OUTCAST UK

Graeme Smith sits down with UK drag royalty Kitty Scott-Claus, who opens up like never before.As a finalist on worldwide TV show - RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars, Kitty is riding high — but the past year has brought huge personal change. She speaks movingly about her friend and fellow queen The Vivienne, and the impact her tragic passing had on the drag community. Kitty reflects on Viv's strength, visibility and vulnerability — and how her loss underscores just how much pressure drag performers are under right now, both on and off stage.We also dive deep into Kitty's remarkable transformation — losing over eight stone through swimming, running and cutting out booze — just before the world went wild for Ozempic. She's honest about why she's glad she did it the “old-school way,” and how she navigates the often shallow world of queer dating and body politics now that she looks, in her words, “more socially acceptable.”Expect laughter, brutal honesty, and a little bit of glitter!

Cute lil catchup with Topher and Graeme. Topher is the sexual freedom awards writer of the year 2025 and a longstanding OUTCAST alumni.Once again his services have been in demand on various podcasts to talk about him dating downlow guys, it's worth unpacking what the appeal and issues are.And a chat about coercion and bribery in the chemsex scene, how criminal gangs are getting people into compromising situations in order to exploit them.---THIS IS OUTCAST WORLD ---Like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a review. This helps us become easier to discover. Please take time to rate the show and if you're enjoying the podcast then take time to comment about it wherever you listen. //////// Check us on Insta, Youtube and TikTok @thisisoutcastworld ///// Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Graeme Smith is joined by writer and Queer I Am podcast host Andrew Flewitt for a deeply personal conversation about queer grief — the kind that isn't always spoken about, but lives quietly inside so many of us.Andrew's new book, Do You Believe in Life After Loss?, explores the grief queer people carry: the loss of lovers, of friends taken too soon — and the quieter griefs too. The ones tied to shame, family estrangement, and the delayed onset of emotional adulthood many LGBTQ+ people experience because the world won't let us.This is a raw, open-hearted episode about making space for grief, telling the truth about loss, and finding meaning on the other side of it.---THIS IS OUTCAST WORLD ---Like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a review. This helps us become easier to discover. Please take time to rate the show and if you're enjoying the podcast then take time to comment about it wherever you listen. //////// Check us on Insta, Youtube and TikTok @thisisoutcastworld ///// Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we chat to Roxy Bourdillon, the editor in chief of DIVA magazine, the world's biggest media outlet for queer, trans and non binary women.Roxy has a new book called "What a girl wants" in which she charts the path of her teenage, sexually unsure self all the way to heading up one of the world's biggest queer media outlets, even using her teenage diary entries along the way.Nick Charles also joins the chat for a bit and updates us on his mum who listens all the time from Trinidad. Get well soon Rose!THIS IS OUTCAST WORLD---THIS IS OUTCAST WORLD ---Like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a review. This helps us become easier to discover. Please take time to rate the show and if you're enjoying the podcast then take time to comment about it wherever you listen. //////// Check us on Insta, Youtube and TikTok @thisisoutcastworld ///// Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on OUTCAST WORLD, Graeme and newly crowned Sexual Freedom Awards Writer of the Year Topher Taylor are talking about how Trump's budget cuts in the US have impacts for queer people everywhere. We're joined by journalist and author Daniel Harding, whose new book Letters to My Younger Queer Self is already being called essential reading. Together, we ask: what would you say to your younger queer self if you had the chance?Plus:

OUTCAST WORLD residents the queer writer, journalist and Only Fans model Topher Taylor and Loud Brown Gays podcast host Nick Charles join Graeme Smith for a groupchat to talk through the latest happenings for LGBTQ+ people around the world:Has the rapid rise of Trump and the American evangelical right wing created an existential crisis for the LGBTQ community?What the success of REFORM UK will mean for queer people in the UK?And Nick has some highly unconventional theories about the selection process for the latest Pope.---THIS IS OUTCAST WORLD ---Like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a review. This helps us become easier to discover. Please take time to rate the show and if you're enjoying the podcast then take time to comment about it wherever you listen. //////// Check us on Insta, Youtube and TikTok @thisisoutcastworld ///// Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Graeme Smith and his husband Steven John travel to Trinidad and Tobago to launch series 6 of OUTCAST UK just days after the country's shock court ruling recriminalised homosexuality, reinstating a colonial-era law that now carries a 5-year prison sentence for same-sex intimacy.In this on-the-ground exclusive, OUTCAST UK meets Jason Jones, the activist taking the Trinidadian government to the Privy Council in London — the last hope for decriminalisation, not just in Trinidad, but for millions of LGBTQ+ people across the Commonwealth.Together, we unpack the deep scars of British colonial law, the grip of modern-day US-backed conservative networks, and the global battle to push back against the rising tide of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.This isn't just a story about one island — it's a frontline report from a legal fight that could shape queer rights across the world.Producer- Graeme Smith Contributors - Jason Jones and Steven John. Like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a review.We're on Insta and TikTok @playoutcastuk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The week after Esther Ghey accepted the Attitude award for her daughter Brianna posthumously at a ceremony in London attended by the great and good of the LGBTQ+ community. We Esther and close friend Jaxon Feeley, who presented the award on the night to sit down in a studio in Manchester to chat about that awful period, what she learned and how she is trying to make a difference after losing her beautiful daughter. Jaxon is a previous Attitude award winner and star of Channel 4 reality shows including "Hunted" and "Banged Up: Stars behind bars". He transitioned whilst working as a prison officer in Wigan and has become famous for his activism. This episode is in published in full HD video on Spotify. THIS IS OUTCAST UK

The worldwide hit LGBTQ+ show Heartstopper is back on Netflix for its highly anticipated third series. Just ahead of the launch, Bradley Riches caught up with Graeme Smith live in the studio in London to talk about how he got on the show, navigating life as a queer autistic person and how it really was in Celeb Big Brother earlier this year. THIS IS OUTCAST UK

The app that changed the way we love, make friends and hook up at it's 15th birthday. In this special programme (exclusively in video form on Spotify and available to listen wherever you get your podcasts. The LGBTQ+ journalist and author of "Gay Man Talking" Daniel Harding looks into how the community are using the app we all take for granted. THIS IS OUTCAST UK

Graeme catches up with the amazing Kitty Scott Claus with news of the new Ru Paul's Drag Race Global All stars launching this week around the world. The best queens from around the world go head to head for £200k in cash!Also back to the fringe in Edinburgh for a catch-up with the legendary Kate Butch whose standup drag show has had the critics soiling with laughter. Connor Moseley pops in with news of his new documentary “Queer sexpectations” and Kev from Pride Daily has the latest LQBTQ news from around the world.THIS IS OUTCAST UK

UK Black Pride took place on Sunday 11th August 2024, just a week after racist violence erupted on the UK's streets. Far right rioting, violent public racist attacks and inflammatory rhetoric have left some people of colour fearful or in their own homes. The UK's black and brown population have barely begun to process what has gone on. UK Black Pride this year was taking place in the middle of a global war on woke by the far right around the world. We begin to start the conversations about how safe we feel after these events and why UK Black Pride was such an important statement. Graeme Smith talk's the morning after the event to Asad Zafar a non binary queer activist, muslim and sexual health testing outreach worker in London. Graeme also talks to comedian and writer Holly Stars who is live from the Edinburgh fringe with news of their new drag comedy show "JUSTICE FOR HOLLY". and Kev McGrath is on hand with a check on the week's biggest LGBTQ news stories from around the world. THIS IS OUTCAST UK

Graeme is joined in the studio by Daniel Harding the author and LGBTQ+ journalist to talk about the 15th anniversary of Grindr. Daniel is also the author of best selling LGBTQ book "Gay man talking" and has a new book coming next year called "Letters to my younger queer self".

UK LGBTQ rapper James Indigo has been delighting audiences around europe and hitting us with sexual energy to his music like "Daddy's coming home" and rapping about being a top and "D Print" for the last few years. The Birmingham born queer rapper with a staunchly catholic mum mixes his Jamaican / British background with his queer perspective on pop culture. The result is a unique sound from unique guy. His new single "But you said we had a connection" brings us a different and more emotional side to the guy we thought we knew. We stuck James Indigo in a studio for an hour with Graeme Smith to talk about his music, sex, Madonna and Nicki Minaj. THIS IS OUTCAST UK

The Labour Party has won the UK general election with a landslide majority. Traditionally seen the party of LGBTQ+ progress, there has been little in the way of support through the general election campaign as they sought to avoid any difficult issues. So will the new occupant of number 10 be our friend? In this special episode that was broadcast on Virgin Radio Pride within 72 hours of the election result, we talk to Jamie Wareham from Queer AF. Also features Kevin McGrath with a roundup of other LGBTQ+ news stories from around the world that week. If you want to sign up for the Queer AF newsletter then head to https://www.wearequeeraf.com

The creator of "the other blue pill" podcast, HIV and prep expert Phil Samba from The Love Tank drops in to talk all things prep, getting access to it, and also new developments in sexual health like doxy pep. Graeme Smith and Topher Taylor host. THIS IS OUTCAST UK --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

This week we speak to our favourite Lesbian from Leeds, the editor in Chief of DIVA magazine, Roxy Bourdillon. Roxy is in talking about making a new radio show and podcast about the recent Lesbian nightlife explosion and has a book due out next year. We talk about the journey from a 13 year old who passed off her interest in women as just feminism to begin with, through to coming out and ending up editor in chief of worlds biggest magazine for queer and bisexual women and non binary people. THIS IS OUTCAST UK --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

One of the stars of new UK LGBTQ movie Bonus track drops in to chat to Graeme Smith and Topher Taylor. Bonus track is a story of young love, with reminders of "Heartstopper" and mid 90s queer classic "beautiful thing". Samuel drops in to explain why its so important to be involved in a film like this. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Trans model, influencer and activist Kenny Ethan Jones drops into the studio to talk to Graeme Smith and Topher Taylor about his new book "Dear Cisgender People". Kenny's mum was hugely supportive of his transition and despite the loss of her a few years ago, he still owes her acceptance, love and support everything. THIS IT OUTCAST UK --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Hosted by Graeme Smith and Topher Taylor from the studios of Virgin Radio Pride. We hear exclusively from Esther Ghey, mother of Brianna Ghey, ahead of her documentary with Jason Feley for Virgin Radio Pride 2024. Kevin McGrath has the latest from Pride Daily and we talk through the week's LGBTQ+ happenings. THIS IS OUTCAST UK --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Liam McDonald is in the studio with Graeme Smith this week, chatting about the latest happenings and events across the queer diaspora. Get involved on Tik Tok and Instagram just search PLAYOUTCASTUK. Includes a news update from Kev McGrath at Pride daily. THIS IS OUTCAST UK --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Topher Taylor and Graeme Smith are in the studio talking about what the Diane Abbott story says about us as a nation and the NHS stopping giving puberty blockers to under 18's. Plus a check on the week's LGBTQ+ news stories with Kev McGrath from Pride Daily. THIS IS OUTCAST UK --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

There has been an explosion in STIs in the UK in the last decade. But at the same time government funding for the services that treat potentially life threatening conditions has been dramatically cut in real terms. We speak to sexual heath expert Dr John White this week to discuss access to sexual health services and the ease of Hep C testing during the current NHS campaign. Also it turns out Hep C treatment is a lot easier than it was a few years ago. Dr John White has 25+ yrs of clinical experience in sexual health. He was an NHS consultant in Genitourinary Medicine for 13 yrs at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals, London. He currently works in Western and Northern Health & Social Care Trusts, Northern Ireland, while also working for Preventx. John was Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of STD & AIDS from 2009 to 2020. He is an expert in bacterial STIs and novel diagnostic approaches and is passionate about educating and speaking on clinical sexual health and HIV medicine. Including Pride Daily update with Kev McGrath. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

With the shock news of queer strictly veteran Robin Windsor's passing this week, Graeme Smith talks to his friend David Allwood about grief and loneliness. We're also talking about the film that has cinema audiences in tears - all of us strangers AND how queer dance collective Homoparody is bringing the community together in London. Plus Kev is here with the latest LGBTQ+ news with a Pride Daily update. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Our resident tart with a heart Topher is fronting this week's episode and takes Graeme along to the Grabby awards pre party in London. The great and good from the European gay porn industry throw an awards bash once a year with best bottom, best top and best collab. Thanks to sites like Only Fans, adult stars are no longer under the control of the big studios. The result has been well paid, successful sex workers who are in control of the fruits of their own labour. We are joined in the studio in London by Callum and Cole a couple who have a huge TikTok following that they turned into subscribers to their Only Fans page. Their relationship and sex life has literally always been on camera. Also features a check on the latest LGBTQ+ news stories with Kev from Pride Daily. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

This week Graeme is talking through some of the world's biggest queer news with the New York born actor and podcaster Cameron Bernard Jones. Including the significance of Colman Domingo's Oscar nomination for the black queer community. Why Google have used the mid 20th century author civil rights activist and author James Baldwin. Also the worsening situation for trans people in Florida after changes to gender ID rules on driving licences. & Kev McGrath is on hand with a queer news update from Pride Daily. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Graeme is joined by cancelled queer artist Liam McDonald to chat through all the goings on across the LGBTQ+ diaspora of late. Including the obsession with Gypsy Rose and why the senate twink is all of us. Also we also ask if chemsex has in fact peaked or is it still going strong after surveys show crystal meth use in the Manchester gay scene is higher than ever. Kev McGrath is on hand as well with the latest LGBTQ+ headlines around the world. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Sex educator, and Gay London Life columnist, Topher Taylor, joins Graeme Smith in the studio to chat about his Only Fans page featuring him performing with downlow straight guys interested in making anon p0rn. Includes a check on the latest LGBTQ+ news stories making the headlines right now with Kevin McGrath from Pride Daily. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Here's Kev McGrath from Pride weekly with a roundup of the LGBTQ+ happenings from around the world this week. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Paris Munro from Gaydio breakfast joins Graeme Smith to chat through some of the worlds biggest LGBTQ+ news stories. Including an extended chat about the latest on the sad news this week about the death of Sophie Anderson just weeks after her partner. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

A mid week catch-up on the week's biggest queer news and chat with special guest Jaxon Feeley. Part two of Graeme Smith's interview with Jaxon Feeley from Channel 4 show Banged up - Stars behind bars. We talk about his reaction to increases in anti trans violence after the murder of Brianna Ghey in Warrington. As a trans man from nearby Wigan and someone who has worked with vulnerable adults in prison, Jaxon had some words for parents engaging in anti trans rhetoric. We also talk about why he decided to plan the Live your truth concert at Heaven in London featuring Danny Beard and a host of other celebs to raise funds for the transgender clinic. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Jaxon Feeley is a transgender male former prison officer who now appears on the new Channel 4 show Banged up- stars behind bars. Before this he worked in a prison in Wigan where he decided to transition with full knowledge of inmates. Jaxon gained their respect with his bravery and honesty and now a week ahead of organising the huge "live your truth" concert at Heaven in London visits Graeme in the studio to tell his incredible story ufiltered. This episode begins with a tribute to former guest Sophie Anderson and a roundup of the week's LGBTQ+ news stories. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

For World AIDS Day 2023 we got the experts in for a chat about all the latest news in the world of HIV. The amazing people behind The HIV podcast - Jessica Harding and Sarah Macadam join Graeme this week. Jess and Sarah are also the bosses of the HIV charity Thames Valley Positive Support and provide much needed support to people with HIV in Berkshire and across the South East. Kev McGrath from Pride Daily is on hand as well with an explainer on the background of the famous HIV red ribbon. THIS IS OUTCAST UK --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Chatting through the week's queer news stories is LGBTQIA activist David Allwood, the winner of Gold at Mr Gay GB 2022, Silver at Mr Gay World 2023 and founder of Homoparody.Minutes before the episode recording, Graeme learned of the sudden death of Oliver Spedding, the partner of Sophie Anderson and that Sophie herself is in hospital following the news. Sophie and Oliver (aka Damien Oliver) were guests for two special episodes of OUTCAST UK a few months previous and have been followed by many in the LGBTQ+ community who became concerned about some recent social media posts. The couple spoke at length to Graeme about their chemsex problems. Kev McGrath from new podcast Pride Daily brings us a world queer news update at the start of the episode. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

We are back and after a check on the week's queer news stories with Kev from Pride Daily. GRAEME SMITH talks to Houston based author TATE BARKLEY. His new book outlines his battles with alcohol and partying and how he hit rock bottom and lost his law firm. After a friend paid for him to go into rehab, he built his life back up again. Tate's 24 year recovery journey has compelled him to write and speak about personal integrity, ethics, shame, self-acceptance, mental wellness, and resilience. His story demonstrates how shame and addiction can disrupt lives, businesses and institutions. His new book, Sunday Dinners, Moonshine, and Men, published in September 2023, recounts Tate's troubled relationship with his father and his journey to overcome his shame and the scarcity mindset that fueled his addictions and blocked his ability to find peace in his life. Tate offers a deeply personal account of his dysfunctional childhood, from the backwoods of North Carolina, to his family's struggles with poverty in Central Florida, and their ultimate move to the boomtown of 1970s Houston, Texas. He details his attempts to control his escalating drinking and repress his sexuality as he became a successful attorney, only to hit rock bottom and lose it all. THIS IT OUTCAST UK --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

With Graeme still indisposed (he says moving his life from Manchester to London but Kev does not believe this)... Kev McGrath is on hand with a roundup of this world's queer news thanks to our new partnership with Pride Daily. Graeme returns next week with guest US based author, LGBTQ+ advocate and recovering alcoholic Tate Barkley. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

A roundup of the weeks biggest LGBTQ+ news stories from around the world. Queer news man Kev McGrath sits in for Graeme Smith this week and he is back with a preview of his own podcast called Pride Daily. It's a roundup of the days LGBTQ+ news and it will be partnering with OUTCAST UK on our regular episodes to keep us upto date with the queer news agenda. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Graeme Smith is live in conversation with Ghislain Pascal live from Manchester on the Boys Boys Boys world tour 2023 in front of a live audience at UNITOM in the Northern Quarter. Ghislain was a celebrity agent and publicist for many years – including as agent to the legendary photographer Bob Carlos Clarke. Following the death of Carlos Clarke in 2006 he co-founded The Little Black Gallery - one of London's leading photography galleries - with Tamara Beckwith Veroni in 2008. He is an avid collector of photography which are housed in a permanent exhibition space at his home in France. He is the Editor of the BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! books and magazines. BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! is a programme by The Little Black Gallery started in 2018, curated by co-founder Ghislain Pascal, to promote queer and gay fine art photography. It now represents more than 65 photographers from 30 countries - including China, India, Iran, Poland, and Russia where gay rights are repressed and queer lives under constant threat. The first BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! book, with a foreword by David Furnish, was published in 2019; the second by  teNeues | MENDO in 2020. Both are sold out, with all the royalties donated to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.  The bi-annual BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Magazine was launched in January 2021.  THIS IS OUTCAST UK- LIVE FROM MANCHESTER --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

The episode begins with a roundup of the latest LGBTQ+ news stories. This week we are in Manchester at the same time as the Tory party but for very different reasons! With a live studio audience in UNTOM in the Northern Quarter, Graeme catches up with Ghislain Pascal, the founder of queer fine art photography series BOYS BOYS BOYS, about freedom of expression and censorship. We hear some highlights of the live Q&A that you can hear in full on our next episode. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Graeme Smith is in Manchester this week talking to transmasculine-non binary legend Paris Munro from the Gaydio breakfast show about if things are OK with former cock destroyers star and OUTCAST UK guest Sophie Anderson. The LGBTQ meme star's partner (who appeared on this show with her just a few months ago) announced she was dead on social media and then backtracked days later causing deep concern amongst queer fans. This episode begins with a roundup of the world's queer news this week.. including: The UK home secretary Suella Braverman has doubled down on her anti LGBTQ+ asylum comments in response to criticism from Elton John that her views lack “compassion”. Sir Elton also said the senior tory was “legitimising hate and violence”. Incredibly disturbing news coming out of Russia over the last few days. A transgender woman has spoken about being forced to undergo conversion therapy, involving masculinity training and being ordered to castrate a pig.  California has signed new legislation to help LGBTQ+ youth. The new laws include LGBTQ+ cultural competency training by public school teachers and staff, the establishment of an advisory task force to identify LGBTQ+ pupil needs across the state and amending the foster care vetting process to make sure ensure LGBTQ+ youth in the foster system are not placed in anti-LGBTQ+ foster homes. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Graeme is joined by transmasculine non binary icon, Paris Munro from Gaydio breakfast to discuss the weeks queer news happenings and a lot more. Includes a round up of the latest LGBTQ+ stories. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Live from London Podcast Festival 2023 at Kings Place. Graeme Smith is joined by show regulars including the Loud Brown Gay's podcast host, Gaydio and Fire London DJ Nick Charles. Alongside Topher Taylor – the sex educator, Only Fans model and columnist for Gay London Life magazine. Joining the team for the evening is the controversial queer artist Liam Stonier McDonald, famous for his art on chemsex, addictions, his mothers alcoholism and his outspoken views. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

This Friday we are doing our first ever live episode recording of OUTCAST UK at The London Podcast Festival in front of a small ticketed studio audience. On stage will be Graeme Smith hosting as usual, joined by his mate and OG OUTCAST regular NICK CHARLES, The Gaydio host and Loud Brown Gays podcaster. Also joining are sex educator and London Gay Life columnist Topher Taylor and Liam Stonier McDonald the controversial LGBTQ+ artist. Here we get a taster of what is to come on Friday and talk about the fetish model from the UK who posted nazi themed content and what the fallout has been from this online. Tickets are available to be in the small studio audience at Kings Place on KINGSPLACE.CO.UK as part of London Podcast Festival 2023 in association with Guardian Podcasts and Acast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Ahead of appearing at our live episode recording at The London podcast festival at Kings Place, Kings Cross, this Friday the 8th September. Show regular Topher Taylor dragged his ass north of the river and dropped into our sketchy London studio in Tottenham. Normally Graeme and Topher catchup remotely but today they've blocked out some time to get in depth ahead of Topher joining G in front of a live studio audience on Friday. Toper is talking about being beaten up growing up in queer in Eltham, how the "groomers" smear being used against LGBTQ+people online makes us feel. Also what does he have planned for the live show? Topher's lining up an OUTCAST UK take-over of the Clone Zone socials to help us out. TICKETS FOR THE LIVE SHOW ON FRIDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER ARE LESS THAN £10 - PLAYOUTCASTUK.COM HAS THE LINK TO BOOK. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

2 years after their first episode went viral . Graeme Smith is catching up with Liam Stonier McDonald in London a week out from a live show at the London Podcast Festival in Kings Cross. Liam will join Graeme, Nick Charles and Topher Taylor for a live recording of an episode of OUTCAST UK in front of a studio audience at the event. This week we're catching up with everyone pre show and on this episode its the return of the most cancelled Queer artist in the UK - Liam Stonier McDonald, who is as usual annoyingly likeable despite his sometimes unpopular thoughts on issues. We hear about his art show being cancelled last year by a gallery under pressure from other performers. He tells us his thoughts about PREP and gets stuck into Just Stop Oil... Graeme is opposed. THIS IS OUTCAST UK Tickets to our show at London Podcast Festival on Friday 8th September are linked from PLAYOUTCASTUK.COM --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

On our last edition of this Summer's Queer news updates on OUTCAST UK, we turn to Manchester Pride. Manchester Pride this year was without a doubt one of the most inclusive yet and saw entry prices seem to come down in price and some special access for lower income groups. This alongside a proudly diverse lineup headed by Danny Beard and Jodie Harsh. But it seems the scars of the bad PR of the last few years has left the organisation a little unsure of engaging with the media. Interview opportunities were notable scaled back for LGBTQ+ media. With the only notable broadcast interview of the CEO this time being more of a promo for just the events of the Big Weekend. But surely people deserve a bit more than just this? After initially contacting US regarding an interview with their CEO and some headliners, the PR people got a little upset with us for asking a couple of questions about charity funding plans going forward and a few more politically loaded questions about rights for LGBTQ+ people around the world and stopped answering our emails access to their artists and VIPs. Is Pride still a protest and charity fundraiser or has it changed into something else and how do you balance all these interests? --- ALSO on this episode -a Putin ally warns of Gay Ukrainian super soldiers! AND the Grindr survey that says a quarter of people are on the app to network. The boss of the company claims to have hired people he met on the app. THIS IS OUTCAST UK Graeme Smith is joined by the host of Virgin Radio Pride Daily and former Times Radio, BBC Five Live and LBC Radio newsreader Kevin McGrath for a roundup of the week's queer news stories. From the serious to the ridiculous. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

NATHANIEL HALL is a queer icon. He's an actor, theatre-maker, writer, performer, director, producer and HIV activist from Manchester. He is artistic director of DIBBY THEATRE in Manchester - an LGBTQ+ working class theatre company. Recent credits include once in a generation TV drama It's A Sin in which he played love interest of Richie Tozer (played by Olly Alexander), the 20 something actor Donald Bassett. He had a hit Edinburgh festival solo show called First Time that received critical acclaim and he is Co-Creative Director of the Manchester Pride Candlelit Vigil. He talks to Graeme Smith about the trauma of being diagnosed positive at the age of 16 and hiding it from everyone for 15 years. How it felt to meet up with Russell T Davies and be cast in It's a Sin and his new show Toxic based on the kind of dysfunctional and co-dependent relationships we can easily find ourselves in. THIS IS OUTCAST UK // Come see our live show at The London Podcast Festival on Friday 8th September at 7pm. Tickets are less than £10 to be in the audience of our live episode recording - follow the ticket link on PLAYOUCASTUK.COM --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

One of the two men, stabbed outside a club in London, in a homophobic attack - says he couldn't be prouder, to be gay. This comes as LGBTQ+ hate crimes are up massively in the UK in recent years. AND Graeme Smith caught up with LA based queer rapper Bobo Sango ahead of leaving for UK Black Pride this weekend. The "Thirst Trap" and "Stinky face" rapper talks about his majorly homoerotic videos for his music. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

This weekend is UK Black Pride and this episode is celebrating the voices and perspectives of Queer people of colour from the OUTCAST UK archives. Graeme chats to DJ, music producer and radio presenter NICK CHARLES, LA based Queer rapper BOBO SANGO and DEI speaker in the tech startup world, STEVEN JOHN (who also happens to be Graeme's long term partner). There is no singular voice to represent queer people of colour, its obviously an incredible broad community of people. But we wanted to bring some of the voices of some of queer black friends and family to takeover OUTCAST UK for this special episode. Nick Charles is now making some big moves with his Doing career, and this weekend he's busy gigging in Manchester before heading to London to headline at Fire at the peak of UK Black Pride weekend. He's also got his weekly national radio show on Gaydio and he is the cohost of the Loud Brown Gays podcast with his bestie Dan James. But Nick was born in Trinidad and had to leave there after a wave of anti LGBTQ violence over a decade ago. Now living in Manchester he told us the story of why he had to move to the UK. We heard a never before heard perspective of coming to the UK to escape persecution but being sent to a detention centre. Bobo Sango talks about the differences in his experiences in the UK vs the US. Steven John talks about Steven about how the brutal murder of George Floyd in the depths of Covid in 2020 brought the reality of structural racism right into the homes of many mixed relationships for the first time. THIS IS OUTCAST UK tickets to our London Podcast Festival Live show are on PLAYOUTCASTUK.COM --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

Bobo Sango is a queer rapper from Los Angeles and has been nicknamed the first male Niki Minaj. Bobo is an openly gay rapper with a genuine love for Hip-Hop. Capable of crossing into pop, Afro-beats and techno. He is a breath of fresh air to the genre. His first big performance was at LA Black Gay Pride in 2019 following the success of his first mixtape Assimilation Vol 1. With some highly sexual and homoerotic themes in his music videos they have reached hundreds of thousands of streams. Graeme Smith speaks to him about his music, being a queer rapper and the difference between US and US racism in his experience just as he is leaving for the airport to fly to London for UK Black Pride. He performs in South London on Thursday 17th August - check out his instagram for more info @bobbysango. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message

All this summer we have been bringing you the latest queer news and on this episode we're rounding up the positive LGBTQ+ stories of the summer so far. Also this week a look at the Gareth Thomas case as Graeme speaks to Jess and Sarah from The HIV podcast and the bosses of Thames Valley Positive support about the effect coverage has had on people who are HIV Positive. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outcastuk/message