Proudly Said

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Darren Suarez is the founder of House of Suarez and the force behind Liverpool’s annual Vogue Ball - an icon and trailblazer who’s been shaping queer dance culture in the North for over two decades. Darren joins John to reflect on growing up gay in 80s and 90s Liverpool, discovering the world of dance, and falling in love with the art of vogue. They trace the journey...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Athena Barbital is a Liverpool-based alternative drag queen with a look that could kill — and a voice that just might heal you first. Athena joins John to talk about their journey from PhD researcher to spiked-out, sci-fi drag siren, and how creating their own looks became a form of self-expression and survival. They chat about the origin of the name ‘Athena Barbital’...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Anthony Proctor is the General Manager of Liverpool’s iconic Epstein Theatre - and a lifelong lover of all things theatrical. Anthony joins John to talk about his journey from student, wanting to be a vet, to panto regular, to running one of the city’s most beloved stages. They chat about the magic (and madness) of live theatre, his time working on  Farmaggedon &...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Eddie Fortune is a Scouse comedian, writer, and actor with a gift for making people laugh... often about the things we’re not supposed to. Eddie joins John for a conversation that’s full of sharp wit (kind of), big heart (er...), and a healthy amount of camp chaos (absolutely). They talk about being gay in Liverpool, finding humour in dark places (usually Basement Sau...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Carmen Sutra is a Liverpool drag queen known for her fierce stage presence, sharp aesthetic, and love of bringing people together through performance. Carmen sits down with John to talk about the evolution of her drag - from picking a name that turns heads to building a persona that gives her life. They talk about how drag brings her joy, the freedom it offers, and th...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? TylerdaClaire is a non-binary Scouse content creator, fashion icon, and online disruptor - known for bold looks, louder opinions, and a fierce commitment to showing up exactly as they are. Tyler joins John to talk about carving out space in a digital world that doesn’t always know what to do with unapologetic queerness - especially when it’s coming from a Scouse accen...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Genevieve Renée is a Liverpool drag queen, community organiser, and certified fundraising powerhouse - known not just for turning looks, but for turning the city’s drag scene into a force for good. Genevieve sits down with John to talk about using drag to do more than entertain - from the chaos of  Snatch Game  and  Eurovision AllStars  to the cutt...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Iwan Steffan is a Welsh content creator and storyteller best known for his spine-tingling paranormal videos - mixing folklore, personal experience, and a healthy dose of dry humour. Iwan joins John to talk about his experience with social media, his interest in all things spooky, and growing up in Wales where the line between myth and memory was always a bit blurry. T...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Ripley is nothing short of a powerhouse in recent times within Liverpol's queer community. They are a founding member of the now well over subscribed Board Gaymes group, which is now expanding to have monthly groups over on the Wirral; and has recently launched Queer Agenda Merseyside. Queer Agenda acts as a directory of what's going on within Liverpool's queer commun...

🎙️  What’s This Episode About? John Bridson, aka TheButchQween, is part queer meme lord, part cultural critic, and 100% done with your tired binary takes. Talking social media, looking out from behind the curtain, as well as their own mental health challenges, John brings a real sense of authenticity to this episode of Proudly Said - highlighting where his humour comes from, and how he uses t...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Adam Brown is a Liverpool-born dancer, choreographer, and founder of Adam Brown Dance Company - known for turning movement into storytelling, and making dance accessible, powerful, and unapologetically personal. Adam joins John to talk about growing up as someone who always wanted to dance, and what it means to build his own dance company that reflects the world as he...

🎙️  What’s This Episode About? Raf Dias - aka @musicbyrafaela — is a queer creative who brings heart, humour and a whole lot of honesty to this week’s episode. We chat about queer love and ends… well, all over the place (in the best way). From navigating the world as a lesbian to challenging the straight-coded expectations still clinging to relationships, labels and language - this one’s abou...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Joey is the frontman of Liverpool queer party band  Joey & The Hot Tub Boys  — bringing glitter, chaos and genuine heart to every stage they hit. Joey joins John to talk about making music that’s unapologetically queer, fun, and loud in all the right ways. From more intimate gigs to sold-out sweaty nights, they dive into what it means to hold space for s...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Regina McQueen is a Wirral-born drag queen with a big personality, a sharp wit, and a soft spot for repainting dolls - literally. Regina joins John for a chat that’s as full of heart as it is humour. They talk about growing up queer in Birkenhead, building a name for herself on the Liverpool drag scene, and how painting dolls in her spare time helps her stay grounded...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Braidy Maloney is a proud queer woman, business owner, and quiet force (sometimes not so quiet) - running both  Five Café  and  Solomon’s Tap Room  in Garston. Braidy sits down with John to talk about building community from the ground up. Not with big speeches or rainbow branding, but by creating real, local spaces where all people feel seen and s...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Franz Genau is a drag king, host and chaos-stirrer - better known to some as Queer Artisan . Franz joins John to talk about what it means to perform masculinity not just for laughs, but to shake things up. As Queer Artisan, Franz has carved out space in Liverpool’s cabaret and DIY drag scene — running events, creating platforms, and making room for other queer artists...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Gary Harper is a contemporary artist whose work hits harder than most – abstract, emotional, and unapologetically honest. Known for his landscapes and visual storytelling, Gary brings mental health, queerness and working-class identity into all he does. In this episode, Gary joins John for a conversation that’s equal parts art school, therapy session and Scouse defian...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Ketona Madrave is Liverpool's DJ Drag Queen, hitting the decks across multiple LGBTQ+ venues in the city. John and Ketona sat down and talked about how she came into drag, her musical background, and also the potential issues around misunderstanding her namesake in light of recent events within the local community. 🗣️ Why Listen? If you’re seeking genuine conversation...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Connie Frankish is a transgender woman and proud activist for the last 18, no 12, wait actually 9 months - and has quickly become a powerhouse within the community of Liverpool. She reflected on her time as a teacher, and how her being openly trans had an impact on both the young people she taught, and the adults around her. Please note: this episode was filmed prior...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Sarah Lovelock is one of the ultimate LGBTQ+ allies in Liverpool. Owner of Lovelocks Coffee Shop , she has, without intention, created the only daytime queer safe space for the community; with the vast majority of her regulars being from the community. Sarah talks about the origins of Lovelocks, why it's important to 'not be d*ck', and demonstrating why she's so fabul...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? In this short introduction, host John Hyland shares the motivation behind launching Proudly Said - a podcast that amplifies LGBTQ+ voices, especially those often unheard. John discusses the importance of creating spaces where queer individuals can share their stories authentically, without filters or apologies. 🔑 Episode Highlights 00:00 – Welcome and purpo...