The LGBT Sport Podcast

We’re taking a stroll down memory lane on the podcast today – and, more specifically, a trip across the pond to remind ourselves of some of the brilliant American guests who have joined us on the pod since 2018.

It’s a celebration of sporting talent from sea to shining sea, as we go from state to state and coast to coast to revisit some brilliant conversations with some amazing sportspeople from the USA.

Everything from golf to athletics to collegiate wrestling is on the table, as we take you back to conversations that we’ve had with everyone from Olympians to allies.

It’s a special celebration of our American guests from the archives, and we hope you like it.

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?

Ollie Burness always dreamed of making it as a professional wrestler, but probably never imagined that he’d do it as a spandex-wearing, lip-syncing, butt-kicking drag queen.

But after getting frustrated with traditional definitions of masculinity and sexuality in the industry, he came up with Priscilla – a self-proclaimed Queen of the Ring and exotic diva.

And now, Priscilla is one of the driving forces behind PCW’s Pride of the Ring event in Blackpool this month, which’ll bring together a whole load of LGBTQ+ talent from the British wrestling scene for what is a UK first.

So, it seemed the perfect time to get Ollie aka Priscilla onto the show to talk about his journey, inside and outside the ring.

From breaking into the business to the changing portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community in the industry to this landmark event, it’s a cracking episode that we think you’ll really enjoy, even if you’re not a wrestling fan!

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?

Lewis Gibson grew up in a sporty family, but it wasn’t long before he realised that football wasn’t for him.

In fact, a chance viewing of ‘Dancing on Ice’ on ITV opened up his eyes to a whole world that he hadn’t seen before, and set him off on a journey that led all the way to this year’s Winter Olympics in China.

We’ve wanted to have Lewis on the podcast for a while – and we have to tell you, this episode doesn’t disappoint at all. In fact, it’s an absolute cracker!

We talk about his journey in sport; his transition into ice dance; the music and routines; his partnership with Lilah Fear; his personal journey; what he nicked from the Olympic village – and so, so much more.

Honestly, this episode was an absolute joy – and we really hope you enjoy it!

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?

It’s been a twenty-four hour period that none of us will ever forget.

After Jake Daniels’ history-making announcement on Monday, we’ve put together a special episode looking at the significance of the Blackpool striker’s decision to open up about his sexuality.

We bring you the powerful reaction of LGBTQ+ fans, and take you behind-the-scenes to show how the story has played out over the past twenty-four hours - and how we've tried to cover it.

It’s an open, honest and emotional episode, unlike any we’ve done over our four-year existence. We really hope you enjoy it.

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?

Jordan Robinson has always had sport in his life.

Whether it’s following Newcastle United as a season ticket holder, playing and coaching rugby or, in his current role, as the general manager of Newcastle Thunder, it’s been an ever-present.

Jordan has also known he was gay for a long time – but it was only in lockdown that he decided that he was ready to start the process of opening up to his family and close friends about his story.

And after hearing people like Super League referee James Child share their story on this podcast, he decided to get in touch to ask if he could talk about his own journey as well, in the hope it would help other people.

So that’s what this episode is all about – Jordan’s love of sport, the ups-and-downs of life as a Newcastle United fan, what an average day (if there is such a thing) in the life of a general manager is like, the impact of the pandemic, his own sexuality, speaking out and being visible, and so much more besides.

It’s a cracking episode, and we – as always – are massively grateful that Jordan has trusted us to tell his story for the first time.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?:

When Chris Kinney represented Team USA in the bobsled at the 2018 Winter Olympics, it was the culmination of years and years of hard work and dedication.

But it also represented a turning point in his own life, where he finally felt able to publicly embrace the whole person that he was.

Up until that point, he had been on a journey - not just with his sexuality, but with his wider identity and where he belonged in the world.

And, as you’ll hear in this fascinating conversation, it wasn’t always an easy journey – but one that, ultimately, had the happiest of endings.

We talk about all of that and more in this cracking episode – where Chris got his love of sport; making the transition from track to the bobsled; becoming an Olympian; his own journey with his sexuality; coming out; fitting in; and why he’s one of the biggest Friends fans going today!

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?

If you love football in the UK, you’ve probably read one of Nancy Frostick’s pieces.

The Athletic writer has her finger on the pulse of everything happening in the EFL, covering ownership battles in the boardroom, inspiring stories on the pitch – and pretty much everything else in between.

She’s also a brilliant guest who we’ve wanted to have on the podcast for a long time, and this is just a lovely episode with a top journalist where we get into all sorts of different things.

From where Nancy’s love of football came from to getting her break in journalism; how it feels to nail a scoop to writing about what interests her; her own journey and the importance of representation in sport; plus Taylor Swift, cats and a load more.

This is a lovely episode that we think you’re going to really like, and we’re really glad that Nancy was able to make the time to join us.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?

Rocky Clark is a rugby union legend.

The most-capped England player ever with 137 international appearances to her name, she represented her country over a fifteen year career that included three World Cup runners-up medals and – in 2014, that elusive World Cup win.

Made an MBE in 2015, she’s a now passionate and dedicated coach, pundit, summariser and personal trainer – and she’s an absolutely brilliant guest to have on the podcast as well.

We talk about everything you would expect from her illustrious career – how she got her start, her England debut, transforming her training, winning the World Cup and more.

But there’s also the personal story as well - about the growth and changes she’s seen in women’s sport, becoming comfortable with her own sexuality (including some of the unpleasant things Rocky had to deal with), why inclusivity made her a better player, and why it makes her a better coach.

And as if that wasn’t enough to make you listen, we also talk about TikTok, and the joys of having a bar in your garden!

It’s a cracking episode, and one that we think you will love!

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?

Mark Foster is one of the UK’s most successful swimmers of all time.

During more than two decades in the pool, he won 51 international medals; competed at five Olympic Games; won World, European and Commonwealth titles; and broke world records again and again.

In 2008, he was the British flag-bearer at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing – and is now a commentator, broadcaster and motivational speaker.

He opened up publicly for the first time about the fact he’s gay in 2017 – and he’s someone we’ve wanted to have on the podcast since the moment we started.

So, the fact that we’ve finally managed to make it happen is great – and this is a cracking conversation.

We talk about Mark’s career, his drive, his desire to better himself, some of most memorable moments in the sport, keeping his sexuality hidden from people in sport, coming out and why he chose to do it – and so, so much more.

Honestly, this is a cracker – and we really think you’re going to like it.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?

Osian Jones smashed a record that stood for more than thirty years when he broke the Welsh men’s hammer record in 2017.

Throw in two Commonwealth Games – including a seventh-place finish on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2018 – and you can see why the Welshman is such a formidable competitor in the world of athletics.

Osian is also a fan of the podcast – so when he reached out to us, saying he’d been listening for a while and wanted to share his own journey on the show, we were absolutely up for having him on for a chat.

It’s the first time Osian has spoken publicly about his sexuality, and it always means a lot when someone trusts us to tell their story for the first time.

And, as always, this is a cracking chat – as Osian shares where his love of the hammer came from, training in lockdown, his goals for the upcoming season, the journey he’s been on when it comes to understanding his own sexuality, and why he wants to the LGBTQ+ community to know he’s a part of it.

We're so grateful to Osian for reaching out, and we really think you'll like this episode.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?