'A 16-YEAR-old gay lad who had hidden his sexuality
from his parents has been outed on TV by blundering
Channel 4 bosses.
'He had begged producers not to show footage of him kissing a gay traveller on Big Fat Gypsy Weddings.
'But after telly chiefs aired the clip on Tuesday, he tearfully stormed: “My parents saw it and recognised me. Now everyone knows I’m gay. I feel exploited.
“Coming out should have been my choice, not Channel 4’s.”
'The student, who has asked us to change his name to David, had feared being outed after he noticed a film crew nearby as he kissed a traveller called Mikey at the annual Manchester Pride gay rally last summer.
Daily Star.
Gypsy Boy author, Mikey Walsh, was passionately tweeting about this episode after it was broadcast.
They've now been timed-out, but if memory serves he was pretty angry and felt it was very exploitative.
Some people had wondered if the gay gypsy lad was Mikey Walsh, due to the similar sounding name, Mikey Joyce.
Mikey Walsh said the producers had tried to get him on the programme, he refused, saying this (wonderful) Radio 4 interview was probably the most public thing he'll do.
'He had begged producers not to show footage of him kissing a gay traveller on Big Fat Gypsy Weddings.
'But after telly chiefs aired the clip on Tuesday, he tearfully stormed: “My parents saw it and recognised me. Now everyone knows I’m gay. I feel exploited.
“Coming out should have been my choice, not Channel 4’s.”
'The student, who has asked us to change his name to David, had feared being outed after he noticed a film crew nearby as he kissed a traveller called Mikey at the annual Manchester Pride gay rally last summer.
'When David spotted the camera team, he begged them
not to use the footage and did not give permission to broadcast it.
'David
said he was not “out” to his family and it would cause him huge problems.
'Producers offered to “blur” his
face but he still said he did not want it aired.However, the footage
was shown.
'David said his
face was barely masked and added his family immediately recognised him
from his haircut and pink shirt.
'Last night he said: “The last thing I wanted was to be
outed on national TV.
“But
that’s exactly what they have done. I am gay but I wasn’t ready to tell
my family yet.
“It should
have been my choice when to let them know. This is my worst nightmare
come true..."
Daily Star.
Gypsy Boy author, Mikey Walsh, was passionately tweeting about this episode after it was broadcast.
They've now been timed-out, but if memory serves he was pretty angry and felt it was very exploitative.
Some people had wondered if the gay gypsy lad was Mikey Walsh, due to the similar sounding name, Mikey Joyce.
Mikey Walsh said the producers had tried to get him on the programme, he refused, saying this (wonderful) Radio 4 interview was probably the most public thing he'll do.
Mikey is almost inevitably asked
his thoughts about the earlier series, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, in interviews, and will politely point out it was about Romany Gypsies and his family are Irish
travellers.
He's also made no secret that he writes under a pseudonym "out of respect for my family" and has never had his
photo published.
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