
remember that, no. It was, of course,
tiresome when we were at the height of our
fame, to travel so much and do the concerts.
And we were two couples, so of course there
were irritations sometimes. We were tired.
But we often helped each other as well.
Especially the concerts. If Frida felt down or
tired, Id say, Oh I shall work for two, and
she would do the same for me. I often had
problems with my throat when I had my
tonsils removed sometimes we had to work
when we had a fever. So we relied on each
other. It must be so hard for solo artists. You
can never be ill. It was scary, I would always
be scared of getting ill and sometimes you
just did. But you knew that you just had to
work anyway.
A: And you cant have a sad day.
AF: No, and people dont know how you feel.
It can be lonely. But it could be so funny as
well. We did a mini-musical, The Girl with the
Golden Hair. Frida and I had matching wigs
on. One evening Fridas wig was not on very
tight and she did a dance move and her wig
came of. [She laughs raucously] We had
our own hair underneath, in a sock, so poor
Frida was on stage with her hair on her head
in a big sock. We just laughed so much.
A: You must have laughed a lot when you
got together in Majorca.
AF: Oh yeah. There was a lot of nostalgia.
Its great to have such memories, it means
a lot to all of us.
A: Its nice that you are all still friends.
It cant have been easy under the
circumstances.
AF: No, it was not. And especially after our
divorces it was not the same any more. But
I think we really made the best of it.
A: You all carried yourselves with dignity.
AF: Youre right there, I think so too. And
after Bjrn and I divorced we worked
together a lot of years after that, and so
did Benny and Frida. But we were sad for
each other.
A: Did you and Frida conde in each
other when things became tough in your
marriages?
AF: Yes we did and we were very aware of
what was happening to each other. But you
know we have never been the kind of girls
that see each other every day. But I think
we have a very close friendship now. More
today than back then probably.
A: You are very diferent personalities.
AF: Yes. I think now we have got older we
understand each other more.
A: Your voices were magical together...
[Her eyes sparkle] I think so too.
FRIDA AND I HAVE
A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP
NOW, MORE TODAY
THAN BACK THEN. WE
UNDERSTAND EACH
OTHER MORE
231_FEAT_AGNETHA ne#.indd 58 17/04/2013 16:57:52
A: Id love to hear you and Frida sing I Know
Him So Well [from Chess].
AF: Oh yes. Thats a lovely song. That would
be very nice.
A: Its not going to happen, though? Even if
we beg?
AF: [Laughs] I dont think so, Im afraid.
A: Who are your favourite singers?
AF: Sandie Shaw is one of my favourites.
I have her records. She was very tough and
very nice, I think. And I also like Cilla Black,
Connie Francis and Dusty Springeld. I rst
sang, miming Connie Francis songs into
a mirror.
A: Sandie said that winning Eurovision was
one of the most miserable nights of her life.
AF: Oh no. Our night was fantastic. I didnt
think we would win. I thought we would
come number three or something, and we
would have been very happy with that.
A: When and where were you happiest?
AF: In my whole life? When I had my
children. I was pregnant with my daughter
the year before Eurovision. She is an actress
now, 40 years old [Agnetha looks proud].
A: Would you like to act?
AF: I have a little. I would like to do more,
a real character role, but I think Im too
old now.
A: Is there an Abba song you hate and wish
you hadnt recorded?
AF: There are some but not many. The worst
was the King Kong song [from their second
album, Waterloo]...[Laughs. She sings] You
do the King Kong Song. Gotta sing along. Oh
dear, maybe we should have left that out.
A: Looking back over your life, what would
you change?
AF: Its very difcult for me to look back and
regret things. It feels wrong. I would rather
not think about life in that way. Things are
like they are and you just have to accept
things. And learn your lessons. Its like with
your children, you want to save them from
all the bad things but you cant they have
to make their own mistakes.
A: Would you go back on stage and sing
with Abba again?
AF: Oh I wish I could say, Yeeeaaahhh!
But no. I dont think it will happen. We live
our separate lives now and theres no need
for it. There are wishes that we will do it,
but no need. We have already done so much
together, so I dont think it will happen.
A: Leave it perfect.
AF: Yes, thats right. But there is an Abba
museum opening soon which will be
wonderful. That is also a very strange thing,
to open a museum about us. We have given
them all our outts.
A: What gives you most pleasure in life?
AF: To be with my family and Mother
Nature. Long walks and sun, the sea, food
and good wine!
A: Was there a sense when it was coming to
the end with Abba...
AF: I cant remember that really. There were
strange songs on [last album] The Visitors. It
was not like an Abba album, not at all. Even
the song Visitors, and Like an Angel Passing
Through My Room. My favourite Frida song
was Our Last Summer, I love it.
A: How did you decide who sang which song?
AF: It was decided mainly by the boys.
A: I would love to hear your version of Like
an Angel and Fridas version of The Winner
Takes It All.
AF: Yeah. I wonder what it would sound
like, really? I think it would be just great.
A: The next project...?
AF: Yes! [Agnetha laughs and then shakes
her head reprovingly] No!!!
A: So, one last question. Do you ever imagine
your life if Abba hadnt happened?
AF: No, no. I very seldom look back and
think, I wonder what would have happened
if I hadnt done that. Im not that kind of
person. I live for now and forwards. But
all four of us are so grateful for what we
achieved and what our music has given to
people and for ourselves.
A: In what way?
AF: When my self-condence is very, very
low, it can happen that I put on The Winner
Takes It All or some other song and just feel....
[she takes a long breath] proud. [Her eyes ll
with tears] And I think, Ah! I did this! No
one can ever take this away from me.
The Album A is out on May 13
ABOVE, AGNETHA
TODAY AT 62.
RI GHT, WI TH
HUSBAND BJ RN
AND DAUGHTER
LI NDA I N NEW
YORK I N
THE LATE 70S
231_FEAT_AGNETHA ne#.indd 59 17/04/2013 16:58:20
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231_FEAT_EUROVISION #.indd 60 17/04/2013 14:30:26
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HOW TO
AT EUROVISION
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HOW TO HOW TO
AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION
1 0 1 2 1 2
HOW TO HOW TO
AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION
HOW TO HOW TO
AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION
HOW TO HOW TO
AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION AT EUROVISION
THE SEX
SHENANIGANS
BEHIND THE
SONG CONTEST
SCORE

231_FEAT_EUROVISION #.indd 61 17/04/2013 14:30:41
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ast May, the organisers of the
Eurovision Song Contest in Baku,
Azerbaijan, ran with the slogan
Light your re! For the legions of
gay Eurovision fans who make the
journey to the contest every year,
it almost seemed redundant. At an
event where hooking up is as common as aspiring pop stars in
sequins, a bit of heat is expected.
Sergio, a 25-year-old Australian, still quivers when he recounts
a rendezvous that started at EuroClub a dance venue organisers
set up at every Eurovision where accredited media, fans and
contestants can dance to Eurovision classics. When the DJ dropped
All Out of Luck an upbeat Icelandic number from the 1999 contest
Sergio st-pumped his way towards a bearded fortysomething
with a magnetic personality and beautiful eyes. He happened
to be a backing vocalist for one of the competing countries.
Someone becomes hotter when you know theyre foreign, Sergio
says. But when theyre foreign and a Eurovision performer, the
hotness is doubled.
Their shared love of schlager the distinctly saccharine genre of
Scandinavian pop had the efect of turning their software into
hardware. Eventually the party wound down and he went outside
to smoke, Sergio remembers. We started making out, much to
the shock of the Azeris around us, and then we walked back to his
hotel, where we had sex in the laundry room.
Whether they come from Britain or Belarus, the Ukraine or
WI L L I AM L E E ADAMS WI T H SI MON AND DUNCAN F ROM BL UE WHO,
BE FORE RE PRESE NT I NG T HE UK I N 2 01 1 , POSE D ON T HE COVE R OF
AT T I T UDE S NAKE D I SSUE L E F T . OPPOSI T E PAGE : FANS GE T VE RY
E XCI T E D AND DRESS UP I N NAT I ONAL COLOURS
where contestants will make the most of their 15 minutes with
live concerts throughout the day and night. Because Copenhagen
is only a 35-minute train ride from Malm, fans can expect an
upsurge in Danish totty, too.
Given the high concentration of singles ready to mingle, theres a
good chance visitors will give this years slogan We are one a
whole new meaning. Of the eight who came with me to the 2011
contest in Dsseldorf, seven scored and the one who didnt is
married, says Mike Shinnors, an Irish drag queen who goes by
Sheila Fitzpatrick on stage and cavorted around various Eurovision
arenas with his boa and padded breasts. I think Eurovision for
gays is like Mecca for Muslims, he says. You have to do it once in
your life.
To make the most of Eurovision its helpful to secure press
accreditation in the months leading up to the event. This isnt as
dif cult as youd think. Last year more than 2,000 journalists
received press badges to attend Eurovision rehearsals and parties
hosted by contestants and their national delegations (the Georgians
are the most hospitable, and the Israelis always have the bouncers
with the thickest necks). Some bloggers do legitimate work.
Websites such as ESC Insight and escXtra publish interviews and
news all year long. So does my own fan site, wiwibloggs.com, which
delivers Eurovision news from a decidedly gay perspective and
includes contests such as our annual search for Eurovisions Next
Top Male Model.
Inside the press centre where you actually have to look twice
to nd a woman it quickly becomes apparent that the majority
the United States, gay Eurovision fans
frequently have two things on their minds:
music and sex. This May theyll give their
urges rhythm in Malm, Sweden, which
will host the Eurovision semi-nals on
May 14 and 16, and the grand nal two
days later.
Its dif cult to know the precise number
of fans who will descend on the city, but in
recent years upwards of 30,000 tourists
have ocked to the week-long series of
events that precede the nal, leaving
packets of lubricant and promotional
Eurovision CDs in their wake. As in
past years, delegations from various
countries will host parties every night at
the EuroClub and at bars throughout the
city. And fans will also throw down at the
EuroVillage an outdoor amphitheatre
62
231_FEAT_EUROVISION #.indd 62 17/04/2013 14:31:05
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of people dont want to work but do want to work it. Id say 80%
of the journalists are fakes, says Sascha, a German writer who
has attended the past 12 contests and covered them for some of
Germanys biggest publications. They arent actually working so
they have time to make contacts for the night. Some play the part
of Eurovision groupie and wait for the cuter contestants like
Israels Harel Skaat from 2010, who came out after the contest to
pass through the room. Dont call them fantasists trying to bait
straight guys. As Sascha says, I see some boys irting and dancing
in the nightclub, and the next day I see them on stage.
thers use the central aisle of the room as
a runway where they go to cruise and be
cruised. The constant buh-buh-beep of
Grindr and GayRomeo creates a cacophony
akin to some of the more tone-deaf acts at the
contest. Large screens broadcast live rehearsal
footage to the thousands of journalists below,
but those in the room are frequently more
concerned with mating and dating. Forty-two-year-old Sascha
remembers that, standing in the press room in Baku last year,
nearly all 200 of the men on his GayRomeo dashboard were in
the press centre. Hes thankful the crowd is getting younger. After
12 contests I know most of them. Maybe 10 years ago they were
attractive but now they are like me used and old, he says. But
more and more countries from Eastern Europe are entering the
contest, and their news stations are bringing fresh meat.
BONNIE TYLER
GOOD LUCK TO THE UK IN MALM
WORDS BEN KELLY
DO YOU WATCH EUROVISION?
Well I think its
compulsory viewing, isnt
it? I always watch it if Im
not working. Last year
I was out in my place in
Portugal and my friends
were all there watching
as well.
HOW DID BELIEVE IN ME COME
TO BE YOUR ENTRY SONG?
Well it was done for my
album Rocks and Honey,
which is out in May, and
it wasnt intended for
Eurovision but the BBC
thought it was a really
strong song, so they
picked that one out. It was
co-written with Desmond
Child. You know, hes a
world-class songwriter so
were all very happy with
it. I think the reaction to
the video we put out has
been great so far. Its had
more than a million hits
in a couple of weeks, so
people love the song.
WHAT WAS YOUR
FAVOURITE EUROVISION
ENTRY OF ALL TIME?
I think it was the early
70s, and it was a song
called Come What May
[Vicky Leandros, winner
for Luxembourg in 1972],
so look that one up if
you dont know it. But
of course the UK has
had some of the best:
Katrina and the Waves!
And of course Waterloo
everybody loves Waterloo!
ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD
TO THE BIG NIGHT?
Yes, itll be nice to be
there, in the spirit of the
competition with all the
other artists, you know,
how our own countries
cant vote for us. So were
all in the same boat in
that respect.
FINALLY, DO YOU THINK YOU
COULD BRING IT HOME FOR
BRITAIN THIS YEAR?
I hope so! But you never
know do you, because
Eurovision is so political
and all that stuf. But I
have got a good fanbase
around Europe, with
touring and that over the
years. I mean, its a good
song, I think were in with
a good chance, so Im just
going to get out there and
do my best.
Bonnie Tyler will represent
the UK at the Eurovision Song
Contest on May 18
63
231_FEAT_EUROVISION #.indd 63 17/04/2013 14:31:36
64
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hose imports include people who cant be
open at home. That might explain their
tendency to focus on esh as much as
music. Be wary standing next to them at
the urinal. A lot of people at Eurovision
come from small communities where the
options are really limited, says Miroslav, a
Slovenian who now resides in Amsterdam.
The Maltese have earned a reputation for
letting their hair down after-hours, and
the Serbs frequently present as straight
during the day but let it all hang out on
their GPS-based apps at night. Its like
going to a bufet, Miroslav says. Youre suddenly surrounded by a
lot of choice and you can eat as much as you want.
Within the connes of the press centre, however, the casual fan
may lose his appetite. Thats because many of the accredited super-
fans, even the hot ones, have a tendency to digress into abstruse
conversations that casual viewers will struggle to follow. That
might include debating the evidence that some countries have hired
PR companies to purchase votes, analysing the background of
specic jury members, or assessing why Icelandic contestant Silvia
Night told reporters at the 2006 contest that she didnt make the
nal because she wasnt a slut from Holland.
where they are surrounded by people they know. A shared love
of Europop, which always gives fans something to talk about,
also plays a role. Eurovision devotees who can often distinguish
between esoteric genres such as gypsy pop, schlager and turbofolk
make the most of the freedom they have to discuss their guilty
pleasures. In some gay circles, gays look down on it like they look
down on the more efeminate gays, Gianni says. But when were
there together everyone likes the same thing so there is no shame.
That might explain why hooking up at Eurovision doesnt feel as
sleazy as it might otherwise. Its not just that everyone else is doing
it, but rather that everyone is doing it with someone theyve spent
time bonding with. That old-fashioned courtship opens people up
to all sorts, including feelings of self-worth and condence.
Sergio, the Australian who had sex in the laundry room, left his
sexcapade with a spring in his step. He still keeps in contact with
his one-night stand. I rarely pick up guys in real life, at least not
without using Grindr, and I think that was probably the second
time ever I have picked someone up in a club setting, he says. It
was certainly the rst time I havent felt crap about it afterwards.
Even rejection, which can ruin an evening out, doesnt sting as
much at Eurovision. It frequently results in lifelong friendships.
In Dsseldorf I met a rather bookish Frenchman named Jacques
in the press centre, and proceeded to dance with him that night
at EuroClub. (The song? Kati Wolfs What About My Dreams? from
Hungary, a song about female emancipation
and independence). He attempted to
shove his tongue down my throat. I
politely explained that I was getting
civilly partnered the next week and was
unavailable for tonsil hockey, and he kindly
backed of. The next morning, while I was
showering at my youth hostel, I heard him
having sex in an adjacent stall. He stopped
to say hello. The contest means you always
have something to say to each other, he
says, adding that you should stay in a
hostel rather than a hotel to maximise your
chances of hooking up.
As with any gay adventure, frustrations
can follow all the crazy stuf. The huge
variety of cultures, languages and
expectations can lead to some tricky
situations. Miroslav spent much of his
time in Baku speaking in German his
T HI S YE AR S LOGO ON T HE CD COVE R.
F ROM TOP, E UROVI SI ON TOT T Y 2 01 2 :
TOOJ I F ROM NORWAY, A F RE NCH
BACKI NG DANCE R AND E MOT I ONAL
F RI E ND, AND T HE L E AD SI NGE R F ROM
BE L ARUS ROCK BAND L I T ESOUND
I think there are two groups of visitors
from the gay world, Sascha says. Those
who are really serious and only want
to count the votes and talk about the
contestants dresses, and those looking for
sex or fullling their fantasies. Hes had
plenty of time to research the phenomenon:
hes tallied 50 hook-ups during his 12 years
on the scene.
Regardless of the camp they fall into, fans
generally agree that Eurovision is a land of
smiles and a place where even the bitterest
queen can get her happy back. People
are friendlier than they would be in a gay
bar, where people tend to be quite mean
and where theres not much solidarity,
says Gianni, a 35-year-old Italian who rst
attended the 1999 contest in Jerusalem.
People arent putting on performances as
much as they probably would be at home,
231_FEAT_EUROVISION #.indd 64 17/04/2013 14:31:55
65
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third, and denitely not his best, language. Thats because he was
keen to bed a musclebound Austrian he calls Hans. Hed touch the
fortysomething on the chest and dance with him suggestively at
EuroClub. He thought all was going well until he learned that Hans
was already hooking up with an Azerbaijani hotel receptionist. I
was surprised to see an attractive older gay male going for a young
bimbo with whom he only shared one language cheap love, he
says. If Eurovision takes us to an Eastern European city it always
reminds me of sex tourism in Thailand.
TOP RI GHT:
NORWEGI AN
FANS ME E T
BOSNI A S
MAYA SAR.
F ROM TOP:
T HE I RI SH
CONT I NGE NT
GE TS NOT I CE D,
NORWAY S
2 009 WI NNE R,
AL E XANDE R
RYBAK, WI T H
GE RMAN
J OURNAL I ST
SASCHA, AND
WI L L I AM L E E
ADAMS AND
F RI E ND AT T HE
PRESS CE NT RE
ust as there are people who read Playboy
for the articles, there are people who attend
Eurovision to listen to the music and to rub
shoulders with minor celebrities. Im not
ashamed to admit that Im one of them. I grew
up in the United States but fell in love with
Eurovision in 2009, shortly after learning
that the scantily clad Romanian contestant
was the daughter of a Macedonian priest. Her
ridiculousness inspired me to launch a blog, and it clocked up
125,000 hits in the two weeks leading up to Eurovision that year. I
later played her song, The Balkan Girls, at my civil ceremony, largely
because I loved the opening line: Its time for me to unwind/ Im
gonna start my weekend with gin, tonic and lime.
As someone in a relationship, the thrill of Eurovision doesnt stem
from chasing tail but from watching my Eurovision friends fall in
love with third-rate pop stars, and from capturing silly moments
for the blog. In Baku, poolside, we took covert pictures of the
Austrian contestants oiling their muscled bodies, which we later
published online. We alse heard learned, via a Croatian informant,
that certain back-up dancers had been accused of trying to smuggle
cheap artwork out of the Hilton Hotel. And at Baku airport we
witnessed a contestant who had been eliminated in the semi-nals
hurling insults at an espresso vendor who tried to overcharge her.
Ultimately, its sharing that quirky world with good friends that
keeps fans coming back for more. To most people were these
weirdos who have a passion for something that the rest of the
world just laughs at, Sergio says. As a result were drawn together
because we can talk about Eurovision seriously and, ultimately,
we judge each other less than other people judge us. We all wish
Eurovision was taken more seriously but I legitimately feel that if it
was, it would probably be less special to us all.
And so would the hook-ups.
231_FEAT_EUROVISION #.indd 65 17/04/2013 14:32:21
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the-thigh shorts that steal the show the
perfect foil for the most beautiful tan ever
to have been committed to lm.
Why now
The hazy days of summer are the only time
to wear pretty pastels and light tailoring.
Dolce & Gabbanas Sicily-inuenced
spring/summer collection is the best
starting point for pulling together a look that
includes loose-tting white cotton shirts,
stripes and baroque prints. Head to Paul
Smith for leisurely pastel tailoring.
Get t he l ook
Orlebar Brown swim shorts have nailed the
Dickie Greenleaf cut slim, short and sporty.
Try lemon yellow (to match a refreshing
sorbet) or a wicker print. When you have
a sundown drink or as you drive your
cabriolet down the coast, slip on a
crisp, short-sleeved shirt, some vintage
sunglasses and deck shoes. Slick back your
hair for the ultimate in playboy glamour
(or if youve not got enough of the head
stuf, pop on a summer hat).
T
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The Talented Mr Ripley
Espadrilles, 300, Prada Loafers, 380, Gucci
Frames, 210, Prada
Polo, 280, Vivienne Westwood
Watch, 125, Nixon
Belt, 90,
Anderson
Shirt, 165, APC Polo, 140, Orlebar Brown
Blazer, 375, Tiger of Sweden;
shirt, 110, Paul Smith
Swim shorts, 95, Paul Smith Swim shorts, 130, Orlebar Brown
All available at Selfridges and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_ICON_TREND#.indd 70 12/04/2013 16:06:59
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Swim shorts by Oiler & Boiler, 45;
shirt by Saturdays Surf NYC, 90;
ip-ops by Havaianas, 16
All available at Selfridges
and at selfridges.com
Floral print shorts are bang on
trend this summer, bringing a
bright and breezy, efortlessly
cool look to anyones adventures
in the sun. Chuck on a plain
short-sleeved shirt and of you go.
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Swim shorts by Paul Smith, 70;
shirt by Saturdays Surf NYC,
90; flip-flops by Havaianas, 16
All available at Selfridges
and at selfridges.com
E VA G G E L O S WE A R S
Swim shorts by Diesel, 85;
flip-flops by Havaianas, 16
All available at Selfridges
and at selfridges.com
P
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231_STYLE_ICON_TREND#.indd 71 12/04/2013 16:08:01
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.
2013_04_08_TRB_Attitude_UK_v2.indd 1 16.04.13 07:29
Burlington socks are for the traditional modern
man. They are renowned for their signature
Argyle pattern, a style that would not look out
of place while lunching on the lawn or attending
a casual game of polo take Mr Gatsby as your
style icon. For city types there is a huge range of
summer hues that will brighten your wardrobe;
lavender, pink and red, or more vivid emeralds
and yellows for the summer enthusiast. Buy
them for their soft seams and soft cottons.
All available at Selfridges and at selfridges.com
Sock it to me
231_STYLE_SEL_SOCKS 4.indd 73 12/04/2013 16:18:38
Paul Smith Swim advertisement ss13.indd 2 05/04/2013 09:37
Happy Socks arent just happy theyre tough, charitable and cool, too. Made with a strong, soft-
combed cotton and with reinforced toes and heels, they last; limited-edition pairs designed by Giles
Deacon helped raised money for the Elton John Foundation on World AIDS Day, and theyre the best-
connected socks in the business, collaborating on a new campaign with fashion photographer
Terry Richardson, rapper A$AP Rocky and hip singer Sky Ferreira. Happy Socks rule!
All available at Selfridges and at selfridges.com
Socks to make you smile
231_STYLE_SEL_SOCKS 2.indd 75 12/04/2013 16:12:13
76
ATTI TUDE | I N THE BAG Edit Elauan Lee Photography David Marquez
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Beach Boy Beach Boy
In the bag
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231_STYLE_IN THE BAG#.indd 76 12/04/2013 16:39:16
77
STYLE | ATTI TUDE
THI S PAGE
1. Rag & Bone shorts, 145 2. The Great Gatsby, 14.99 3. i.am+ iPhone case, 199
4. Vogue sunglasses, 104 5. Undercover document wallet, 26.95 6. Absolut miniatures, 14.99
7. Paul Smith t-shirt, 70 8. Missoni beach towel, 185 9. Acne vest, 30 10. Versace trunks, 145
11. Azure Lime by Tom Ford, 135 12. Justin Timberlake CD, 9.99 13. Dr Bronners soap, 4
All available at Selfridges and selfridges.com
OPP OSI TE PAGE
1. Marc Jacobs dufel bag, 350 2. Aperol, 16.99 3. Marc by Marc Jacobs tee, 75
4. DSquared shorts, 250 5. Beats by Dr Dre headphones, 152.99 6. Fake Bake Sport, 14.50
7. Hugo Boss underwear, 26 8. Comme des Garons wallet, 65 9. Moleskine notebook, 19.95
10. Undercover pencils plus pouch, 15.95 11. Marc by Marc Jacobs swim shorts, 26.95
12. Blood Brother tee, 65 13. Polo Ralph Lauren trainers, 75 14. Komono watch, 59.95
15. Oiler & Boiler swim shorts, 45
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T H E E N T I R E C O N T E N T S O F T H I S
P A G E , WO R T H A WH O P P I N G
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To win:
Come to our Swimwear
and Underwear Summer
Party with Selfridges
on May 23. Bring
the invitation with
your details on the
back and post it in
the competition box
231_STYLE_IN THE BAG#.indd 77 12/04/2013 16:39:38
in store online mobile
Styling Elauan Lee Photography Cameron McNee Grooming Michalis Tzivitzidis Model Theodore at VN Model
B
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Boss launched its bodywear line back in 1994,
creating contemporary, crisp boxers, briefs, tank tops
and tees in a range of classic colours. The ab-bearing,
bulging packshots were the stuf of fantasy and the
underwear reached a level of cool that other brands
couldnt match. Simple but sexy blacks, whites and
greys were the order of the day, and the button-front
boxer, which was launched in 1995, was an immediate
hit with men who were ready to embrace looking sexy
in their smalls. The fact that its still a best-seller to
this day is testament to what a design classic it is.
This year, BOSS is relaunching its bodywear range
with a cleanly shot campaign by photographer
Christian Anwander, featuring the agelessly gorgeous
Swedish model, Alex Lundqvist. The latest lines cater
for all customers, with the nest luxury cottons, core
lines in comfortable, contemporary shapes, basics
for the essential everyday and higher fashion styles
for those keen to stand out. We love these nautical
striped boxers from the new summer collection,
here modelled by Theodore. Theyre inspired by a
leisurely break in Americas high-society getaway,
The Hamptons, and are yarn-dyed to give crisp lines
that wont fade after washing.
Underwear by BOSS
available at Selfridges
and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_HUGO BOSS.indd 79 12/04/2013 17:00:29
in sore online mobile
FALKE Anzeige_216x281_mit Logoblock_Layout 1 08.04.13 10:28 Seite 1
Falke likes to keep it in the family. Four
German generations have run the business
since it was established in 1895, all ensuring
that the best materials are manufactured by the
nest workmen to create a superior sock. Its
leisure legwear ofers stripes, spots and colour
blocks, while the business and luxury lines are
for the smarter gent. The ne-gauge knits
will be pleasantly airy for the summer.
All available at Selfridges and at selfridges.com
Sunshine
socks
231_STYLE_SEL_SOCKS 3.indd 81 12/04/2013 16:16:59
Styling
Elauan Lee
Assisted by Nick Byam
Photography
Cameron McNee
Assisted by Christopher Baker
Grooming
Michalis Tzivitzidis
Model
Theodore
VN Model Management
231_STYLE_SEL_CK BRAND.indd 82 12/04/2013 16:53:24
Calvin Klein Underwear is the all-American
classic when it comes to what lies beneath. Its crazy-
sexy-cool campaigns have helped populate many
a gay mans fantasy world by putting footballer
Freddie Ljungberg as well as actors Kellan Lutz
and Mehcad Brooks on our collective radar. For
many, nothing will beat the iconic 90s log-in-
the-leg tight white boxer modelled by a smooth
skinned, beautifully buf Marky Mark, alongside
a fresh-faced and freckly Kate Moss. Calvin Klein
Underwear also has a wide range of looks for those
of you who are after something a little diferent: a
tight, striped trunk, a boldly coloured brief or why
the hell not? a logoed waistband thong? While
other brands have come and gone, Calvin Klein
Underwear has kept its crown as the coolest of the
crop. Recently launching Calvin Klein Concept
for spring, the brand continues to lead. Featuring
360 seamless construction to give you great t
and ultimate freedom, the new designs are clean
and sleek with all styles (briefs, trunk and boxer
brief) available in a breathable cotton-stretch from
traditional colours of black, white and grey to hues
such as morning orchid, cherry and blue heron. The
eye-catching striped logo waistband will stand out
as a sign that your underwear is beyond fresh.
Theodore wears underwear by Calvin Klein.
All available at Selfridges and selfridges.com
Make You Mine, Calvin Klein
231_STYLE_SEL_CK BRAND.indd 83 12/04/2013 16:53:52
CK all the way
Calvin Klein briefs understandably get all the attention, so wed like to
show our love for Calvin Klein socks, which range from athletic ribbed to little
liners and from sober dress socks to bonkers, big-dot numbers. And they serve
a great summer purpose when youre taking them of to dip your toes in the sea:
stuf them down the front of your swimwear for bulge-enhancing storage.
All available at Selfridges and at selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_SOCKS 1.indd 85 12/04/2013 16:28:55
VI LBREQUI N
Shirt and swim shorts
available at Selfridges
and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_SWIMWEAR.indd 86 12/04/2013 17:34:11
S T Y L I N G
E L A U A N L E E
P H O T O G R A P H Y
C A M E R O N M C N E E
231_STYLE_SEL_SWIMWEAR.indd 87 12/04/2013 17:34:25
PAUL SMI TH
Swim shorts available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_SWIMWEAR.indd 88 12/04/2013 17:36:05
FRANK S
Swim shorts available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_SWIMWEAR.indd 89 12/04/2013 17:36:24
OI LER & BOI LER
Swim shorts available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_SWIMWEAR.indd 90 12/04/2013 17:37:14
HUGO BOSS
Swim shorts available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_SWIMWEAR.indd 91 12/04/2013 17:37:46
ROBI NSON LES BAI NS
Swim shorts available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_SWIMWEAR.indd 92 12/04/2013 17:40:26
PAUL SMI TH
Swim shorts and hat available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
Grooming
Michalis Tzivitzidis
Stylist assistants
Nick Byam & James Cunningham
Photographer Assistant
Christopher Baker
Models
Costas, Evaggelos, Steve DF,
all at VN Model Management
231_STYLE_SEL_SWIMWEAR.indd 93 12/04/2013 17:41:28
GERGIOS
S T Y L I N G
E L A U A N L E E
P H O T O G R A P H Y
C A M E R O N M C N E E
231_STYLE_SEL_UNDERWEAR.indd 94 12/04/2013 18:23:28
HUGO BOSS
Trunks available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_UNDERWEAR.indd 95 12/04/2013 18:25:10
EQUMEN
Briefs available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_UNDERWEAR.indd 96 12/04/2013 18:25:41
AUSSI EBUM
Briefs available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_UNDERWEAR.indd 97 12/04/2013 18:26:02
UNDER UNDERWEAR
Trunks available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_UNDERWEAR.indd 98 12/04/2013 18:26:35
DI ESEL
Trunks available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_UNDERWEAR.indd 99 12/04/2013 18:26:58
M-N
Briefs available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_UNDERWEAR.indd 100 12/04/2013 18:27:24
B J RN BORG
Trunks available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_UNDERWEAR.indd 101 12/04/2013 18:27:48
231_STYLE_SEL_UNDERWEAR.indd 102 12/04/2013 18:28:11
CALVI N KLEI N
Briefs available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_UNDERWEAR.indd 103 12/04/2013 18:28:32
THE WHI TE BRI EFS
Vest and briefs available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
231_STYLE_SEL_UNDERWEAR.indd 104 12/04/2013 18:29:04
M-N
Trunks available at
Selfridges and selfridges.com
Grooming
Michalis Tzivitzidis
Stylist assistants
Nick Byam & James Cunningham
Photographer Assistant
Christopher Baker
Model
George Parashos
VN Model Management
231_STYLE_SEL_UNDERWEAR.indd 105 12/04/2013 18:30:11
expedia.indd 106 16/04/2013 17:15:38
As the temperatures
rise, enjoy your chance to
celebrate the arrival of the
Selfridges summer fashion show.
Preview this seasons must-
have underwear and swimwear
collections while shopping for
your summer essentials over
delicious drinks and a fashion
show like no other.
Enjoy the usual surprises
throughout the evening: amazing
goody bags when you spend over
30, complimentary drinks,
the Fake Bake tanning booth and,
of course, lots of men in pants!
Whats more, this year win
The Bag, worth over 2,300, by
lling in your details on the back
of the ticket and posting it in
the competition box.
To request your tickets, visit
selfridges.com/attitude
Spaces are limited and tickets are
allocated on a rst come rst served basis.
S
e
lfr
id
g
e
s
&
A
ttitu
d
e
INVITE YOU TO CELEBRATE
S
u
m
m
e
r
The start of
S
e
l
f
r
i
d
g
e
s
L
o
n
d
o
n
OX
FOR
D STR
EET, M
AY 23, 6-9pm

F
a
s
h
io
n
S
h
o
w
6
.15
p
m
T
o request your tickets visit
selfridges.com
/attitude
231_STYLE_SEL_EVENT.indd 107 15/04/2013 14:32:15
108
ATTI TUDE | FEATURE Words Xxxxxxxxxxx Photography Xxxxxxxxxxx
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231_FEAT_HURTS#.indd 108 17/04/2013 14:37:20
109
FEATURE | ATTI TUDE
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AS THEY RELEASE THEIR
SECOND ALBUM, EXILE,
BEN KELLY TALKS TO
HURTS, THE SLICKEST
DUO IN POP
231_FEAT_HURTS#.indd 109 17/04/2013 14:37:49
BY THE TIME YOU FINISHED TOURING
WITH HAPPINESS, WERE YOU READY TO
GET GOING ON THE SECOND ALBUM?
ADAM Yeah, we were really excited to
make it because wed been on tour for
two-and-a-half years and its dif cult
not being creative for that length of
time. We struggle to write on tour, it
doesnt really work for us. There was
a lot of built-up energy so we were
really red up to get on with it.
THEO We hadnt written any songs
on tour but we had talked about
it, and we had ideas. We wrote so
many songs at the beginning, then
eventually we got sucked into it and
became a bit more miserable. We
work till we go mental and cant do
any more, and then thats the record
done, basically.
DO YOU APPROACH SONGWRITING
DIFFERENTLY WHEN YOUVE HAD THE
LIVE EXPERIENCE AND SEEN THE
REACTION FROM AUDIENCES?
H
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ADAM The rst time we just made the
songs, then worked out how to do it
live. We realised we had 11 ballads out
of 12 songs and it was really dif cult
for us to have a varied live show. So
I think we saw the holes in our set
and this album really lls in those
gaps. So playing live is important
for us to discover the types of songs
we needed.
THEO Wed come of stage and be like,
Wouldnt it be great if we had this
type of song?.
ADAM By the end of the tour we
knew we wanted to make the music
a little heavier and a bit more
dynamic a bit bigger and bolder
and I guess that was a good platform
to start from.
WITH A FIRST ALBUM YOU HAVE YEARS
OF EXPERIENCE TO BRING TO THE
TABLE, SO HAVING BEEN CONSTANTLY
TOURING IN BETWEEN TIMES, DID YOU
HAVE ENOUGH INSPIRATION FOR THE
NEW ALBUM?
THEO We had so much to write about.
First time around we were just sat
in a room. We didnt have money, we
WITH A COMBINATION OF ANTHEMIC POP
TUNES, DASHING GOOD LOOKS AND AN
UNLIKELY ALLIANCE WITH KYLIE MINOGUE,
ITS NO SURPRISE THAT THE BOYS HAVE
BUILT A SIZEABLE GAY FOLLOWING, AND
ATTITUDE HAS BEEN A FAN ALL ALONG.
WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE BOYS TO CHAT
MINIMALISM, MAN CRUSHES AND BLACK EYES
didnt do anything, so our world was
quite small. All of those songs on the
rst record express that mood, and
we couldnt replicate that, so it was
quite liberating to go into it and say,
Right, we cant write another song
like this or We wont write one better
than that. It was like trying diferent
parts of the puzzle, which was quite
fun. Every song is like a diferent
snapshot of our life, really.
THERE SEEM TO BE TWO DISTINCT
ROLES WHEN YOU PERFORM: ADAMS
BEHIND THE MUSICAL SIDE OF THINGS
AND THEO IS UP FRONT SINGING. IS
THAT REFLECTIVE OF HOW YOU CREATE
THE MUSIC AS WELL?
ADAM Yeah, I think so, but there is
crossover. I sometimes write melodies
or Theo gets involved with sounds.
But for the main part thats how it is,
and thats how I like it, to be honest.
THEO This time around its much
more of a uid process. It all blurs
into one a lot of the time, which is
good, but I think its whatever
comes the easiest, really, with the
least stress involved.
THEO HUTCHCRAFT AND ADAM ANDERSON MET AS
BYSTANDERS TO A FIGHT IN MANCHESTER IN 2005, AND
AFTER A FAILED TURN IN ANOTHER BAND THEY FORMED
HURTS IN 2009. THEIR DEBUT ALBUM HAPPINESS WAS
PRAISED BY CRITICS AND THEIR DISTINCT SYNTH-POP
SOUND SOON WON THEM AN UNPRECEDENTED EUROPEAN
AUDIENCE (AND A TOUR ITINERARY THAT LOOKS LIKE
A EUROVISION SCOREBOARD). THEIR SOPHOMORE ALBUM
EXILE IS A MUCH EDGIER AND DARKER PIECE, CRAFTED
WITH THE SAME FUNDAMENTAL THEMES AS THE FIRST.
TO DATE, THEY HAVE SOLD MORE THAN TWO MILLION
ALBUMS WORLDWIDE
231_FEAT_HURTS#.indd 110 17/04/2013 14:43:46
THERES A GREAT TRACK ON THE
ALBUM CALLED HELP. YOUVE GOT
ELTON JOHN ON PIANO AND A BIG
CHOIR OF FANS AT THE END. HOW
DID THAT ALL COME ABOUT?
ADAM We made contact with Elton
and he agreed to come in and record
the piano part on top of the track. He
had a real interest in our music, was
very positive about our career. He
stayed around for about three hours
talking about music, his life, football.
That was a really amazing moment.
When you meet your heroes you
want them to be a certain way and he
was exactly how I wanted him to be
very humble. He was a proper lad
as well. Not a diva at all. We had the
idea for the choir because obviously
we have a huge fan base in Europe
and we wanted to give these people
a voice on the record. So we picked
We used to be
on the DOLE in
Manchester and wed
wear SMART clothes
so people would respect us
people from diferent countries and
got them all in. It was virtually the
last thing we did on the record. Its an
amazing tune for the story behind it,
so were really proud of that one.
WHO ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO
COLLABORATE WITH OR WRITE FOR?
ADAM It would be great to write
songs for people like Rihanna and
Beyonc. Id love to do stuf like
that and get into that world a bit.
Personally, Id like to do a big lm
soundtrack. That was always my aim
when I was younger. So hopefully
someone will ask us eventually.
THE NEXT BOND THEME?
ADAM Well most of our songs sound
like Bond themes anyway, so they can
have any of them!
THEO POSTED A PHOTO WITH LANA DEL
REY RECENTLY. IS THERE ANY CHANCE
OF A DUET THERE?
THEO Id love that to happen. We met
her at the Echo awards in Germany.
Its weird because when we rst
started, we didnt really want any
peers and we did everything we
could to alienate ourselves from
other musicians. But shes somebody
that has a very similar idea to us
about what pop music should be.
Not an old-fashioned idea, just that it
should be everything and it should be
special. So shes someone that we love
very much and that would be great.
From top left,
Bowies new
album, theo
with lana del
rey, bond star
mads mikkelson,
pet shop boys,
bros and the
boys with kylie
231_FEAT_HURTS#.indd 111 17/04/2013 15:02:06
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CONSIDERING THE HUGE APPRECIATION
FOR YOUR SOUND ACROSS EUROPE AND
RUSSIA, WOULD YOU EVER VENTURE
EAST TO RECORD AN ALBUM?
ADAM Yeah, we would, for sure.
I mean, writing music is a tough
process for us and it always ends
up being quite painful and dif cult.
We intend to go somewhere hot next
time just to have a change of scenery
because we always seem to end up in
a miserable apartment somewhere
which doesnt help!
THEO Yeah, weve written two
Manchester albums now, and I dont
think we could write another one
there. I think that next time it will be
a very diferent approach. We need to
keep challenging ourselves.
ADAM I think maybe a beach
recording studio of some sort...
THEO Is it time for the Berlin record?
ADAM Maybe Berlin. Its got a good
heritage and people get asked to go
there a lot to do that sort of thing, so
we might try it.
THEO It would be fantastic. The
problem with Berlin is that if you ever
go out for a drink, you end up coming
home about ve days later, so youve
got to be very careful.
IT WORKED FOR BOWIE. HE MADE
ALBUMS ON NOTHING BUT COCAINE.
THEO Well in a way it worked for
him, in a way it didnt...
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HIS
NEW ALBUM?
THEO Its fantastic. Im a huge fan.
Hes just so brilliant and hes someone
whos always inspired us and made
us want to be diferent and take pride
in what we do. Thats the key. We
think pop music should be treasured
and youve got to ght its corner.
WHAT ELSE ARE YOU LISTENING TO
RIGHT NOW?
THEO Obviously the new Depeche
Mode record, which is fantastic.
ADAM I just got the Kavinsky
album. Ive always liked him from a
retrospective point of view and I like
the new Foals album. I listen a lot to
Watch the Throne by Kanye West and
Jay-Z. I love that one. I like a lot of
hip hop music these days, which is
strange for me.
WELL THERES A LITTLE BIT OF
THAT APPEARING IN SOME OF THE NEW
TRACKS, LIKE SANDMAN.
ADAM Yeah, exactly. Its something
that weve both got into in the past
couple of years. The last Kanye West
album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted
Fantasy we had that on every single
night for a year in the dressing room,
so maybe its crept into our music.
THE HURTS STYLE IS VERY CLASSIC
AND RETRO, AND THERES A LOT OF
RUSSIAN IMAGERY IN YOUR VIDEOS
AND ARTWORK. WHERE DOES THAT COME
FROM? IS IT A REFERENCE TO THE
FAN BASE THERE?
ADAM With this album it is a little bit,
yeah, but with the rst album it was
an accident, really. It had nothing
to do with any of those things. We
used to be on the dole in Manchester
and wed wear smart clothes so
people would respect us. We set
up the MySpace account with one
little picture and two songs, and we
Michael
. . . Id go out for a few
beers with him and
see what happens
Fassbender. . .
231_FEAT_HURTS#.indd 112 17/04/2013 15:02:19
made a video [Wonderful Life] for 20.
We struggled a bit in our previous
band and we felt a bit burned by
the industry at that point, so we
wanted to do it our way. The labels
got interested just from us having a
bit of restraint in the ideology of the
band, so that really worked for us in
that way.
WATCHING THE WONDERFUL LIFE
VIDEO, YOU CAN SEE HOW EVEN ON
A LOW BUDGET, THE WHOLE CONCEPT
IS THERE IN ITS RAW FORM.
ADAM Thats the important thing,
isnt it? Its the initial idea. In a way
things are simpler when youve got
no money because you really have
to focus on the idea. When money is
involved it can get too big.
THEO At rst the idea was that the
music would be the life, the colour,
the excitement, and projecting
ourselves in a very minimalistic way
would give more life to the music. So
weirdly, we did it in a substance-over-
style way, but a lot of people thought
it was the other way around, saying
we were all about the look. The point
was to present something with lots
of dynamics in a very simplistic way.
And also its things we love. We love
Fellini, we love Helmut Newton,
we love things that have a sort of
intensity to them.
SO HOW DO THOSE OTHER TYPES OF
ART IMPACT ON THE WORK? I KNOW
YOU WERE READING THE ROAD BY
CORMAC MCCARTHY QUITE A BIT
WHILE MAKING EXILE.
THEO Yeah. Bleakest book ever! Its
a mood. I think its mood and its a
world. We try to craft a world for
ourselves that we could exist in and
that we could make music within,
and to do that in a very visual way.
When we write songs we see them
before we hear them and its a great
way to operate. The more you add to
it, and the bigger the world gets, the
more inspiring it becomes and things
like lms and photography become
as important as songs. They couldnt
really exist without each other. I
know for a fact, Hurts wouldnt be a
band if it was one without the other.
HOW DID YOU REALLY GET THAT BLACK
EYE, THEO? IF ADAM PUNCHED YOU,
YOU CAN TELL US...
THEO No! I was running and I
tripped at the top of some stairs, went
straight down into a gate and had
eight stitches in my eye. It looked
disgusting. To be honest, I was very
close to having no eye.
THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED THE WHOLE
BOND VILLAIN LOOK...
THEO Well it sort of gives me an edge
that otherwise isnt there. I dont
want it to go now. Its almost gone but
I treasured it a bit. I really made the
most of it.
WHATS ALL THIS WE HEAR ABOUT AN
EIGHTSOME IN KIEV?
ADAM Thats bullshit. Thats bollocks.
I was misquoted. Make sure you
print that as well because my dad
was disgusted. An eightsome is a
bit ambitious, isnt it? How does that
work? We dont usually cross over
when it comes to sex, me and him.
ARE YOU AWARE THAT YOUVE GOT
A GAY FOLLOWING?
ADAM Yeah, I think so.
THEO Its great for us. Its always
been a big part of the audience
everywhere we go around the world
its always been a big thing.
YOURE CERTAINLY VERY ATTRACTIVE.
DO YOU GET A LOT OF MALE
ATTENTION? ANY OFFERS?
THEO I guess we do, yeah, but thats
just part of it. Its a compliment, its
attery in general.
ADAM Im not sure about ofers but
theres denitely a gay audience. The
fan base is pretty diverse, so its hard
to put your nger on it. Maybe its
something in the music. Theos a bit
of a pin-up, I guess.
SO DOES HE GET MORE ATTENTION
THAN YOU?
ADAM I dont know but I imagine that
if we were living in 1984, hed be
the poster up on all the bedrooms
of the UK.
THEO I cant speak objectively. See,
I would have thought it was Adam
because hes much more sultry. We
both have very diferent types of
female fans. Adam tends to get older
women and I tend to get younger
girls. So between the two of us theres
something for everyone. Which
works out well, obviously. It always
seems bizarre to me that people ask
you to marry them and its like, Well
no... Im weird, Im not like you think
I am.
DO YOU GET A LOT OF THAT ON
TWITTER?
THEO I dont really look at Twitter,
to be honest, for that exact reason.
I ignore it. Its just too weird, too
strange. But its a nice part of the job,
isnt it? Its not bad.
LOOKS-WISE YOU DO REMIND ME OF
DUOS LIKE WHAM! AND BROS. I
SUPPOSE THATS FAIRLY HOMOEROTIC?
ADAM That must be it. And we got
Kylie on the rst record, so that sort
of helped in that respect. It could be
a combination of those things for the
gay fans, I think. But its good for us.
Its good to have a diverse audience.
DO YOU SEE ANY SIMILARITY BETWEEN
YOURSELVES AND PET SHOP BOYS?
ADAM I dont see it. The only thing is
that theres two of them, and I think
the music also carries a grandeur that
ofsets his voice sometimes. But thats
about it for me.
FINALLY, DO YOU HAVE A MAN CRUSH?
THEO Will Smith. I just think hes
brilliant, everything about him is
brilliant. Its just something about
him. I want him to be my dad, my
brother and my best friend at the
same time. Lots of lads are obsessed
with Will Smith.
ADAM Michael Fassbender is quite
charismatic. I like his demeanour,
hes really cool. I think I just really
want to be him. But Id denitely go
out for a few beers with him and see
what happens.
Exile is out now
on RCA Records
Will smith:
theo wants him
to be his dad,
brother and
best friend
231_FEAT_HURTS#.indd 113 17/04/2013 15:07:28
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USN0336 - Attitude 231 DPS Ad.indd 1 17/04/2013 10:49 USN.indd 114 17/04/2013 14:37:41
For optimal results, combine with a balanced, lean muscle building eating plan and exercise routine. Individual results may vary.
EXPLOSIVE PRE-
WORKOUT ENERGY
Amino acid plus blend
formulated for the reduction
of fatigue and contributes to
maintenance of muscle mass.
PREMIUM
CONCENTRATE AND
ISOLATE WHEY BLEND
Bioavailable protein that supports
the growth and maintenance of
muscle mass.
2 AFTER 1 BEFORE
TRAIN HARDER
BUILD MUSCLE FASTER
CORE MUSCLE SERIES
www.usn.co.uk USN UK @USN_UK Available at and selected stores.
LATEST TEST STATS:
FRANCOIS HOUGAARD
SPRINGBOK WINGER
HEIGHT 180cm
WEIGHT 92.6kg
BODY FAT 4.1%
Amongst the most benefcial and effective supplements in
any sports nutrition program are branched chain amino acids
(BCAAs). These are the essential aminos leucine, isoleucine,
and valine, which play an important role in protein synthesis.
Makes an easy to mix, great tasting beverage.
A high protein engineered nutrition shake contributes to the
growth of lean muscle mass. USNs Whey Protein Premium
provides the purest form of this single protein substrate.
Contains 24g of protein and 10g of BCAAs and glutamine.
BCAA POWER PUNCH
SUPPORT MUSCLE MAINTENANCE
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400g
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Vanilla Banana
2.28kg 908g 12
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USN0336 - Attitude 231 DPS Ad.indd 1 17/04/2013 10:49 USN.indd 115 17/04/2013 14:38:08
116
ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE
Every night I seem to sweat a
lot in bed. Sometimes Im hot
before I go to sleep, so I do so in the
nude, but I still wake up the next
day to a soggy pillowcase and sticky
legs. Whats causing this?
Paul, wakeeld
Night sweats are amazingly
common. Most people will
experience them at one time or
another. They can be entirely
benign, brought on simply by
stress or articial-bre bedding
and overheating. Or there can more
serious causes, including chronic
infections, chronic viral infections,
tuberculosis, HIV and even certain
cancers. At your age this is all
unlikely but not impossible, so I
would suggest you go for a quick
general check-up just to be sure. If
your GP can rule out some of these
more sinister things, then youll
know its simply a question of
rearranging your bed and bedding.
This is not so much of
a problem.
Whenever I walk down the
street I end up looking like a
wreck because my eyes wont stop
watering. It doesnt need to be windy
and Ive ruled out hay fever because
it happens more in cold weather.
Why am I constantly teary?
Philip, Swansea
There are a number of
reasons why your eyes might
be watery. The rst is simply that
youre producing too many tears.
This could be because the surface
of your eye is inamed with a small
ulcer or chronic infection. These
can be treated with antibiotic
drops, of course, but you do need
Our heal th expert
Dr Chri sti an Jessen
answers your
medi cal queri es
&
ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE
Shingles is a surprisingly common infection,
afecting about three in every thousand
people in the UK every year. It can happen
at any age but its more common in people
over the age of 50; its much less common
in children. Its an infection of the nerve
endings in the skin that is caused by the
herpes zoster virus, which is the same one
that causes chicken pox. The visible signs
are a band or limited area of a vicious red
blistering on one side of the body across the
middle. Suferers can become unwell through
u-like symptoms before the rash appears.
The rash can be extremely uncomfortable,
causing hyper-sensitivity to the touch,
and this can persist long after the rash has
disappeared. Most people who get shingles
have had chicken pox in their childhood
because the virus remains dormant in their
nervous system. Becoming tired, run-down
or even developing other infections such as
HIV can cause shingles to reoccur, although
it can happen even if none of these factors is
present. There is unfortunately no cure for
shingles but it can be treated with anti-viral
medication and local painkilling treatments.
There are some serious complications for
shingles, particularly if it occurs in the
eye area, as it can cause permanent visual
loss, and also with chronic pain in the area
where the rash occurs, which is known as
postherpetic neuralgia. This is treatable but
can be quite resistant to medication.
Got a probl em, want answers? Email drchristian@attitude.co.uk
this to be diagnosed. Another
possible source of the problem
is not tear production but if
the tear-drainage system has a
blockage in it. The small little
hole that you can see in the inner
corner of your eye can sometimes
become blocked as a result of
a cold or a minor infection,
and clearly you can imagine if
your tears arent clearing away,
theyre going to well up and
your eyes will water. Again,
thats something a specialist
will be able to diagnose and sort
out. The bottom line is that you
should probably ask your GP for
a referral to an ophthalmologist
to get your eyes checked out
properly.
Im in my late 40s so I
recently had a check-up
with my GP, who found that
I have high cholesterol. Hes
recommended that I start taking
Statins but friends have warned
me that these have horrible
side-efects and may even be
dangerous. What would you
recommend?
Tim, exeter
I would say its going a
little to far to describe this
medication as dangerous but it
can bring some aches and pains,
which is probably what these
people are referring to. You can
always try diferent medication
as an alternative. Exercise is
important in combating high
cholesterol but it is rarely
enough, so you will need to take
something to accompany it.
Dr Christian on twitter @doctorchristian
Probe
Shingles
Cholesterol
is a fat-like
substance thast
comes from the
liver and certain
foods. Too much
can cause gallstones
or block up arteries
Didnt
know?
The Clinic
with Dr Christan
231_ACTIVE_CLINIC#.indd 116 17/04/2013 14:24:37
regaine.indd 117 17/04/2013 14:29:28
118
ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE
Body Talk
Pete Wal den, 28, l ives in
Birmingham and works as a
supervi sor for Footasyl um.
A sel f - confessed sci - fi geek,
he used to dance for cl ub
events in Manchester, where
he l ived for seven years
Ive never attended the gym.
Every year I tell myself Im going
to join but its never happened.
I do quite a lot of dancing because
I actually used to do it part-time
as an extra-curricular activity
after work. I dont drive and I try
to avoid going on buses or trains
if my destination is close enough,
which means I actually get to
walk a lot. My boyfriend trained
to go into the Army, so he does
more regular exercise to maintain
his stamina and physique, and
I like to go along for fun.
I definitely dont want to get
smaller than I am at the moment;
Ive set myself a target of 10st.
The downside is that I lose
weight quite rapidly so I struggle
to put it on. The good thing is
that I am neither too heavy nor
underweight, so it doesnt worry
me too much. I have a tattoo of
Pink on my back, which the tattoo
artist messed up a bit. If I could,
I would talk to my younger self
and make him reconsider!
AN ATTITUDE READER
OPENS UP ABOUT
HIS BODY
178
cm
I dont smoke but I do drink at the
weekends. Usually we manage to
polish of a bottle of vodka and do
shots with every drink!
Im not very active outside of work,
if Im honest. Im much more likely
to be playing on my PS3. I have done
a lot of dancing in the past, in clubs,
and that was quite a good workout.
STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING
Stats
Guilty Pleasures
T E S C O
4 3 0 G R A M S
1,720cals
P
E
R

Q
U
A
R
T
E
R

S
E
R
V
I
N
G
4
3
0
c
a
ls
FAGS AND BOOZE
EXERCISE
HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
510
1
2
3
60kg
5 lbs
stone 9
P H O T O G R A P H Y A L E X G R A C E
231_ACTIVE_REAL BODIES#.indd 118 17/04/2013 14:30:36
James Marsters,
who played
Spike in Bufy the
Vampire Slayer.
He had a nice
body slim
but dened.
Nose
I got hit in the nose
once and it didnt
break, but now its
not straight. I know
exactly how to pose in
photos to make sure it
looks right.
Stomach
I very rarely do
sit-ups and am
not a gym-goer, so
I suppose its down
to dancing again.
Legs
Legs are obviously the
main body part you
use to dance, so they
have always been quite
toned. I have quite
dened calf muscles.
Chest
I wouldnt mind
having pecs, but
to be honest Im
not craving it, so
Im happy with
what I have now.
HAVE
YOU
EVER
Joe Bennett,
a footballer for
Aston Villa. Hes
always well turned
out and hes got
that good boy on
the outside, bad
boy on the inside
look to him.
THE UKS
BESTSELLING
GAY MAGAZINE
ON YOUR MAC,
PC, PHONE
OR TABLET
THE IPAD EDITION OF ATTITUDE FEATURES
A MOVING COVER, EXCLUSIVE VIDEO
CONTENT, PHOTOGALLERIES OF OUR SHOOTS
AND FASHION STORIES, PLUS INTERACTIVE
MUSIC, FILM AND TELEVISION REVIEWS
DOWNLOAD
NOW
HAD A TATTOO
HAD TEETH
WHITENING
HAD FAKE TAN
HAD A GYM
MEMBERSHIP
GOT WAXED
BEEN SKINNY
DIPPING
BEEN VAJAZZLED
IDEAL
BODY
IDEAL
MAN
231_ACTIVE_REAL BODIES#.indd 119 17/04/2013 14:32:52
121
ADVI CE | ATTI TUDE
AN OPERATION FORCES STEFAN TO CONFRONT HIS BODY ISSUES
I hate my body. OK, thats not
completely true and short of slinging
on Evanescences greatest hits, could
I sound any more emo-teen if I tried?
(Erm, probably.) Actually, the face is
pretty good and the general proportions
of the rest are quite pleasing. Some
things could be a bit smaller, and others,
well, a boy can dream... But sometimes
my body screws completely with
me in a way that far transcends the
daily, Does my cock look big in this?
dilemmas. Sometimes, folks, my body
grows a great big bloody lump in my
chest that has to be removed.
Oh, the irony. I have wrested all my
adult, gay body-dysmorphic life with
my uctuating waistline. I am pretty,
and scientically, sure that I was born
without abs (although that packet of
custard creams might disagree). I have
stereotypically valued myself too much
by these deciencies. But, in return, the
universe gave me a honking rack.
I love my chest. It is my saving grace,
my opening gambit and my get-out-
of-jail (and bang the warder and a few
nasty prison guards along the way) card.
Yes, I know, inner beauty, blah blah.
I have been working on that. But, in
trying times, I have always derived great
solace from my puppies gambolling in a
tight tee or plunging shirt.
But by the time you read this, I will
have been wheeled into an operating
theatre under extremely unattering
lighting and wearing a delightful,
backless, polyester gown, no less. Oh
yes, Cinderfella, you shall go to the ball.
Except I wont be having a ball. Ill be
stone-cold unconscious as they peel
away my nipple and cut out a two-inch
mass from my left chesticle. Not a tale
this fairy ever wished he would tell.
And the real kicker is that it might be
related to my HIV. Ta-dah!
I wrote last year about this growing
lump (a gynomastea) that has been
lurking in my chest for ve years.
Hidebound specialists told me
contradictory theories while I sat there
muttering like a slum-ridden extra
on Call the Midwife, Just get the bloody
thing out of me. Finally, a young doctor
told me that there were increasing
links between certain HIV meds and
abnormal growths. It was a hell of
a lot to deal with. And I didnt deal
with it well. And then, last month, the
follow-up consultant took one look and
declared, Right, that needs to come out.
I hate operations. I hate general
anaesthetics. I hate pain. I hate possible
scary side-efects and being trapped in a
body that is mutinying on me. I hate the
idea that my HIV meds might have done
this to me. I hate that theres no getting
out of this jail for free.
The good news is that I found an
answer and a solution to the lump. Take
a deep (panicky) breath, deal with it and
move forward. Kumbaya.
The bad news is that I may have to rely
on my inner beauty for a while.
Oh crap. Can somebody nd me that
Evanescence CD...
stefan.kyriazis@attitude.co.uk
I HAVE ALWAYS
DERIVED GREAT
SOLACE FROM
MY PUPPIES
GAMBOLLING IN
A TIGHT TEE
HIV and me
with Stefan Kyriazis

HIV and AIDS are not the same thing.
HIV is human immunodeciency virus,
which attacks the immune system. If left
untreated, the immune system becomes
damaged and can no longer ght of
infections. This is when a person is said
to have acquired AIDS.
Left untreated, AIDS will kill you.
Unfortunately, as a gay man you are
more at risk of catching HIV.
There is no way of telling who has HIV,
and on the gay scene, as many as one in
seven men have the virus. For this reason,
it is vital to practise safe sex. More information: gmfa.org.uk, tht.org.uk
SAFE
SEX
THE RULES OF
Always use a condom, and learn how to
use them properly (no washing them in
the washing machine, re-using them, etc).
Always use a water-based lubricant.
Other lubes damage condoms.
Dont let people cum in your mouth.
Learn about PEP post exposure
prophylaxis is a short course of HIV
treatment you can take if youve had
unprotected sex. It isnt a cure and can
only be used within 72 hours of exposure
to HIV.
Preventing HIV transmission isnt the only
reason to practise safe sex. There are other
nasties out there, and while they are more
easily treatable, the likes of chlamydia,
gonorrhoea and syphilis can be painful.
And we dont want that, do we? No.
THE UKS
BESTSELLING
GAY MAGAZINE
ON YOUR MAC,
PC, PHONE
OR TABLET
THE IPAD EDITION OF ATTITUDE
FEATURES A MOVING COVER, EXCLUSIVE
VIDEO CONTENT, PHOTOGALLERIES OF
OUR SHOOTS AND FASHION STORIES,
PLUS INTERACTIVE MUSIC, FILM AND
TELEVISION REVIEWS
231_ACTIVE_HIV-DR ALEX.indd 121 17/04/2013 17:57:33
122
IN ASSOCIATION WITH: FOR YOUR ULTIMATE BODY...ITS ALL ABOUT RESULTS.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH: FOR YOUR ULTIMATE BODY...ITS ALL ABOUT RESULTS.
Beach Bum
P H O T O G R A P H Y S I MO N T AY L O R
Get wet
Drinking lots of water is as important in the
gym as it is on the beach. Being even slightly
dehydrated can afect your workout and make
you feel sluggish and lack energy. Keep plenty
of H20 to hand to achieve your personal bests.
Make a splash
Make sure you smell as good as you look in the
heat. There are summery fragrances aplenty
this season. Try Jean Paul Gaultiers Le Beau
Male (theperfumeshop.com) with its torso-
shaped bottle providing a splash
of inspiration.
Slather up
If beauty is only skin-deep, then make sure you
slap on the suncream to avoid burnt muscles.
Spray tans are far healthier than sunbeds,
and consider a check-up at The Mole Clinic
nationwide (themoleclinic.co.uk)
if you have any concerns.
Summer is here at last. Winter wardrobe,
be gone! Its time to feel those rays and
drop your drawers for Speedo season.
If, after a chilly spring, your muscles are
looking less than blossoming, avoid going
into hibernation and step into the gym.
The beach is calling.
Whether you favour Bermuda shorts
or Hawaiian skirts, summer is all
about getting a little skimpy by the sea.
Though a broad chest and big guns
are impressive, dont give your
lower half a bum deal.
This months workout is designed to
put some junk in your trunks, as well
as beef up your thighs and sculpt your
abs. Buttocks that can open a bottle of
beer will get that hot lifeguard at the
hotel pool begging to help you with
the sun lotion. Be swimsuit-ready this
summer in Barbados, Brighton or just
your back garden. Some hard work in the
gym will all be worth it when youre
lying back, catching the rays and
looking as hot as the weather.
Sweating over l ooking good on
the beach? Personal trainer
Col in Gentry shows you how to
l ook hot in Speedos thi s summer
TOP
TIPS
IPAD
EDITION
Vi deo and
commentary of
Col in s workout
on the i Pad
Personal training
information at
colin-gentry.com
@colingentry
231_ACTIVE_WORKOUT#.indd 122 17/04/2013 14:43:51
123
IN ASSOCIATION WITH: FOR YOUR ULTIMATE BODY...ITS ALL ABOUT RESULTS.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH: FOR YOUR ULTIMATE BODY...ITS ALL ABOUT RESULTS.
WORKOUT | ATTI TUDE
Dumbbell Deadlift Front Squat
Renegade Rows
Lunges
Weighted Side Plank
To hit your hamstrings, drive
through the oor with the weight on
your heels. As the dumbbells pass
the knees, lean back and pull your
shoulder blades together.
Tip: Relax the shoulders before
lifting, which will lengthen your
arms for a better lift.
Dont let skinny calves let you down
when youre in your shorts. Stand
with two weights and raise the
heels up, squeeze and lower.
Tip: Stand with toes out at
30 degrees to give the calf muscle
that diamond-shaped denition.
Swap the barbell for a weight plate held
out in front of you, placing your feet
shoulder-width apart, and keep your
chest up. Squat down as if sitting in
a chair, keeping a curve in the lower
back. Go just below parallel and then
return to the starting position.
Tip: Elevating your heels will result
in better quad denition.
This is great for strong abs. Place two
dumbbells on the oor about shoulder
width apart. Position yourself on
your toes and your hands as though
you were doing a press-up. Push one
weight into the oor and row the
other weight up to your side.
Tip: Pull your elbow into your
side as you lift the dumbbell.
Great for a peachy bottom, perform
lunges by standing with two
dumbbells. Lunge forward with your
left foot and lower the right knee down
to about 90 degrees. Then drive
the left foot back to the start. Repeat
on the opposite leg.
Tip: Avoid letting your front
knee travel over the toes.
Perform a side plank so that you
rest on your forearm and have an
imaginary diagonal line running
straight down the body. With the
free arm, lift a dumbbell above the
body and hold the position.
Tip: Avoid letting your
hips drop down.
Standing Calf Raises
C
u
t
-
o
u
t
-
a
n
d
-
k
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231_ACTIVE_WORKOUT#.indd 123 17/04/2013 14:40:01
124
ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE ATTI TUDE | ACTI VE
Fast Food
By Hannah Barton
I was diagnosed with
Coeliac disease a year
ago, so my diet has
drastically changed. All
gluten was removed,
as well as onions and
peppers, to which I have
an intolerance. I always
eat the same meats as
I dont like seafood or
sh. This has taken the
enjoyment out of eating,
and my diet is dull. Even
though I am now 63kg
to my 5ft 9in frame, it is
hard to put on weight. I
take advantage of my fast
metabolism by snacking
on sweets every day.
I usually jog twice a
week and do two muscle
workouts, but this can
change as my energy is
often low. I need foods
that can help build more
muscle and substitute
the sugary snacks that
give me spots.
Ian Marber
Email ian.marber@attitude.co.uk Follow twitter@IanMarber
The Grilling
Peanut butter packs a few calories but also ofers a good dose of protein,
so a little should ll you up for a while. Its also rich in minerals niacin
(B3) and vitamin E. Choose low-salt and unsweetened versions.
Everyday Hero Peanut Butter
Ry Wright 22, Student
Breakfast Gluten-free pancakes
with honey, or an omelette with
bacon. Tea with three sugars.
Lunch Bacon sandwich on GF
bread with cheese, or GF pasta
with tomato and parmesan.
Dinner Chicken/mince with rice,
carrots and tomato. Accompanied
by herbs, a plain tomato sauce or
GF gravy.
Snacks Haribo, bananas,
tea, Pepsi-Max or juice.
Breakfast Gluten-free brown
toast, mushroom omelette with
lean bacon, grilled.
Snacks Plain yoghurt, apple
and a palmful of walnuts.
Lunch GF pasta with tuna,
tomato sauce and topped with
parmesan and pine nuts.
Snacks Half an avocado on a
couple of oatcakes.
Dinner Chicken, fresh veg,
brown rice. Plain yoghurt
topped with banana and
toasted almonds.
The Analysis
Coeliac disease is an intolerance to
gluten found in wheat, barley and
rye but also, to a lesser extent, in
oats. I have worked with several
newly diagnosed clients who, like
Ry, really struggle with their diet
as the focus is, understandably,
all about avoiding gluten. Given
that a coeliac who eats gluten can
experience very bad digestive
problems and weight loss, avoiding
it is paramount. But this doesnt
mean that other dietary rules dont
apply, they just get overshadowed
My Diet
as the coeliac nds a safe diet and
sticks to it. We all need to eat a
favourable mix of the food groups,
and so Ry should be looking to
combine protein with complex
carbohydrates every time he
eats, and also, to ensure weight
maintenance, plenty of the good
fats. Just because a food is gluten-
free doesnt make it any good, and
so GF biscuits and sweets are still
going to ofer a load of simple carbs
and sugar. Its easy to x but will
require some discipline in the early
days before it becomes second
nature. This should also help
reduce sugar cravings and maybe
clear up his skin, too.
1 butternut squash
2 tbsp sunower oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2cm ginger, peeled, nely chopped
2 red chillies, deseeded and sliced
1 tbsp curry powder or paste
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Sea salt and ground black pepper
1 tin coconut milk
1 bag baby spinach
Juice of half a lime or lemon
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
Handful of cashews, lightly toasted
Basmati rice or naan bread to serve
Peel and deseed the squash,
then cut it into cubes. Heat the
oil in a large saucepan, add
the onion and cook gently for
about ve minutes. Add the
garlic, ginger, chillies and curry
powder or paste and cook for
a further two minutes. Now
add the squash, red pepper and
chickpeas, season and cook for
another two minutes or so. Pour
in the coconut milk, stir well
and bring to a simmer. Cover
and cook gently for 2030
minutes, stirring occasionally,
until the squash is tender. Add
the spinach and cook for a few
minutes till just wilted. Squeeze
over the lime or lemon juice,
season and top with coriander
and cashews. Serve with
basmati rice or naan bread.
The Solution
Squash, Spinach and
Chickpea Curry with Cashews
231_ACTIVE_IAN MARBER_new#.indd 124 17/04/2013 15:02:55
20130304-MP-Attitide-KF-v2.indd 1 19/03/2013 16:18
my protein.indd 125 17/04/2013 14:25:44
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CONTEXT | ATTI TUDE
129
Would you like to go on an Attitude
date? If so, email your name, age,
location, a recent photo of yourself
and tell us your type of man to
dating@attitude.co.uk
Matthew and Josh dined at Parlour Kensal, London NW10 5LG. parlourkensal.com
Photography Alex Grace Words Ben Kelly
TABLE
FOR 2
WI LL MATTHEW AND J OSH
HI T I T OFF OVER DI NNER?
We talked a lot about our Twitter
accounts and our love of celebrity
culture.
ANY AWKWARD MOMENTS?
No, but maybe when I stopped the
conversation to Instagram my food!
COULD YOU INTRODUCE HIM TO
YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY?
I think hed get on well with my sister.
SNOG, MARRY, AVOID?
Snog.
SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN?
Yeah but probably not in a romantic
sense. Were following each other on
Twitter now.
MATTHEW, 23, MARKETING
Having been on a few dates
here and there but making it
to Valentines Day still single,
Matthew decided to sort his love
life out and get Attitude to lend a
helping hand.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
I was glad he was about the same age
as me but Josh seemed younger and
he was dressed quite casually, whereas
I had come straight from work in
shirt, jacket and with a briefcase. Hes
attractive but not my type.
THE CHAT:
At the beginning the restaurant was
quite quiet so it felt like we had to
force the conversation, but as the
evening went on it got much better.
7/10
JOSH, 21, LAW STUDENT
Having never had a proper
boyfriend, Josh thought hed be
spontaneous and let Attitude set
him up on a blind date to see
what it was all about.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
I went in for a handshake and he
went in for a hug, so we ended
up in a hug. Hes not the type I
usually go for but I could be open to
persuasion. He seemed really nice.
THE CHAT:
It was really good, easy-going. It
just kept owing. Hes really down to
earth. We talked about our interests
and stuf, the things we have in
common. We have the same taste in
music, people weve seen in concert.
ANY AWKWARD MOMENTS?
None at all. We were making an
efort to get to know each other but
it was quite a laugh too.
COULD YOU INTRODUCE HIM TO
YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY?
Denitely. I think he could handle
himself, so thats always a bonus.
My friends are quite similar to him.
SNOG, MARRY, AVOID?
Snog.
SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN?
Were on the same wavelength. He
is boyfriend material. We did swap
numbers so you never know.
8/10
231_CONTEXT_DATING#.indd 129 17/04/2013 14:50:30
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Some people cruise through life, we get serious
bloom and cadogan.indd 130 17/04/2013 12:59:01
COUPLES | ATTI TUDE
131
After being with Steve for a few years, I came out to my parents in
the early 90s. I thought my mother realised what I was but she was
shocked. My Dad said, I dont understand all you said but youre still
my son, I love you. Now my mum points out that weve been together
longer than my brothers, who were both divorced twice. Steve used
to be self-conscious about going out and people seeing two blokes at
dinner, that kind of thing, but thats denitely got easier as times have
moved on. We dont walk around holding hands or kissing in peoples
faces, but I think that should be the same for a man and a woman, too.
We love our home having our friends around and going walking
with the dog. We like taking our holidays, too. Weve been all over
and met some great people that way. I know its tough out there on
the gay scene, though weve never really been into that, so I do feel
very lucky to have Steve now. Hes good to me and we work well
together. My advice to younger couples would be to enjoy each other.
If you meet the right person you just know and you should go for it.
Relationships can last.
GLENN, 47, DISPLAY COMPANY PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR
I met Glenn in 1985 when I was 26 and he was 20, so weve been
together 27 years now. We were friends rst, and then one night after
a gig I invited him back to mine, and it just happened from there.
Weve lived in the same house ever since. I wasnt bold enough to tell
my parents and theyve since passed away. I think my mother knew
what was going on but she never said anything. In the beginning
we didnt really have anywhere to go as a couple we didnt go into
London much. We worked together for a long time and I was his boss.
That caused some stress but we never had any major problems. I was
made redundant in 2008, then in 2010 he was too, which was testing,
but weve been there to support each other. Glenn is caring and loyal,
not just to me but to his friends and family. We are thinking of getting
married in 2015, now with the change in the law. I think as you get
older you realise the importance of that legal security. If there is a
secret to a long relationship like ours, Id say just be good to each
other. Weve never played around or anything like that. Its nice to
have someone to come home to and share your life with.
STEVE, 54, ESTATE PLANNING CONSULTANT
If you have been together for over a year and would like to feature on Truly, Madly, Deeply, email a photo and a few words about yourself to couples@attitude.co.uk
Words Ben Kelly
H
A
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A
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B
A
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T
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TRULYMADLY DEEPLY
231_CONTEXT_TMD#.indd 131 17/04/2013 15:05:20
132
ATTI TUDE | CONTEXT
MY STORY
ts hard to think its three years since we switched
Gaydio on full-time. Wed been around before, though.
It all started from an idea we had to create a pop-up
festival radio station for Manchester Pride back in 2006.
We broadcast for a couple of weeks from the Gay Village
and people seemed to love the reports from the event,
broadcasts from the bars and clubs, and the community
groups that came in to chat with our presenters.
It made us think we were on to something. A lot of efort went into
our licence application to go full-time and there was a real buzz
when we were successful. Thats when the hard work really started.
So, on June 18 2010, we came back and never went away. It was
a completely diferent beast to the pop-ups; this time our team
wouldnt be able to switch of after a few weeks hard work over the
summer. Our amazing team is made up of a small number of paid
staf and also volunteers. The appeal for many of the experienced
presenters was that they hadnt been out on air at other stations.
Gaydio is diferent to other stations. Not every talking point has to
be gay, gay, gay (although many of them are), but for everything else
there should be a Gaydio angle. I think listeners were initially drawn
to us because we could relate to each others sexuality.
So, we were up and running on FM in Manchester and felt
TOBY WHI T E HOUS E
( RI GHT) STATI ON DI RECTOR AND CO- FOUNDER OF GAYDI O
G A Y D I O I S A B O U T R E F L E C T I N G
G A Y L I F E A L L A C R O S S T H E C O U N T R Y

231_CONTEXT_MY STORY#.indd 132 17/04/2013 16:41:35

CONTEXT | ATTI TUDE
133
[ WO R D S D A N I E L F U LV I O P H O T O G R A P H L E E B A X T E R ]
Y O U R S T O R Y Do you have an interesting story about your life or work to tell our readers? If so, email yourstory@attitude.co.uk
connected to gay life in the North. The radio was sounding great and
the outreach work that we do was changing lives. But things dont
stay still for long which is when we were approached by QSoft, the
owners of Gaydar Radio, who decided they wanted to focus on the
core business of their dating sites.
We were given the opportunity to take on the DAB licences for
London and the South-East to create a combined, national service
with our existing Manchester licence. It was a daunting task as we
knew Gaydar Radio was a much-loved station.
Its been a real challenge taking Gaydio to the next level.
Thankfully, technology makes lots of things possible, like splitting
output at various times and geographically targeting content. After
the pop-up stations and 30 months full-time on air, we used this
opportunity to take stock. What really worked? What could we do
better? How should we do things diferently for a national audience?
We took a fresh look at everything, from the music to the branding,
from the schedule to the social networking nothing escaped the
Gaydio facelift! It was a crazy time but I think its paid of and we
were ready for the re-launch across the UK in January.
So Gaydio is now about reecting gay life across the whole of
the UK; not just in the North-West, not just in London, not just in
Brighton, but across the whole of the country. The great thing about
our listeners is that they really engage with the station tweeting,
texting, emailing all the time, so its very much a two-way thing.
Because were also available online and weve got mobile apps, it
means that people are listening across the country and, indeed,
across the world.
Each month about 850,000 people tune into Gaydio. Its a very
broad age range: the majority of people are between 25 and 44, and
mostly male, much like if you go out on the gay scene, though its a
real melting pot of people. Our listeners say that Gaydio helps them
plug into the gay community, whether driving around the M25 or
at home in a rural village in the Highlands hence our slogan The
Beat of Gay UK.
This summer is going to give us the chance to get out there and
meet our listeners across the UK at the festivals. Well be all over
Pride festivals, of course, and Im really looking forward to As One
in the Park at Victoria Park.
If youve not had a chance to tune in yet, then a good place to start
would be with Chris and Emma at Breakfast, each weekday morning
from 7am to 10am. Its like the radio equivalent of your morning
cofee and, musically, its probably an espresso! But crucially, it is
also a show that makes you feel that youre informed and connected
to the things that make Gay UK tick. I knew Chris from our uni
days, and when we paired him and Em for the rst time there was
real chemistry. Theyre now great mates and I think that really
comes across on the show.
So we cover LGB&T news, with bulletins every half-hour, big
interviews with people in the gay community who can dissect the
headlines, like when Peter Tatchell talked about marriage equality at
the historic moment when the vote took place. We also throw plenty
of celebrities in the mix, too; over the past couple of weeks weve had
Paloma Faith, Gareth Thomas, Stooshe, Louis Smith, Little Mix,
Blue and loads more.
Wed love you to be a part of the worlds biggest gay radio station,
so tune in today and give us a go. I present a show every weekday
from 10am to 1pm, which is all about the interaction, so do drop me a
tweet or email. It would be great to hear from you.
@tobywhitehouse or studio@gaydio.co.uk.
Gaydio is available on DAB
in London and the South-East,
88.4FM in Manchester, online
at gaydio.co.uk and on free
mobile apps. Search Gaydio
on Facebook and Twitter
TOBY WITH GAYDIOS
BREAKFAST SHOW
PRESENTERS,
CHRIS AND EMMA
231_CONTEXT_MY STORY#.indd 133 17/04/2013 16:41:53
GA Hauser.indd 134 17/04/2013 14:18:40
135
RELATI ONSHI PS | ATTI TUDE
My boyfriend is bothered by my
relationship with my mother. She and I are
very close, and I consider it to be healthy.
My father is not very nice to her so she
condes in me and we talk on the phone
every day. My boyfriend says he feels like
I am in a relationship with her and there
is no room for him. When he is around my
mother he feels she is cold towards him
and she refers to him as my friend rather
than my boyfriend. I think she is sweet and
doing her best but he feels second best to
her. What should I do?
JAMES, ABERDEEN
GAY RELATIONSHIP EXPERTS ALAN DOWNS & JOE KORT ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS
THIS MONTH: JOE ON MOMMIE DEAREST
[ I L L U S T R AT I O N D E R MO T F LY N N ]
MY BOYFRI END I S TOO
CLOSE TO HI S MOTHER
DEAR JOE
231_CONTEXT_RELATIONSHIPS#.indd 135 17/04/2013 16:46:33
Treatment can
stop HIV being
passed on. But
thousands have HIV
and dont know it.
Together testing, treatment and condoms can stop HIV.
Order your free postal HIV test or nd a clinic:
StartsWithMe.org.uk startswithme @startswith_me
THT.indd 136 17/04/2013 14:35:57
137
If your boyfriend feels second to your mother, you need to pay
attention. While this may turn out to be mostly his issue, our
partners frustrations are often based on some truth. If you have
a relationship with your mother that is blocking your ability to
engage fully with your boyfriend, then you need to do something
about it.
We gay men often have very tight bonds with our mothers, who
protect us from the homophobia out there. Shes there for us from
the beginning. If our dads distance themselves from their queer
son, Mums arms are there ready to protect us. Mothers are usually
the rst to protect their children, and even when their children have
committed crimes will proclaim their innocence. Were often her
favoured child and have a special relationship with her.
It is taboo to speak ill of mothers in most cultures, so we either keep
silent or silence others who might criticise her. It makes sense not to
disparage her or let anyone else for that matter because usually
she has protected us and made us feel safe.
You say you talk to your mother every day and that she condes
in you. While it can be healthy to be friends with a parent once
you become an adult, I wonder if this has been going on since your
childhood. If your father isnt very nice to your mother, did you feel
as though you needed to protect her when you were young? If she
leaned on you and conded in you as a child, she may have turned
you into a surrogate husband.
The surrogate spouse syndrome typically begins when the
mothers relationship with her sons father grows conicted or
distant. She may turn to her son if things dont work things out
with her husband, or if she doesnt nd another adult to meet her
needs. Because the gay son is often more emotional, sensitive and
connected to her than his father, thats the easy way for her to go.
The gay son, needing the secure base of his mothers protection,
feels hes in a privileged position and complies. But while this
dynamic relieves the mothers anxiety of dealing with the
relationship with her husband, it causes many problems for her
gay son.
Its a mothers responsibility to block her son from taking on the
role of surrogate husband. Therapists teach mothers who have
lost a partner to be sure to tell her sons they need not step into
their fathers shoes, and to let their children know they dont need
to protect their mother. Her response should be, I can take care
of myself, and Im glad you want to do this. Thats nice of you but
just know, Ill be taking care of myself and you. But many mothers
dont say this, dont know how, or are so preoccupied that they
dont see that the son is stepping into a partners role.
If this is the case in your situation, your partner doesnt stand a
chance of being number one to you. His complaints may be coming
from an awareness that your priority is your mother and not him.
It is odd that your mother refers to your boyfriend as your friend.
You say that it is sweet, but is it? How hard is it to acknowledge that
your son has a boyfriend? If you were straight and your mother
called your girlfriend your friend, would you still think that was
sweet? As gay males we often give others too much room to not
acknowledge our gayness, whereas if we were straight we would not
tolerate the same things.
How do you separate from a mother who relied on you, her gay
son, as a surrogate husband? When a mother makes a son gay or
straight her partner in emotional ways, she prevents him from
being able to attach appropriately to future partners. There can be a
psychological marriage to Mum, typied by the understanding gay
son in whom she might conde. It vandalises his ability to create
loving romantic relationships. In fact, serious negative efects from
this prevent healthy relationships.
IT MAY BE TIME THAT YOU GO FROM GAY BOY TO GAY MAN WITH
YOUR MOTHER AND SET NEW GUIDELINES AND BOUNDARIES.
HERE IS WHAT I SUGGEST:
1. TELL YOUR MOTHER THAT YOU WANT HER TO STOP
REFERRING TO YOUR BOYFRIEND AS A FRIEND
Let your mother know that it hurts you as much as it hurts your
boyfriend to refer to him in this way. Tell her she may not mean it
to be hurtful but that it is.

2. TALK TO YOUR MOTHER LESS FREQUENTLY
Do you make contact with your boyfriend as much as you talk
to your mother? If not, I would increase your contact with him
and decrease your contact with her.
3. TELL YOUR PARTNER YOU ARE GOING TO CHOOSE HIM FIRST
Validate your partners feelings and tell him that you are going
to work on making him a priority over your mother.
4. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS WITH YOUR
MOTHER ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING
You dont have to stop being close to your mother. You do,
however, need to make it clear to her that you have a loving adult
relationship and that you hope she can acknowledge it and allow it
to grow by giving up a bit of time and contact with you.
By taking these actions you will nd that not only will you and your
boyfriend benet, so will your mother. She may nd someone with
whom she can be close and get the intimate relationship she deserves
as well.
Dr Joe Kort is a licensed clinical social worker and board-
certifed sexologist. He is also the author of 10 Smart
Things Gay Men Can Do to Improve their Lives.
joekort.com
DEAR JAMES
RELATI ONSHI PS | ATTI TUDE
231_CONTEXT_RELATIONSHIPS#.indd 137 17/04/2013 16:46:45
ATTI TUDE | CONTEXT
138
HOW WOULD OTHER PEOPLE
DESCRIBE YOU?
I would imagine... outgoing, fairly
positive, energetic.
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO DO WHEN
YOU WERE YOUNGER?
Well, I didnt really know what I was
good at. I just did lots of things and
threw a lot of shit at the wall. I always
knew I liked words so I thought I was
going to be a writer in some capacity,
maybe in magazines or newspapers, or
maybe even writing a book. I had grand
ambitions to go and live in Paris and
write some weird novel.
YOUVE SAID YOUR NEW ALBUM IS
ABOUT CROSSING OVER FROM YOUTH
INTO ADULTHOOD. WAS THAT A REALLY
FORMATIVE TIME FOR YOU?
Ive realised these big changes come in
cycles, and just when you think youve
had the big one, you have another big
one. I think the link that Im talking
about is when there are so many times
when you think youve stepped into
ALL THOSE
PENT-UP
EMOTIONS
COME OUT
WATCHING
A SHIT
ROMANTIC
COMEDY ON
A PLANE
THE JAZZ PERFORMER SAYS HIS MUSIC
HAS MADE HIM MORE SPONTANEOUS
J A MI E C U L L U M
WRITTEN BY BEN KELLY
adulthood and you dont realise until
you have all these major responsibilities
and made some compromises.
HOW HAS BECOMING A FATHER
CHANGED YOU?
I think it changes you in every possible
way you can imagine. The clearest
thing that changes is that you have
to understand things about life in
a way that is not always the most
pleasurable way to view it, so you have
to understand things in all their facets.
Thats actually a far more beautiful way
to understand life.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE A LOT
TO PASS ON TO YOUR CHILDREN?
I think what you pass on is the example
of a life well lived, and thats nding
people to love and spend your life with
and doing some good work and having
a good time.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THE
16-YEAR-OLD JAMIE CULLUM?
Dont worry, she will return your calls
but it might be in 10 years time!
WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS
WHEN YOU DIE?
I think that the human spirit is so
strong, something happens to the energy
of it, it cant just suddenly cut to black.
I think there has to be a last course, like
a cheese plate or a dessert wine.
DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF MONEY IN
THE BANK?
Sadly, no. I have far too many
outgoings for that.
WOULD YOU SAY YOU LIVE AN
ORDINARY LIFESTYLE?
I think so. I take the bus, I go to the
Co-op, I take the train, I ride my bicycle,
Im constantly cleaning up after two
children, I worry about bills and whats
happening to the universe. I think
where my life does not become ordinary
is when I have the great privilege of
being able to perform in front of people
who enjoy my work. Thats when I
feel that Im very lucky to have an
extraordinary career.
WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
When Ive had a glass of whisky on
a plane and Im watching a shit
romantic comedy that Id never watch
anywhere else. Suddenly it opens the
oodgates all the years of pent-up
emotions suddenly come out when Im
watching Jennifer Aniston break up
with someone.
WHEN WERE YOU HAPPIEST?
Right now.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
The family that Ive created.
WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE ROALD
DAHL BOOK? [HIS WIFE IS SOPHIE
DAHL]
I like a lot of the grown-up ghost stories,
Ive read a lot of those. The collection of
ghost stories he wrote is pretty amazing.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT LIFE
THROUGH YOUR LOVE OF JAZZ?
Jazz teaches you to be prepared
for anything by developing a level
of expertise. Jazz is about being
spontaneous, but in order to be
spontaneous you need to have done an
awful lot of work and preparation.
I think thats a great metaphor for living
your life. If you dont get that, youve
missed something.
WHAT SONG HAS TAUGHT YOU
MOST ABOUT LIFE?
Army by Ben Folds. Its just about how
things never quite work out the way
you think theyre going to.
Jamie Cullums new album, Momentum,
is out now
L I F E L ES S ONS
231_CONTEXT_LIFE LESSONS#.indd 138 17/04/2013 15:19:29
KU bar.indd 139 17/04/2013 14:21:24
ATTI TUDE | FEATURE
140
Greece is known for its sun-kissed
coastlines and ancient civilisation, and
today the country is one of the worlds
most popular tourist destinations.
In Athens you can enjoy the buzzy
atmosphere of a vibrant capital city
while being only half an hour from
a Mediterranean beach, and lets not
forget the men who live up to their
god-like ancestors.
For gay travellers, Athens has a fast-
growing and thriving gay scene with all
the European charm you would expect.
Pride attracts more than 15,000 people
and falls in June when temperatures
have risen and the crowds are even
hotter. Despite the much-lauded
nancial problems and there are areas
of the city where economic decline is
palpable the city is packed full of
culture, in which ancient Athens seeps
through to meet the new metropolis.
Heres our guide to the best of the city.
EAT
PROSOPA
This stylish restaurant is centrally
located in the Gazi neighbourhood, a
gay area full of restaurants and clubs
occupying the old gasworks. Fitting
for an industrial area, Prosopa sits in a
former glass factory, yet it is sleek and
modern with an inspired contemporary
W O R D S J A M E S C U N N I N G H A M
Mediterranean menu, extensive wine
list and extremely attentive staf.
84 Konstadinoupoleos Avenue
ROOSTER CAF
Rooster is busy all day and night,
which speaks for itself. A gay-friendly
caf-bar-restaurant, the venue
delivers both good food and service
to its committed clientele. Denitely
worth a visit.
4 Agias Eirini Square
MYROVOLOS
A favourite among lesbians, Myrovolos
is an upbeat bar ofering a delicious
selection of traditional Greek food,
and the drinks list packs a real
punch. Come for the traditional
Greek folk music, the artwork
adorning the walls and the brilliant
bartenders. If you are lucky you will
meet Mary, the owner of this ne venue.
She is the glue that holds the whole of
the gay area together.
12 Giatrakou

CLUB
If you are wanting to see some nightlife,
then be warned that things dont really
get going until the early morning in
Athens. Dont bother going out until at
least midnight or you will just end up
ABOVE AND BELOW,
THE LEONIS SUMMER
HOUSES ON MYKONOS
looking like a silly tourist. Ease yourself
into a Mediterranean attitude and go
for a leisurely, late dinner, followed by
a few drinks and then start thinking
about where to head for the night.
SODADE2
Sodade is the gay club to go in Athens,
playing a mix of mainstream dance,
pop and alternative music and hosting
a variety of fun nights. Expect it to be
very busy after midnight, and plan to
dress up the crowd is young, rowdy
and ready to dance. Reasonable drink
prices and some sexy staf make this
place an even better prospect.
10 Triptolemou Street
APARTMENT
Apartment is a new club on the block
but has proved an instant hit. It is a
great space and a favourite for bringing
G R E E C E
231_CONTEXT_TRAVEL#.indd 140 17/04/2013 17:08:47
FEATURE | ATTI TUDE
141
Ibiza to Athens, if that is your thing. It
also pulls in international DJs who are
popular and kick of amazing parties.
46 Kolonou

SEE
THE ACROPOLI S
Not only a landmark of the Greek
capital but of civilisation itself the
Acropolis is one of the most popular
attractions in Athens, simply a must-do
before you leave. The site hosts various
architectural remains dating from
400BC, most famously the Parthenon.
Go and be awestruck.
acropolisofathens.gr
PLAKA
Located in the shadow of the Acropolis,
Plaka is like a little village within a city.
The old historical neighbourhood was
built by the workers who built the city
centre and is now inhabited by their
descendants and their many, many cats.
A great area to explore, get lost and grab
a cofee.
LAKE VOULI AGMENI
Lake Vouliagmeni translates as the
Sunken Lake, and the lagoon is a
stunning haven: the perfect blue water
alleged to have healing properties
has a constant 24 Celsius temperature
all year round, and the luscious
surroundings and Greek atmosphere
make it popular with residents and
tourists alike. It may be a half-hour
drive outside the centre but it is well
worth the trip.
limnivouliagmenis.gr

STAY
MELI A ATHENS
The Melia Athens is a luxury hotel
with such draws as central location,
surprisingly reasonable rates and
spacious rooms. We were particularly
impressed by drinks on the amazing
rooftop bar and the fact that Jacuzzi
baths come as standard in every room.
14 Chalkokondili. melia.com

HOW TO GET THERE
AEGEAN AI RLI NES
Award-winning Aegean Airlines ies
from London Heathrow to Athens
in just three-and-a-half hours.
Treat yourself by upgrading to
Business Class, where youll
enjoy a more luxurious trip both
on the ground and in the air.
en.aegeanair.com
ABOVE, MYKONOS
TOWN, BELOW,
FLY ON AEGEAN
AIRLINES, AND AN
ATHENS STREET
MYKONOS
One of the added extras of a trip to
Athens is that it is close to Mykonos.
Flights go regularly to the tiny island,
you can hop on a ferry from either of the
two sea ports, or y from the UK.
Mykonos became a haven for the more
bohemian visitor in the 60s. But have
no fear, Mykonos is no pumping gay
ghetto. Popular with gay and straight
alike, it ofers a more sophisticated
atmosphere and the island caters for
young and old gay visitors.
Our favourite place to stay is the Leonis
Summer House complex on the south
of the island overlooking the beautiful
Ornos bay. Built on diferent levels to
ensure a communal feeling but with
individual privacy, the traditional blue-
and-white buildings can accommodate
individuals or groups wanting time out
from the rat race. The complex allows
you to have a quiet getaway but to dip
into gay life too. leonis.gr
231_CONTEXT_TRAVEL#.indd 141 17/04/2013 17:09:12
ATTI TUDE | PROPERTY
142
ON THE WATERFRONT
Close enough to bustling Canary Wharf
but with the peace and tranquility of leafy
Greenwhich, the latest in a long line of
reasons to move out east is New Capital
Quay, a development by Galliard Homes on a
pleasingly named stretch of dockland called
Greenwich Waterside.
Bizarrely, but perhaps assuringly, the
developers have partnered with lovely
Waitrose to build a waterfront village of 980
homes, including more shops, cafs and tree-
lined boulevards than you can shake a Heston
black olive baguette at.
Canary Wharf is just 10 minutes away on the
Scalextric-like Docklands Light Railway, which
means that business types can nd themselves
close enough to one of the biggest nancial
centres in the world but far enough away to
switch of. Theres also the benet of being a
seconds walk from the centre of Greenwhich,
one of Londons best-kept secrets a tiny
distinct village among the chaos of London
with enough shops, cinemas and theatres to
keep the most urban of dwellers happy.
And the ats. What ats understated
shrines to modern design sensibility. Think
tasteful. Think sophisticated. Think open-
plan living areas that Pippa Middleton would
declare perfect for parties. Think views
stretching across the river and city and all the
other things that make a backdrop to a winning
episode of Come Dine With Me. The waiting list
is open now, with apartments expected to be
ready to move into later this year. What are you
waiting for?
Q U AY S I D E L I V I N G C O U L D B E T H E K E Y
THE PRI CE
FLATS START FROM
295, 000
FOR MORE DETAI LS
CALL 020 7620 1 500
NEWCAPI TALQUAY. COM
231_CONTEXT_PROPERTY#.indd 142 17/04/2013 15:06:41
K I T C H E N S S I N C E 1 9 8 1
120 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 3LS
509 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, Pinner, Middlesex HA5 4JS
77-79 Wycombe End, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire HP9 1LX
Telephone: 020 7486 3080
email: info@halcyon-interiors.co.uk | www.halcyon-interiors.co.uk
Halcyon ad_210x297mm.indd 1 11/03/2013 11:21 halcyon interiors.indd 143 17/04/2013 14:19:32
144
THREE IS A MAGIC NUMBER
I may admit to it in hushed tones, and then deny
it afterwards, but I do like a bit of shiny, a touch of
razzle dazzle, some tinsel on the tree. Regardless of
my passing 25, 35 or even 45, it turns out that my
inner magpie means Im just like a baby in that Im
essentially attracted to things on the basis of little
more than noise, movement and light on bright
surfaces. I know, I know...
But that at least explains how come the arrival of
a Peugeot 208 (coloured whiter even than Simon
Cowells teeth) on the driveway was unusually
captivating. Its not big, especially clever or super-
fast. But the wing mirrors were chrome and shiny,
very shiny, and folded themselves in the moment
you pressed the remote locking on the key fob.
And then out again when you unlocked. A 100
extra, apparently, but cool all the same.
Better still, when sat inside, beneath a positively
enormous panoramic sunroof (again optional, at
400), you cant help but notice that the expansive
view of the sky above is surrounded by a perfect
frame of countless, tiny blue LED lights. Oh yes,
from the drivers seat you sit beneath what is
essentially an inverted glass danceoor. More cool.
But though of less supercial interest than
shiny bits and lights, the really clever stuf it
transpires is tucked away under the snub-nosed
bonnet. For though youd not know it on the basis
of any aural evidence (it sounds rev-happy and
quick-witted) or physical performance (its not a
quick car per se, but in traf c and around town,
even on motorways, it more than keeps up), this
little Peugeot has what amounts to just three-
quarters of a conventional engine. Yes, just three
cylinders on my wagon and yet it keeps on rolling
right along.
The benet of that 25% downsize versus the
norm is clear to see, as the diminutive 1.2-litre
powerplant bestows this 208 with a suitably green
sheen: just 104g/km in terms of CO2 emissions
means no road tax, and a gallon of unleaded will
take you 51.4 miles in an urban environment, and
more than 72 miles on a run. Thats some cheap
motoring right there.
But its cheerful, too, as the Allure trim level
comes laden with goodies including automatic
dual-zone air-conditioning, a multi-function colour
touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, automatic
headlights and windscreen wipers, sports seats,
a leather-trimmed steering wheel, LED daytime
running lights and tinted rear windows.
For a little car those are some big-car comforts,
all served up in compact Gallic chic. We like.
P O C K E T S I Z E D L U X E T H E P E U G E O T 2 0 8 S H I N E S , G L O WS A N D S PA R K L E S WI T H C H I C
WO R D S BY DA R R E N S T Y L E S
THE SPECS
82 BHP
0-62 MPH
12. 2 SECONDS
109 MPH MAX
213. 495
PEUGEOT. CO. UK
231_CONTEXT_CARS#.indd 144 17/04/2013 15:32:56
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Wolfie and Katkins NEW.indd 1 12/04/2013 11:55:18
millbank_guy spy_wolfie.indd 145 17/04/2013 14:43:37
146
ATTI TUDE | CONTEXT
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH FOR A HAIRCUT?
Well I dont really like more than an inch.
[We explain we mean cost...] Oh! Well Ive
been everywhere from Knightsbridge,
where I paid over 100, to funny little
hairdressers in Liverpool and paid about
15. In the cheaper ones you have more
of an interesting time. I dont want to be
sipping champagne, I want a bit of grit.
3/5 Dont be fooled by the glam
appearance... this classy bird likes a
bit of rough. But no more than an inch?

HAVE YOU EVER HAD
A. A smoothie maker
B. A Nespresso
C. An unpleasant itch?
Well I dont like black cofee but Ive had
many uncomfortable itches. I think most
women do from time to time. And men! As
but then that sounds like a cat.
3/5 Queen Tabitha? Vaguely
regal, fairly original.

WHOS GOT THE BIGGEST WOOLPACKAGE?
It has to be Cameron, doesnt it? Because
hes hiding quite a lot, so Id imagine we
could be quite surprised by it.
2/5 An educated guess but it
doesnt seem like shes done her
research. Get gropin, girl!
CAN YOU TELL US WHO WON
EUROVISION LAST YEAR?
Its usually Ireland, isnt it? I cant bear
Eurovision. The only thing I liked
that had anything to do with it was
that Jonathan Harvey play, Boom
Bang-a-Bang. Its brilliant!
1/5 A disappointing stance but a
bonus point for namedropping The Harv.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DRAG QUEENS?
Ive seen some brilliant ones in Blackpool.
As long as they dont look more glamorous
than me I dont care!
4/5 Shell be damned if that biatch looks
better than her. Thats the spirit!

HAVE YOU EVER UTTERED THE WORDS
CAN YOU ACCOM?
That means can you accommodate me?
No. I cant do abbreviations because I dont
know what they mean. It took me years
before I knew what LOL meant.
0/5 Shed never survive the daily Grindr.

WOULD YOU EVER PUT
YOUR HAND UP A COW?
Well if I had a good pair of gloves and
I was getting paid, then yeah.
5/5 Protection, payment and
shes good to go. Classy bird!

WHO WOULD WIN IN A BITCH FIGHT
BETWEEN BERNICE, PEGGY MITCHELL
AND STELLA FROM CORRIE?
Peggy wouldnt win because shes little.
Id just kick her out of the way. Stella is
Michelle Collins, and shes had two big
bitchy soap roles, so shed probably win.
Id have to bow down to her.
5/5 Bow down, bitches. La Giles knows
her place.
Effortlessly camp, Samantha put in a good
effort but she should have performed better
given her status as a soap queen. Then again,
she is a country soap queen. We prescribe
one foam-covered night out in the bright
lights of a city centre to get her up to scratch.
Emmerdale is on ITV every weeknight at 7pm
56%
gay
INTERVIEW
BEN KELLY
QUESTIONS
MATTHEW TODD
long as its an itch you can scratch
then youre all right.
2/5 Doesnt like posh coffee but has
scratched many an itch.
MAN UTD, MAN CITY OR MAN ANYTHING,
ANYWHERE, ANY PLACE OR TIME?
Well I wouldnt chose Man Utd or Man
City because I cant bear them you know
Liverpool and Manchester hate each other?
So itll have to be man anywhere.
3/5 Only chose the latter by default but she
does respect a good bit of rivalry.
WHAT NAME WOULD YOU GIVE TO THE
ROYAL BABY?
Well not any of the terrible names
that they all get lumbered with. Id
think of a decent name. If its a girl,
Tabitha. You could shorten it to Tabby
SHES THE FIERCE BERNICE
IN EMMERDALE, BUT COULD
SHE PASS FOR GAY?
S A MA N T H A
G I L E S
HOW GAY A RE YOU?
231_CONTEXT_HOW GAY#.indd 146 17/04/2013 15:31:10
FUE.indd 147 17/04/2013 14:17:26
river island.indd 148 17/04/2013 14:30:31