Hollyoaks: Too Gay

Hollyoaks’ executive producer has revealed that he “gets told off all the time” for making the Channel 4 soap “too gay”.

The popular TV series has featured many gay relationships and cast its first transgender character played by a trans actress last month, but Bryan Kirkwood often receives complaints from viewers.

“We get told off all the time for being too gay and having too many gay characters,” he told the Daily Star. “I don’t think you can be too gay, frankly. The idea that people object to two boys kissing is really bizarre to me.”

Recent storylines have included a ‘Hollypride’ festival, Ste Hay contracting HIV after a one-night stand and Grace Black seducing Kim Butterfield to try and save herself from blackmail.

Kirkwood, former EasterEnders boss, does admit that Hollyoaks can sometimes become “preachy”.

“Sometimes it has been like we are hitting the audience over the head with a pamphlet,” he said. “We have to keep that lightness of touch, otherwise it becomes a little too worthy for its own good.”

Earlier this year, Kirkwood concluded that the soap “made mistakes” with its storyline about a Nigerian gay asylum seeker who suffered homophobic violence from immigration officers.

“We disappeared so far up our own arse,” he said.

The Independent.

Can't find the Star story, but I'm sure it's out there somewhere...

Edit: Here it is - not sure if BK was actually talking to the Star tbh.

PS A moving musical tribute to Hollyoaks gaiety.

Adam Rippon: Ice Ice Baby

'Ta-dah!' etc.

U.S. silver medalist Adam Rippon said he is gay in this month’s issue of U.S. Figure Skating’s official magazine and that he considered coming out before the Sochi Olympics.

“Being gay is not something that defines me,” Rippon, 25, said the flaming queen who's a professional ice skater in Skating magazine. “What defines me is what my mom always taught me: to treat everyone with respect, to always be a hard worker and to be kind.” ...

NBC Sports.

What's that you say?

A gay ice skater?!!

Whatever next?

PS Hollyoaks Kieron: Dancing On Ice Turned Ste Gay, Daily Star. LOL etc.

Wedding: Kieron & Carl's Big Day

Outside of your own wedding (and Ste's!), what's your favourite wedding memory?

This has to be the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton - although we weren’t at the wedding it felt like we all had an invite! I particularly chose Lily of the valley for my buttonhole and featured them in the venue’s flowers, as Kate Middleton had these for her bouquet.

Finally - what are your tips for a couple looking to plan their dream wedding day?

Wedding Magazine - SNIPPP!!!

The Sun: Stay Classy

Thanks to @rudemrlang x

Thanks for the scan cause this seems to have disappeared from the internet already.

Hollyoaks: Bored

Hollyoaks actor James Sutton has taken to Twitter to address the rumours surrounding his sexuality.

Soap star James - who plays gay teacher John Paul McQueen in the Channel 4 soap - said he is 'bored' of people questioning him about his sexual orientation.

Replying to a fan who had tweeted him to ask if he was gay in real life, Sutton replied: "No. And weirdly I'm not an English teacher in Chester either."

Mirror.

Hahaha!

Hollyoaks: Male Rape

HOLLYOAKS bosses are planning the soap’s most hard-hitting storyline yet — where a gay teacher is raped by his pupil.

After suffering months of homophobic bullying teacher John Paul McQueen — played by James Sutton — will be raped by 16-year-old Finn O’Connor (Keith Rice) in a humiliating assault.

As Hollyoaks is shown on weekdays at 6.30pm C4 bosses will not screen the actual attack. Instead they will focus on the aftermath.

The soap worked with charities, expert advisers and male rape victims on how to bring the story to the screen.

Executive producer Bryan Kirkwood said: “We have an important story to tell that has not been told before. Hollyoaks is known for talking about difficult issues.”

The Sun.

Fagburn's learned to be sceptical of The Sun breaking big scandalous soap stories, but this has been confirmed on the E4 website.
Like Channel 4's recent Sex Box, these TV programmes always tread a fine 625 lines between audience-grabbing sensationalism and helping open taboo subjects up for discussion.

Interesting to note that even The Sun these days use the term "male rape" - not "gay rape".

MediaGuardian today however got extremely confused...

Update: An eagle-eyed viewer informs me that Hollyoaks has done a groundbreaking and "important story to tell that has not been told before" etc male rape story before, back in 2000. 

Oops to Fagburn and the 'Oaks!

Sex On TV: More People Up For It

Ofcom’s annual survey of consumer attitudes towards broadcasting charts the changing public opinion towards media issues.
The latest survey also shows that the proportion of adults saying there is ‘too much’ sex, violence or swearing on TV has fallen by about a third since 2005.
In 2011, one in four (25%) adults felt there was ‘too much’ sex on TV, and just over one in three felt there was ‘too much’ violence (36%) and swearing (37%). This compares to 36% of adults saying there was too ‘too much’ sex on TV in 2005, with 56% for violence and 55% for swearing. 
Last year, 19% of adults said they had been offended by something they had seen on TV in the past twelve months. In 2005, 32% said they had ever been offended by something on TV.

Ofcom. 

This not very revealing survey prompts Mark Lawson to ponder why people seem less offended, even though there is more sexual content on TV.
"Much of the outrage of [Mary] Whitehouse and her attendant press was based on the idea that television arrived uninvited in people's houses and so was under obligation to behave well. Through a combination of "health warnings" (as they are known in broadcasting jargon) and targeted networks and time-slots, it is now much harder to claim to have "stumbled on" something you find unsavoury."
Yeah, whatever!

Hollyoaks: "Making TV History"

The delicious young actor Kieron Richardson tells The Scottish Sun the storyline of a clandestine and abusive gay relationship is making TV history.
Which may be a slight overstatement.

Kieron Richardson: Hollyoaks Gayer Is A Gayer

Kieron Richardson came out live on This Morning this morning.
No, me neither.
Apparently he plays a young gayer "struggling with his sexuality" on Hollyoaks, and was in Dancing On Ice recently.
He made a pleasingly matter-of-fact statement about his decision - which also gives a little insight into the workings of the tabloids.
"When I was on Dancing On Ice, newspapers speculated and tried to say we kind of know and if you want to say so, you can do your story with us and get it out there.
"At that point, my personal life took a back step and it was more about the competition and trying to get through the next week rather than get a few column inches in the newspaper and maybe raise my profile at the time. But it wasn't about that.
"But now I feel that it's relevant and the storyline's relevant to some situations in my life then if maybe I can help people that are going through the same thing then it's a bonus."
Good for you.