#lgbtq television awards

[thequeereview]

Baby Reindeer, Hacks & Fellow Travelers among LGBTQ Critics' 2024 Dorian TV Award nominations

On the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics announced its 2024 Dorian TV Awards nominations. The 500-member group, now in its 16th year, comprises voters who either work or freelance for mainstream and LGBTQ+ media outlets in the United States and internationally. “A lot of our nominated shows are focused on outcasts trying to punch through…

[gay-aunt-jackie]

This should've won the MTV Movie Award for Best Onscreen Kiss at least

[weneedtotalkaboutcate]

BEAUTIFUL!

Cate attending the BAFTAs 2023. (Can't wait to see which women she's about to flirt with!)

[haute-lifestyle-com]

GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics announced today the winners for the 2024 Dorian TV Awards, honoring the best in television and streaming networks. Carol Burnett, Alan Cummings and Julio Torres receive special accolades

[neil-gaiman]

Hello Neil,

thank you for so much for season 2! It was beautiful and felt delightfully Pratchett-esque at some points.

I have a feeling that in the few years between GO 1 and 2 there has been a seismic shift in LGBTQ+ content in mainstream media, lifting it out of the subtext. Do you think that even a few years ago you would have been able to write and film GO2 the way you did? You insinuated that you and Terry already talked about it in 2006 and I cannot believe that an explicit, undeniable romance would have been possible to make with a big publisher or studio back then.

I don't want to sound patronizing or dismissive. I was given a GLAAD award a quarter of a century ago, in 1997, for writing stories for mainstream publishers about gay characters (in that case for Death: The Time of Your Life). These were the same characters comics and stories I was writing when Terry and I were first writing Good Omens in 1989, which was only a decade before Russell T Davies' first season of Queer as Folk launched on UK television in 1999.

I was very happy that the story of Salim and the Djinn in American Gods (published in 2001) was filmed as written in the first season of the American Gods TV show (shot in 2016 and aired in 2017 before we even shot Good Omens Season 1) (and got its own GLAAD love).

So from my perspective this is the same stuff I've been doing for the last 35 years. I haven't seen a seismic shift. I made the Season 1 I wanted to make. I made the Season 2 I wanted to make.

[cobbbvanth]

the culture impact of glee, for the uninitiated

okay YEAH I'm starting glee discourse in the year of our lord 2024 due to recent events on the gay firefighter show. so for those who don't understand why josh's speech on 911 this week was so important, here's a brief run down of the impact glee had on queer history.

glee, also created by ryan murphy, began airing in 2009 and ran for six seasons before ending in 2015. for all ryan murphy's crimes™, his contribution to queer representation in media has been incredibly influential especially in the early 2000s-2010s. at age nine, kurt hummel from glee and mitch and cam from modern family were the first queer characters I remember encountering. representation of any kind was still so hard to come by on television, let alone stories where queer characters got to have happy endings. in 2009, chris colfer (who played kurt on glee) was one of the youngest openly gay actors in hollywood, being just 19 years old when they started the show. throughout its run, glee introduced several additional queer characters and story lines that dealt with real issues queer people experienced such as being closeted, coming out, homophobia - external and internal.

only 33% of Americans supported same-sex marriage when glee started airing, and "even among millennials — Glee’s target audience — just 51% were in favour at the time."

the support for marriage equality jumped to a record high of 60% as glee was airing it's final episodes. same sex marriage was legalised in the usa in 2015, just months after the final episode of glee aired. a season six episode features a double wedding for a wlw couple and a mlm couple where a lesbian, a bisexual woman and two gay men get to experience a day of joy and celebration surrounded by friends and family, despite having to cross state lines to marry legally. and yes, as stated in the above quote from this article and the speech josh gave on 911 this week, glee had its fair share of problematic moments. plenty of stuff on that show (as is the case with many ryan murphy shows) is not what we'd class as "good representation" today. and it's not perfect yet either. biphobia is still prevalent in bisexual arcs, wlw representation is still far behind mlm representation, and it's hard to convince networks to go for anything that's not cis male queer rep. but it's important to show grace for the media that helped us get to the state of queer representation we do have now. shows like glee have been credited with changing the minds of many of the people who were initially against marriage equality, purely by exposing them to stories about lgbtq+ people and their experiences. and glee was HUGE. one of the biggest shows on television when it was airing - it brought in millions of viewers weekly, hundreds of glee covers climbed the charts, it won awards, the cast sold out national and international tours. we get to have characters like josh and hen and karen and buck and tommy BECAUSE OF shows like glee that came before. so yeah, it wasn't just ryan murphy worship on another ryan murphy show, the pre-glee/post-glee timeline was a "genuine unit of culture measurement" as @autisticjoshrusso put it here.

on a personal level: I watched glee every week as it aired from age 9 to 15. so much of the way that I am today (my sense of humour, my love for performing, my taste in music) is because of this show. I've seen it countless times, but didn't fully realise how much it meant to me as a piece of queer media until I was in my early 20s, so this is a topic I'm very passionate about. I owe ryan murphy my life and I also want to hit him with my car <3 anyway. stream teenage dream (glee cast version)

[jbaileyfansite]

In the past few years, English actor Jonathan Bailey has risen as a prominent queer figure in Hollywood.

With his irresistible charm and undeniable talent, it’s no wonder why his career has continued to reach new heights. Known widely for his role as Lord Anthony Bridgerton in Netflix’s Bridgerton, Bailey took center stage (and Gay Twitter X™ by storm) with his leading role in Showtime’s LGBTQ+ historical miniseries Fellow Travelers. 

Starring alongside fellow heartthrob Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers, based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Thomas Mallon, centers on a decades-long romance between two men who first meet during the height of McCarthyism in the 1950s.

Bailey portrays Timothy “Tim” Laughlin, a young and idealistic congressional staffer who becomes entangled with Bomer’s character Hawkins Fuller. The series marked a new milestone in Bailey’s career, earning him a Critics’ Choice Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television. 

Now, as one of the world’s most high-profile LGBTQ+ actors, Bailey also uses his platform to enact change via his partnership with UK-based LGBTQ+ youth charity Just Like Us, which works with schools and colleges to ensure young queer people can thrive.

“I am immensely proud to be in a position to support Just Like Us and increase the volume and awareness of what they’re setting out to achieve, which I think is incredibly important,” Bailey shared with Just Like Us. “Children deserve the right to feel acknowledged and supported in who they are at such a vital time in their lives.”

The stage is also a place where Bailey is able to shine, as he has an extensive theater background from standout performances in plays like The York Realist and Cock, to his performance in the West End gender-swapped revival of Company, which won him the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical in 2019.

Bailey has continually pushed boundaries and expanded his narrative landscape, and this year is no exception. With a cameo in season three of Netflix’s beloved gay romance series, Heartstopper and starring alongside Ariana Grande in the upcoming Wicked film adaptation, he is blazing a trail as one of the world’s most prominent gay actors and activists working today. 

Source

[guess-my-next-obsession]

the homophobic response that some of these loser ass gamers have to one of the most BEAUTIFUL depictions of romance and humanity i’ve ever seen on television before makes me so violently upset.

bill and frank’s story is heart wrenchingly touching and beautiful and tragic and satisfying, and nick offerman and murray bartlett’s performances deserve so much fucking praise. this is such a huge step for LGBTQ+ representation and no amount of hate can take away from that.

i wanna see AWARDS BITCH 😭👏🏼

[granvarones]

Pride started with a protest. Pride Month is a declaration of the fight for freedom for all LGBTQ+ people. It is a way to honor our history, resilience, and collective resistance. For those of us who have the privilege, one act of resistance can be coming out publicly as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. And Amber Ruffin did just that during the last day of Pride Month.

On June 30, 2024, multi-talented comedian, writer, and television host Amber Ruffin posted a picture of herself rockin’ a purple shirt that read “QUEER.” The caption of the photo read:

“In what will come as a shock to exactly zero people, I’m using the last day of PRIDE to come out! Be proud of who you are, babies! I know I am! And I can’t wait to be discriminated against for a new reason!!”

Amber gained widespread recognition as a writer for “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” where she became the first Black woman to write for a late-night network talk show. Her segments, such as “Amber Says What?” and “Jokes Seth Can���t Tell,” showcased her sharp comedic skills and her ability to tackle serious issues with a light-hearted approach.

In 2020, Amber continued to break new ground when her critically acclaimed and Emmy-nominated “The Amber Ruffin Show” was launched on the streaming channel Peacock. The show combined sketch comedy, monologues, and musical numbers, often addressing racism, sexism, and homophobia.

Amber has also recently garnered success in the world of theater as co-writer for the “Some Like It Hot” revival, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award, and updating the book for the Deborah Broadway Cox-starring hit, “The Wiz.”

Amber, thank you for sharing your journey with us!

[techiekittie]

Kemi Badenoch, the equality minister and part of the Conservative Party, has said many transphobic things like blocking laws to ban conversion therapy, purposefully misgendering trans women in a leaked recording, and supporting the LGB alliance (which excludes trans people from queerness).

Meanwhile, David Tennant, a popular Scottish actor starring in Doctor Who and Good Omens, is a great ally to the queer community. While not being queer himself, he is very supportive of LGBTQ people, often wearing a nonbinary pride pin to support one of his (unknown) children, consistently speaking out about gay and trans rights, and posting about equality online.

His words have had an extremely positive impact on many queer people (especially his fans), and he won the Celebrity Ally LGBTQIA+ award for his support.

During his speech, he expressed more support for the queer community, saying:

“…acknowledging that everyone has the right to be who they want to be and live their life how they want to live it as long as they're not hurting anyone else should merit any kind of special award or special mention, because it's common sense, isn't it?”

He also criticised Kemi Badenoch (the transphobic woman I mentioned above) in his speech, saying:

“We shouldn't live in a world where that is worth remarking on. However, until we wake up, and Kemi Badenoch doesn't exist any more – I don't wish ill of her, I just wish her to shut up.”

This has sparked controversy amongst the Conservative Party, who has recently been attempting to form policies to limit “transgender ideology”. Rishi Sunak, the MP leading the party (and running for PM in the general election, though expected to lose by a landslide) has openly opposed trans people, making many transphobic comments on live television during the election debates.

He opposed David Tennant’s speech by saying on Twitter:

He uses the word “women”- plural, though Kemi Badenoch is only one woman, and the only one David Tennant criticised in his speech. Some have speculated that he is trying to garner support from feminists, pandering insincerely to them.

Kemi Badenoch has also responded on this on Twitter, saying:

Ironically, she campaigns heavily against policies banning conversion therapy- which often uses traumatic experiences to associate queerness with trauma, making the person avoid their own sexuality and identity, leading to PTSD for most. This endangers many women, including trans women and lesbians, yet she opposes policies designed to keep them safe from these traumatic situations.

[mallowmaenad]

looking at any "list of fictional trans women" on like, wikipedia or some shit always reads like

Pella Azure / Electropunk VI: Rise of Gadgets (xbox one) / A shrewd scrap merchant from the burrows of Rom, Pella assists the player by selling them cords and other objects. The lead writer Jeff Danson said on twitter stated that Pella is "some kind of transgender or something"

Jacqueline Rogers / So... That Just Happened! (gweebu streaming exclusive) / Proudly portrayed by up-and-coming cisgender actress Karla Whyte, Jacqueline navigates life at Wilson Academy as she deals with the fallout of Nick Johnson discovering she has a penis after making her 38th snide joke about having a penis or having been born a man. Rainbow Yes magazine nominated Jacqueline Rogers as number 12 on "Best LGBTQ Characters in Television 2017"

Rachel Orville / Predation (Netflix) / To prepare for her role as Rachel Orville, Briana Turk received breast implants, a vaginoplasty, facial feminization surgery, gastric bypass, a brazilian buttlift, botox, a brazilian wax, laser hair removal, eyelash extenstions and lost 100 pounds to not ick out the viewers by looking too much like a man. Rachel Orville is a tough-as-nails aggressive laundromat employee who tells her coworkers like it is about what it's like to live each day as a trans woman. Writer Debra Yates was given "best written transgender woman" award at the streamy awards, citing her experience as an ally of the gays as inspiration for her writing.

Ray P. Mannindress / Dr. Poop (Comedy Central) / Ray is a muscular, deep-voiced woman who works as an elementary school janitor, every episode she appears in she is shown abducting a different child

Bobina / Sonky and Pilg (Adult Swim) / Bobina is 7-foot tall hairy woman in a sundress that is thin enough to show the outline of her penis in certain lighting. When someone uses "he" pronouns for her she turns into a hulk-like monster and destroys her surroundings.

[makeitsweet36]

!! PROSHIP FRIENDLY SERVER !!

In this Modern AU of My Hero Academia, instead of Super Hero's being the newest fad of the century, it's Entertainment. Those with developing acting, musical, or even comedic skills and just a little talent can go to Multi-Art Schools all around the globe in order to get signed to an entertainment company, and reach their Award winning Dream.

UA, Also known as "YUUEI" is a top-ranking Multi Arts Highschool. They're known for creating and building some of the best celebrities in the globe. They'll send their students to Survival Shows, Reality Television, and even Competitions in order to have them signed to the company that's fit for their Talent. All of this, for the single price of your dignity, your mental health and possibly your physical health!

- 14+

- ProShip friendly!

- POC and LGBTQ+ Friendly!

- Headcanon/Ship friendly!

- System Friendly!

- Claim unlimited characters! pls don't be a hoarder.

- Semi-Lit/Literate only, please.

We can't wait for you to join!

[denimbex1986]

'Doctor Who star and unflinching LGBTQ+ ally David Tennant will be hosting the 2024 BAFTAs, and he’ll undoubtedly bring his “warmth, charm and mischievous wit” to the British film awards.

The actor – known for his amazing work on Good Omens, Broadchurch, Jessica Jones and Final Space – will take centre stage at London’s Royal Festival Hall for the ceremony on 18 February.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts film awards, commonly known as the BAFTAs, have been hosted by a variety of presenters over the years, including Rebel Wilson, Richard E Grant and Graham Norton.

Tennant said he was “delighted” to have been asked to host the BAFTAs and “help celebrate the very best of this year’s films and the many brilliant people who help bring them to life”.

BAFTA chief executive Jane Millichip said the organisation was “over the moon” that Tennant would be hosting the prestigious event, promising it’ll be a “must-watch show”.

“He is deservedly beloved by British and international audiences alike,” Millichip said. “His warmth, charm and mischievous wit will make it a must-watch show.”

Tennant is, of course, renowned worldwide for his immense acting talents, winning several TV Choice Awards, BAFTAs and an Emmy over his storied career. He’s also a stalwart LGBTQ+ and trans ally.

The Doctor Who legend has worn t-shirts that proudly declared his support for trans kids, included trans and non-binary pin badges in his wardrobe during public appearances and proudly stood up in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. He’s just been an all-round amazing supporter.

The nominations for the 77th annual awards will be announced on 18 January by Naomi Ackie, who played Whitney Houston in the biopic film I Wanna Dance With Somebody, and Barbie actor Kingsley Ben-Adir.

David Tennant will kick off the 2024 BAFTAs ceremony on Sunday 18 February, and the awards will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.'

[disneytva]

Disney Television Animation Leads Children Nominations On GLADD Awards 2024

The winning LGBTQ stories and artists will be honored at GLAAD’s dual 2024 ceremonies ceremonies March 14 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills and May 11 at the Hilton Midtown in New York City. The 33 categories span film, TV, music, theater, podcasts, video games, comic books and journalism.

Disney Television Animation has lead the nominations on the Family and Children Nominations.

Outstanding Children’s Programming

Firebuds (Disney Junior)

Outstanding Kids & Family Programming or Film – Animated

The Ghost and Molly McGee (Disney Channel)

Hailey’s On It! (Disney Channel)

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Disney Channel)

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Disney+)

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday filmmaker Gillian Berrie, born on September 8th 1967 in Glasgow.

In 1996 Gillian co-founded Sigma Films with director David Mackenzie, writing and producing serial award-winning shorts, 'California Sunshine' and 'Somersault'.

Alongside, Gillian gained experience in numerous film and television roles, ie Casting Director on Ken Loach's 'My Name is Joe' (for which Peter Mullan won the Palme D'or in Cannes) and Lynne Ramsay's legendary 'Ratcatcher'.

Casting experience on the aforementioned led Gillian to create the charity, 'Starfish' which then became 'Jumpcut', which morphed into 'Short Circuit', and 'Big Fish Casting' which segued into Kahleen Crawford Casting

Gillian then produced many of David Mackenzie's films including: Last Great Wilderness, Hallam Foe, Young Adam, You Instead (aka Tonight You're Mine), Perfect Sense, Starred Up and the biggest film ever to be make in Scotland, Outlaw King. She was also heavily involved in the post-production, festival, UK/US theatrical release and Oscar campaign for Academy Award Nominee 'Hell or High Water'.

Sigma's films regularly premiere at A-List festivals and have received over 150 awards internationally, including the Prix de Jury in Cannes for Red Road, and the Silver Bear in Berlin for Hallam Foe, as well as numerous BIFA and BAFTA nominations and awards.

At the Scottish BAFTA New Talent Awards in 2002 Gillian won the BAFTA for Outstanding Achievement.

In order to create a vibrant hub for the film community in Scotland, Gillian founded the 65,000 square ft state of the art, Film City Glasgow in 2004. Since then it has been a full house of productions and film-makers.

In 2012 she founded 'Jumpcut', the UK's one and only, intensive, mentor-led Summer School to provide a fast-track for youngsters into working in the film industry. This project was a runaway success. Over 75% of the participants went onto working in the industry. It ran for two years and won several awards.

She also co-produced the multi-prize winner 'Dear Frankie' and Jonathan's Glazer's 'Under the Skin' (which won 23 awards and received 110 nominations).

Gillian also produced several features for first time feature film directors, including David Mackenzie, Colin Kennedy, Andrea Arnold, Morag MacKinnon and Ciaran Foy, as well as numerous additional shorts including the lauded I Love Luci.

Gillian continues to contribute to the next generation of Scottish film-makers through Short Circuit, which is in its 3rd year and has so far given the first opportunities in film-making to hundreds of new-comers and produced dozens of short films and is developing a number of feature films.

Short Circuit is Scotland's hub for filmmaking talent, supporting the creative and professional development of new and emerging writers, directors, and producers.

Over three years, Short Circuit's film commissioning strand ‘Sharp Shorts’ will award over £400,000 in funding across 27 filmmaking teams, creating opportunities for Scotland's most exciting emerging new screen talent.

‘Sharp Shorts’ has become one of Scotland's most diverse creative initiatives, with an overwhelming majority of female filmmakers as well as significant representation across the LGBTQ+, non-white and disabled communities.

The first batch of short films are screening internationally at festivals such as SXSW, BFI Flare, EIFF, Dinard, LSFF, Berlin, with multiple awards. In particular, Sean Lionadh's short Too Rough has won 11 awards to date.

The ‘First Features’ strand, with a fund of over £300,000, will support 30 new writers, directors, and producers, enabling Scotland-based filmmakers to take a career-defining step towards making their debut feature.

In 2022, Berrie exec-produced the critically acclaimed Pilot and 2nd episode of the Disney/ FX series Under the Banner of Heaven for which Andrew Garfield was nominated for an Emmy .She also produced Taron Egerton's feature, Tetris, which I was impressed with.

Relay, about a broker of lucrative payoffs between corrupt corporations and the individuals who threaten them breaks his own rules when a new client seeks his protection to stay alive. is the latest film she has produced, it actually premieres today at the Toronto International Film Festival. Next up is a thrilled called Fuze where construction workers in London unearth an unexploded WWII bomb, forcing evacuation. Opportunistic thieves use the chaos as cover for an elaborate heist.

[popentertainment-interviews]

Alan Cumming

As Host of The Traitors, the Multi-talented Star Brings a New Flamboyance to The Peacock Network's Hit Reality Game Show

by Brad Balfour

Not one to watch reality TV, I didn't really get what The Traitors (the US version) was all about. But since it was hosted by Alan Cumming, the gender fluid actor/artist, I was intrigued to hear him speak about the show. He's the host of the reality game show, which is based on De Verraders, the Dutch show created by Marc Pos and Jasper Hoogendoorn. 

Having completed two seasons, the offbeat American version features Cumming in flamboyant costumes making grand gestures and arch pronouncements as contestants in the game move into a majestic castle. As a result, Cumming has garnered an Emmy nom for Outstanding Host for A Reality or Reality Competition Program (The Traitors). This further enhances the show's impact – but hopefully positive results will be in when the 75th edition of The Emmys airs September 15th on ABC.

The contestants work as a team to complete a series of dramatic and challenging missions. All of this to earn money for the prize pot. Some contestants are loyal, some are traitors – all of them established characters from other reality series.

Cumming – born on January 27, 1965, in Aberfeldy, Scotland – has had a long and distinguished career. He's done everything from editing pop magazines, a cabaret show, dramatic TV series, various stage versions of Shakespeare's plays and many starring roles in award-winning films. And, according to IMDB.com, "he's able to flawlessly change his voice and appearance for each role."

Now as he tackles The Traitors reality show, as both host and a producer, Cumming creates a new icon to connect to the LGBTQ community. At a recent screening of an episode, he spoke about this series just in time for Pride Month and preceding the Emmy nominations.

Alan Cumming, what makes you such an incredibly fun host to watch is that, unlike a lot of other reality shows, you really get into character. You become part of the cast in so many ways. What were your thought processes in coming into the show and figuring out how to play the role that you do within Traitors?

When they first talked to me about it, this was unlike anything I've ever done before. I couldn't quite understand why they'd ask me, but it sort of sounded fun. My agent said, "Oh, there's some show in a castle and they want you to do it." I took the meeting and realized they wanted me to, in a way, subvert the form of hosting a show like this by playing that sort of character. Everyone does a version of themselves when they host something that's not very true. But in this [case], it was actually a version of me and it's a very down-to-east Scottish layout. [My dog] Lala wasn't allowed to come the first time because of her papers, or COVID or something. But I said, "Oh, I should take my dog and pet her like a James Bond villain." I thought of it, and I still think of it as a character that I play who happens to be hosting all these people in this castle, which happens to be being filmed for American TV. 

What makes the character so interesting is that for long-time fans of reality shows, you have a lot of personalities who are binary in nature and larger-than-life. That is why we watch them year after year, characters like C.T. and Adra, who have been on American television for decades. You somehow manage to out-character them in many ways. It's like navigating a lot of those personalities while playing that character.

In a way, it's because they have characters and they all come with their shtick. That's what's so interesting about doing it. The first series was comprised of half-real and half-reality people. Definitely, the people who are used to the camera and have an inbuilt persona already. They play themselves very well and understand the role they have to do. Then they're thrown into this thing where everything's destabilizing for them. I just guide them into situations that hopefully will destabilize them even more. That's what's fun about it. Everyone has a character in a way. 

I think we're used to C.T. or Phaedra or people we've known for years. We understand their characters. We're now associates getting to know my character in it. I'm the stern daddy of it all. It's interesting to play that role and also, to try to keep some distance from them – the cast – on set. I don't talk to them or do takes. I don't engage with them in a chummy way like you might in a normal [situation] when there's other cast members. I very much think it's important that I have authority. They're scared of me. Then, of course, now, after it's all done, I can be like a normal person with them. I think you find that really overwhelming. They all came to my bar as it was when they were here earlier in the year doing the press thing. It was so hilarious. It was like them seeing Father Christmas having a drink or something.

That's the sign of a good host – that they're scared of you. 

They should be scared of me because I've got to reprimand them sometimes. There's a lot of things, obviously, that are captured in the show that I've got in those situations where I've really got to intervene. My word is law. It's great fun. Clearly, I'm a terrifying figure, but I don't think I'm scary. Also, I don't take any shit. I know how to play a scary person. I'm fair but firm in real life. 

Part of what makes The Traitors so unique is that in so many other reality shows, both competition and lifestyle, there's no real setting other than the competition. You go to Survivor Island and do this thing. Or, if you look at Real Housewives, it is their real-life kind of, from time to time. Here, you have this beautiful gothic backdrop. A lot of the events, whether it's the funeral or going to a cemetery, feels very theatrical – and creepy. We're almost subverting the narrative of what this type of show format really is while also being [true] to the format. 

What I think is liberating is the theatricality of it. Everyone in television is very scared of theatricality. If you ever try to pitch a show to a TV executive, the word "theater" or "theatrical" is poison to them. It's very liberating that theatricality is in its very DNA. It's gothic and camp in the true sense of the term. American people sometimes don't have the same understanding of what camp means to British people. What we're doing on the trade is camp. There's an annoyingness to it, an archness of theatricality, and a winking at the audience all the time about what it is. 

There's me in those insane costumes in this castle saying, "Welcome to my castle." We're bringing all these nutty personalities out of their comfort zones and then making them do insane things and pitting them against each other. It's so amped up already in a sort of gothic [manner] of what it's trying to do. The core of it is just a game. All those shows – as I've discovered now in my crash course in reality competition television over the last couple of years – are basically the same. 

Survivor is the same as RuPaul's Drag Race is the same as the chef one. They're all people doing things and then slowly one person gets put out and then they have to hold. Then there's intrigue. Basically, it's just like schoolyard games of pushing one person out until it's just the next thing. In a way, what's good about this is that that's all it is. But it's got all these psychological layers that I think people underestimate. Also, you're in a castle and they're maddened, these contestants, because they're not allowed to pick up their phones. They're not allowed to talk to each other. All they think about from morning to night is the show and the game. And they go nuts. It's great. 

We mentioned something, this idea of camp in the British sense of the term. Not necessarily what we think of it as evidenced by the Met Gala themes.

The theme was a good idea. People just didn't understand it.

The Traitors has a British counterpart. There was a version of this before the U.S. version. What's your take on what had to change within the format for a different audience, or if there had to be any changes, because television has become so much more globalized? Audiences are more open and receptive to different types of formats of television and different types of humor. 

I don't really know how to answer that question. I saw some of the first season of the British one. It's not as camp and theatrical as ours. I think this is probably the first time in television history that an American version of the show is more camp and theatrical than the British one. I think that's me, in my opinion. But I feel like, in a funny way, we were able to have more leeway in that department. That's partly down to the costumes and Sam Spector, the stylist – he and I had an idea of the character I wanted to play. 

[The British host] Claudia Winkelman has such a lovely personality and a lovely way in which she deals with people. They have real people, as well. They don't have celebrities. It's all a bit toned down and quite British. Whereas we were able – partly because it was a new show and partly because of the costume thing and me being this character – we've amped it up. It's got this higher level of theatricality built into it. I think sometimes other countries try to do that. But I don't think they're quite as nuts as we are. I know that now there's something someone said, "Claudia does your thing when she throws a picture on the floor now." I was like, "Yes, you bitch, throw away my little picture." But it's kind of funny. Sometimes I see little clips of people from other countries' versions. It's like, "Oh, it seems like it's sort of a fever dream." You know vaguely what they're talking about, but the circumstances are all different. 

Going to the opposite of toned down, your outfits on the show are probably some of the best parts of it. They somehow get even more fabulous and glamorous every episode.  How involved are you with choosing the outfits versus someone else? 

Well, very involved. I talk to Sam all the time. especially in the first season, because I said I wanted to be this dandy Scottish laird. You know what a laird means? It's like lord in a Scottish accent, a Scottish dandy, an aristocratic gent. To me, that means a lot of tartan, a lot of cloaks might be featured, things like that. I went to him with that idea and those sorts of things. Then he ran with it. We go back and forward. Then the second season, we were able to amp it up a bit. He themed the missions with my clothes. There's one with birds. I just have a funny big peacock on my hat and stuff like that. For the next one, I'm about to go and do it again. It's amped up again, more about layering things. 

I have this great relationship with him. We text all the time. He sends some stuff to me, just ideas and things to improve. I think we're going more and more and bigger and bigger. I think surely, they're going to stop us soon. But one thing I really do like about it is that – in terms of if we think about what's happening in America and the way that trans people and non-binary people are facing lots of hatred and challenges – me, in this show as a middle-aged man, I'm being quite femme-y and wearing a lot of practically feminine female clothes. What's really interesting is to be able to do that in a mainstream way, and challenge people's perceptions of what male and female is, and maybe be a bit in the middle. 

Hopefully, when the audience sees someone in the street who is non-binary or non-gender conforming, they won't be as shocked or horrified. They'll see me in a fanny dress and a cloak the night before. That's a really positive, accidental thing that's come out of this theatricality of the costumes. One of the things that didn't make it is ... I saw it today in my dressing room in my house because I was doing a fitting for some little film I'm doing. I opened this cupboard in the last episode of the last season. It was all on this big ship, which was another story because we had a hideous storm, and it was like "Triangle of Sadness." It really was. I was vomiting into a metal bowl. I'll never forget it. Thank you. And bon appetit. But there was a funny little hat that had a little galleon on it with sails. It was hilarious. It was this Tracy-esque sort of thing. Absolutely bonkers. So impractical and nuts. It was on theme for the thing. But it was so windy that day that it kept falling off my head. Now I have it as a little memory. 

As hosts, you are effectively the audience of the show. We're seeing a lot of the things that you're seeing and your commentary throughout the challenges is both biting and reflective of how we're thinking. One of the themes that emerges in this episode you all saw as well leads up to this idea with these contestants, of gamers, those who have been on competitive reality shows and the non-gamers – what they refer to as the bravo, basically anyone that sits up and has fancy wine as part of their show. Is there a core advantage to one side or the other?

No, it was the funeral episode. The funeral. Yeah, hilarious. But I just love that because I liked it. As the series went on, they showed me more of me laughing. Obviously, it's Pedro falling in the water. I just loved seeing how he's always getting wet.

Who doesn't? 

Who doesn't? But the thing I think about that, I thought was really interesting about the second season – this truly has been a crash course for me – I'm really at the center of it and I can experience it. I feel that a lot of people said that "Oh, the gamers, they know how to do this, the survivors, the big brothers, the CT did." The challenge, yeah. The perception is they are devious, and they know how to do this game, whereas the outsiders are, oh, you know. That's not true. It was proven wrong in this season because – like, who was the one who worked it all out, blew it in his execution of it – was the cutie little bachelor, Rafaela Peet. So, you know, the other non-gamer. That to me was really exciting because I loved when our perception about the game was just smashed. Although I guess two gamers did win, but you know ... it didn't necessarily mean it was because of their game win. It's that somebody had to win. I think it's really interesting. It's a much more level playing field. Also, it's a game of chance. You're a traitor because I tap you on the shoulder.  

That's why I loved it when, a couple of weeks in, they're going mental. They're like, "I could never be a traitor." I go, "You would if I tapped you on the shoulder." That's why the show is so good. It really screws with people's minds, with the psychological, and the hurt and guilt that people get as well. The guilt [comes from] lying to your friends and everything. It's layer upon layer of awfulness. Having seen people in physical distress, it's always hilarious. 

In the first episode of this [season], as you're walking around, you're going to pick the traitors. You do it a few times, and there's conversation afterwards amongst the cast members about the sound of your jacket rustling as you lift an arm. Or your footsteps and the sound of breathing happening. How did you approach that moment of, "I need to make this as secretive as possible?"

It was absolutely the most terrifying part of the whole thing. I could fuck it up immensely in one fell swoop if they heard me or something. There were more of them this year. I do all sorts of things. The first year, we filmed a thing where I touched every single person. We've got the close-up of my hand going on the thing. We filmed that first. They've got an idea of what it feels like to be touched. Then we go round and round and round and round. In terms of the rustling, I would do this. Right in front of their ears. It's so fun.  

I really enjoy it; it's the scariest part because I have a thing in my ear all the time. I can hear in the control room. When we're inside the castle, they're all in the control room, which is like NASA. It really is insane. I could feel the tension because it was the first thing of the show. Obviously, it's very tense in the room. When you're blindfolded, your other senses get much more aware. So it's really, really scary. I'm trying to get in and just do it without touching anything. I was just talking with Sam, the stylist, this week about what I was going to wear for that bit. Of course, there were things on my lapels. I thought that would be terrible if you heard them. You have to be really conscious of stuff like that. It's because everyone's senses are so heightened. But it is exciting and terrifying. 

Out of all of your friends or celebrities that you know, who do you think would be great on a season of The Traitors? And what would you have more fun with or which role would you think would be better – a traitor or a faithful?

I would like to be a traitor. I think everybody would like to be a traitor. It's just getting to go to the turret late at night and think who you're going to kill. I just think it's such fun. They get extra snacks when they go to the turret sometimes. But I don't know. Some people really don't want to be like that. That's why we do this thing now when I interview them. It's just hilarious. Lala and I are sitting there, and they come in one at a time, and they're really terrified. Some people are adamant they don't want to be a traitor. 

Of course, that's actually quite a good idea to make them a traitor when they're doing that. That's what I love about the game, is all these weird, confounding things you can do. Some people very much do think, well, you're not going to. It's actually really interesting, the mix of people that we choose for the show is all based on a lot of factors. But in terms of people that I know, we were just talking about her actually. 

I think Martha Stewart would be so good at it. She's so bossy and sort of strategic and so accomplished and everything. She would make that raft. She would get that catapult going. And, also, I just think she would be at home in a castle. So there's people like that. But I love those people who come on the show. I don't know who they are. 

Copyright ©2024 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: July 22, 2024.

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