Mr Gay UK
Mr Gay UK was a British annual beauty contest for gay men, with regional heats held in gay nightclubs with a grand final usually at a gay venue. It began in 1982 as "Mr Hardware" (named after a fragrance) designed to promote a gay mail order company. The event, held in the Heaven nightclub, was filmed by the BBC as part of a documentary entitled Something For the Ladies.
In 1984, the competition name was changed to Mr Gay UK.[1][2] Since then, the event has been recorded for video release (1993), featured on a Channel 4 series, Passengers (1994) and the event itself was broadcast on Five in 1998 and 1999.
The competition's website has not been updated since 2014 and no winners are listed after 2013.[3] A 2020 retrospective in i-D described Mr Gay UK as having closed after 2013, while noting that later competitions such as Mr Gay England adopted a greater emphasis on community projects and campaigning.[4]
Mr Gay UK winners
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| Year | Winner | Hometown | Profession | Heat Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Anthony Morley | Leeds | Body Heat @ The Ritzy, Doncaster | |
| 1994 | David Jackson[5] | Manchester | DJ | Cruz 101, Manchester |
| 1995 | Lance Trimble[6] | Birmingham | Subway City, Birmingham | |
| 1996 | Roy Fairhurst[7] | Leeds | DJ | Primos II, Leeds |
| 1997 | Shaun McVeigh[8] | Manchester | Cruz 101, Manchester | |
| 1998 | Ben Harris[9][10] | London | Builder's Mate | |
| 1999 | Mark Ledsham | Preston | Business Student | |
| 2000 | Harry French | Glasgow | Lifeguard | Bennets, Glasgow |
| 2001 | Carl Austin[11] | Manchester | Events Manager | Cruz 101, Manchester |
| 2002 | Rob Conn[12] | Bristol | IT manager | Queens Shilling, Bristol |
| 2003 | Jarrod Batchelor[13][14] | Newport, Isle of Wight | Fireman | |
| 2004 | Mark Roberts[15] | Walsall | Plasterer | The Golden Lion, Walsall |
| 2005 | Richard Carr[16] | Birmingham | Supermarket Manager | The Nightingale, Birmingham |
| 2006 | Mark Carter[17] | Huddersfield | Police Officer | Birmingham |
| 2007 | Daniel Broughton[5] | Blackpool | Stage Manager | Flamingo Club, Blackpool |
| 2008 | Dino Gamecho[5] | Cardiff | Student | Ritz, Manchester |
| 2009 | contest not held | |||
| 2010 | contest not held | |||
| 2011 | Samuel Keen[5] | Cardiff | Hairdresser | |
| 2012 | Leroy Williamson[18] | Sheffield | Manager | Leeds |
| 2013 | Stuart Hatton[19] | South Shields | Model | |
Since 2005, the winner has gone on to represent the UK in Mr Gay Europe.
2011 contest
[edit source]As with previous years, heats for the 2011 contest were held in various gay venues across the country. Participants could apply in advance directly with the venue, or just turn up on the evening and complete an application form. In total there are 14 finalists from the heats that took place between September and October 2011.[20]
In this year the rules and the feeling of the competition were changed. A public vote was put into place and contestants were expected to campaign for votes in any way they could. Each finalist could receive votes through a premium rate phone and text number, a 'like' on their individual Facebook page and a Twitter and E-mail vote accessible from the main Mr Gay UK website. Voting ended on 29 November 2011 and the five finalists were announced. They were Greg Lumley – Middlesbrough, Charlie Drummond – Bristol, John Wheeldon – Leeds, Nik Chapman – Newcastle and Samuel Kneen – Cardiff, who eventually went on to win the competition
A media relations push was made on the competition with articles appearing in local and regional media and radio, but also had national coverage in guardian.co.uk and the three of finalists appeared on Loose Women bringing on Julie Goodyear.
The grand final was held on Saturday 10 December at Mission 2 in Leeds.[20] Judges included Kieron Richardson from Hollyoaks, Rob Gunn from the competition's sponsor Manhunt and photographer Jay Eff.
Criticism and changing attitudes
[edit source]Body image and representation
[edit source]Although Mr Gay UK was promoted as a celebration of gay visibility and, at times, as a search for a positive community role model, its emphasis on physical appearance attracted criticism from within gay communities. In 2004, gay men's website OutUK asked whether the competition was harmless entertainment, a search for a role model or a stereotypical beauty pageant, highlighting an entry rule stating that contestants had to "look good".[21] Human-rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, interviewed for the feature, argued that the contest could be understood as an affirmation of gay sexuality but also that beauty contests reinforce particular ideas of desirable appearance and can perpetuate stereotyped images of gay men.[21]
A 2020 retrospective in i-D argued that the winners had been overwhelmingly young, conventionally attractive, muscular and white, connecting that pattern with wider debates about body shaming and sexual racism in gay male culture.[4] The same retrospective noted that the range of entrants was more diverse than the winners alone suggested, including men of different body types, men of colour and disabled contestants. Leroy Williamson, the 2012 winner, recalled that a wheelchair user reached the final two in his regional heat, while 2011 winner Samuel Kneen later described feeling pressure to maintain the type of body associated with being Mr Gay UK.[4]
The competition was therefore interpreted in contrasting ways. Some winners used the title as a platform for community visibility. Carl Austin-Behan, who won in 2001 and later became Lord Mayor of Manchester, said retrospectively that he had entered partly to challenge stereotypes about the type of man expected to win.[4] Jarrod Batchelor, the 2003 winner, described the title as an opportunity to speak publicly about homophobic bullying.[21] Critics, however, questioned whether a contest built around judging male attractiveness could provide an inclusive representation of gay men.
Stavros Louca controversy
[edit source]Questions about body diversity became particularly prominent following the experience of Stavros Louca at a London heat in 2012. Louca, who weighed around 30 stone, entered the competition at the Black Cap in Camden and won the heat with strong support from the audience.[22][23] He was subsequently replaced as the heat winner. Reporting on the case said that the dispute centred on an underwear round for which clothing in his size was not available, and the episode was later examined in a short documentary released by The Guardian in 2014.[22][4]
Following the documentary, the organisers of Mr Gay UK said that no official representative of the national competition had attended the London heat and that the judges' and audience's decision appeared to have been overturned by the venue without their knowledge. They apologised to Louca, said that they did not condone his treatment and stated that the incident demonstrated a need for improvements in future competitions.[24] Boyz magazine, which had provided one of the judges, also apologised for aspects of its subsequent coverage but said that it had not made the decision to replace Louca.[25]
The controversy was widely discussed as an example of body-image pressures within gay male culture. Stuart Hatton, then the current Mr Gay UK and Mr Gay World, publicly condemned Louca's treatment and offered to take part in a photoshoot with him.[23]
Decline and changing pageant culture
[edit source]Later assessments of Mr Gay UK have placed its decline within broader changes in gay culture and attitudes towards beauty contests. i-D argued in 2020 that the competition's emphasis on a narrow ideal of male attractiveness had become increasingly out of step with debates about body diversity, sexual racism and exclusion on dating apps.[4] At the same time, former contestants interviewed for the retrospective emphasised the confidence, visibility and sense of community that the competition could provide.
The final listed winner, Stuart Hatton, later said that the original competition had placed too much emphasis on contestants appearing in underwear and being judged on appearance. After Mr Gay UK ended, Hatton became involved with Mr Gay Europe and successor national competitions in which contestants were expected to undertake community projects and were assessed on criteria including fundraising and public engagement as well as appearance.[4] The change reflected a broader shift in gay male pageants from straightforward beauty contests towards competitions presenting their winners as advocates or community representatives.
Hosts
[edit source]Presenters have included Dannii Minogue, Lily Savage, Jason Donovan, Mark Little, Robbie Williams, Jane McDonald, Terry George (entrepreneur), Richard Newman, Nadia Almada, Brian Dowling and Philip Olivier and judges have included Jean Paul Gaultier, Michael Cashman, Danny La Rue, Scott Neal, Lea Walker, Jonathan Kerrigan, Su Pollard and Christopher Biggins. In 2007, the presenters were Andy Scott-Lee and his wife Michelle Heaton.[1] The judges were Shahbaz from Big Brother 2006, James Sutton of Hollyoaks, long-standing Adam Lowe of Bent magazine and The Sheilas of Sheilas' Wheels. The event was hosted at Flamingo's nightclub in Blackpool, where Daniel Broughton (also from Blackpool) won.
Notable contestants
[edit source]Mr Gay 2001, Carl Austin-Behan, became the 119th Lord Mayor of Manchester in 2016, serving until 2017.
Mr Gay UK 2003, Jarrold Batchelor, went on to appear in the Channel 4 reality series, The Games.[1]
In 2006, police officer Mark Carter made national headlines when he won the competition.[17]
Mr Gay UK 1998, Ben Harris, became the winner of the Channel 4 show Playing It Straight in 2004.
In 2008 the first winner of the contest, Anthony Morley, was convicted of murder and cannibalism.[26]
Mr Gay Newcastle 2007, Charlie Drummond, became a Big Brother housemate in the 2009 series, where he sparked an "are they?/aren't they" relationship with fellow bisexual housemate Rodrigo Lopes. He made it to the final, finishing in 4th place.[27] Drummond later went on to become Mr Gay Bristol 2011.
Mr Gay UK winner 2013, Stuart Hatton, went on to represent the United Kingdom in Austria at Mr Gay Europe and was second runner up. Two months later Hatton travelled to Rome, Italy to represent the United Kingdom once more as Mr Gay UK but this time at The Mr Gay World Contest where he won the Mr Gay World title becoming the first United Kingdom winner to receive the global award.
See also
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References
[edit source]- 1 2 3 Pidd, Helen (1 September 2007). "Soldiers and a sailor in fight to be Mr Gay UK". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
- ↑ Richard Conrad Glover (30 September 1988). "Gay UK Alive And Kicking". The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). p. 15.
- ↑ "Past Winners". Mr Gay UK. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cahill, Ryan (12 June 2020). "How Mr Gay UK informed queer life today". i-D. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Past Winners - Mr Gay UK". Mr Gay UK. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ↑ "Oh Boy, Paula, Lance's gay day, Paula Yates at the Mr Gay UK contest". Daily Record. 30 May 1995. p. 9.
- ↑ "Jason Looks a bit Queer; He sweats and stutters through gay contest; Jason Donovan gets into a sweat at Mr Gay UK contest". Daily Record. 28 May 1996. p. 3.
- ↑ Paul McCann (28 February 1998). "Miss World is ousted by Mr Gay Universe". The Independent (London).
- ↑ "Only my mum knew, says Mr Gay UK". Evening Herald (Plymouth). 29 May 1998. p. 24.
- ↑ "Mr Gay UK 1998".
- ↑ "So.. Graham Norton Falls for Mr Gay UK; Revealed: Secret love of TV star". The People. 9 June 2002.
- ↑ "Bristol man is named Mr Gay UK after 'joke' entry". Bristol Evening Post. 11 September 2002. p. 4.
- ↑ Sam Mann (29 August 2003). "Jolie Good Fun at the Movies, A Gay Time with the Boys and a Rockin' Awards Do". The Mirror. p. 3.
- ↑ "Mr Gay UK: I slept with lots of girls". The Sunday People. 25 April 2004.
Jarrod Batchelor, 24, took the drastic action when he was bullied at school because of his sexuality.
- ↑ "Gay Crown". Birmingham Post. 30 November 2004. p. 2.
- ↑ "Store boss scoops title". Birmingham Mail (England). 30 November 2005. p. 19.
- 1 2 "PC Carter, UK Mr Gay, Triumphs at International Mr Gay Contest". The Press Dispensary. 22 January 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
- ↑ "Mr Gay UK 2012". All Points North Publications Limited. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
- ↑ Nichols, James (4 December 2013). "Stuart Hatton Crowned Mr. Gay UK 2013". Huffington Post. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- 1 2 "Mr Gay UK 2011 Finals". Mr Gay UK website. Archived from the original on 20 September 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
- 1 2 3 Gillan, Adrian (February 2004). "Mr Gay UK 2004". OutUK. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 "What happened when a 30 stone man entered Mr Gay UK?". The Guardian. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 Rigby, Sam (8 December 2014). "Watch what happened when a 30-stone man entered Mr Gay UK". Attitude. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ Rigby, Sam (2014). "Mr Gay UK organisers respond to 30-stone man controversy". Attitude. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ McCormick, Joseph (12 December 2014). "Magazine apologises to 30-stone man disqualified from Mr Gay UK". PinkNews. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "Former Mr Gay UK who killed and cooked victim guilty of murder". PinkNews. 17 October 2007. Archived from the original on 19 October 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
- ↑ Andrew Douglas (4 June 2009). "Big Brother is just the job for North-East contestant". The Northern Echo.
Charlie Drummond won the Newcastle heat of Mr Gay UK in 2007 and has worked as a model in the past. The 22-year-old, who works in customer services for the JobCentre, says his favourite part of his job is walking into the office in the morning and saying Good morning angels to his colleagues, who reply Good morning Charlie. Charlie, from Newcastle, thinks he has a good chance of winning BB – now in its tenth year.
