A Scouser is “proud” to be amongst the group of contestants to appear on the UK’s first gay dating show.
Mikey Connor, from Orrell Park, is currently appearing on BBC’s I Kissed A Boy - hosted by pop singer Dannii Minogue. The Australian star plays the role of Cupid as the show, set in an Italian Masseria, follows ten queer guys “on a holiday of a lifetime in their search for that perfect date”.
The premise of the show focuses on the contestants kissing the first time they met and then proceeding to get to know one another afterwards. Mikey, a 28-year-old referee, appeared at the end of episode one and in Love Island terms, was a “bombshell”.
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The former semi-professional footballer told the ECHO: “I learnt a lot about myself being on the show. I have always thought I knew who I was and thought I was comfortable with who I was, but really it wasn’t until I was surrounded living with 10 other boys who were just like me that realised I can actually just be myself and not have any judgements whatsoever.
“I learnt to be more confident in life and confident about myself in a safe place - of course with the world watching. I learnt from the other boys and their experiences and I loved listening to everyone’s different stories and how each and every one of us related to each other all at different times throughout our lives.”
Before entering the show, Mikey had two long-term relationships, both of which didn't end the way he wanted. The self-confessed flirt said he wears his heart on his sleeve and “tends to put his cards on the table too quickly”.
The former Liverpool John Moores University student said: “I’m super proud to be part of this show. When people have said you’re on the ‘gay Love Island’, I’m like no, don’t say that. I’d say it’s more meaningful and it’s something that isn’t cliche. I’m honoured to be able to share my own experiences on the show and we are all proud.”
Mikey is used to “sharing his life with the world” as he documents his daily life on TikTok, where he has over 155,000 followers. When he isn’t jumping on the latest TikTok trend, he works part-time as a model.
Asked what people can expect from him in the upcoming episodes, the Evertonian added: “You can expect everything from me, from happy Mikey, sad Mikey, emotional Mikey and funny Mikey. I take the experience for what it is. The show itself will hopefully change perceptions and stereotypes within the community. Every boy has a story, and every boy has gone through something they will take with them for the rest of their lives.
“It’s all about diversity within the community to show the world, look at all of us, we are all gay but we are all so different but we can come together and live our best lives freely. It’s a show that needed to happen.”
The show is said to be packed with “explosive drama, gripping cliffhangers and powerful untold stories” - from coming out in a strict religious family to the pressures of body image in the gay dating scene to navigating self-acceptance, sex and first same-sex relationships.
Host and LGBTQ+ ally Dannii said: “It is the first chance for gay dating to be seen on UK TV in the reality genre. It was far too long that calls for this type of show fell on deaf ears. The door is now wide open and the possibilities are now there for inclusion.”
I Kissed A Boy continues on Sundays and Mondays on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.
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