The LGBT Sport Podcast

They say that when you're passionate about something, you'll do almost anything to make it happen. And Jack Gemmell and Caitlin Black have done exactly that to raise the money they needed to make the short-film 12th Man, which looks at what it's like to come to terms with your own sexuality within the context of an uber-masculine Scottish football team. To make it happen, the pair launched their o...

She's been part of the England rugby keague set up for more than a decade - the captain of the national side and part of the World Cup squad on three separate occasions. And when Emily Rudge isn't representing her country on the grandest stage of them all, she's playing for St Helen's in the domestic league, and teaching PE at her local school. We *think* it's the first time that we've had an Engl...

In another world, the football season is preparing to reach a dramatic conclusion. Titles are being won, relegation battles fought, trophies lifted - at all levels, this was supposed to be the business end of the footballing year. But at the moment, none of that is happening - so what's it like to be a football fanatic being forced to live without the beautiful game? Daniel Crump is the captain of...

Lucy Shuker is one of the most successful wheelchair tennis players the UK has ever produced. A veteran of three Paralympics and a bronze medalist at two of them, she's also reached the finals at Wimbledon and the Australian Open - in fact, she's a regular at all the Grand Slams - and is a near-constant part of the world's Top 5 rankings as both a singles and doubles player. We've wanted to have L...

It’s a landmark episode of the BBC’s LGBT Sport Podcast – as we reach 100 episodes. For a big show, you need a big guest - and that’s exactly what we’ve got with Chris Mosier. He’s someone who is used to accomplishing firsts. A Hall of Fame triathlete, Chris is also an All-American duathlete who made history as the first transgender man to represent the United States in international competition....

If you’re a wrestling fan, you’ll know that this week tends to be the most exciting one of the whole calendar – where established behemoths like WWE and smaller, independent companies alike schedule some of their most important shows. And while coronavirus means this year has been different to many others that came before it, we thought we’d embrace pro-wrestling at one of its peak times by having...

If you're a cricket commentator, it doesn't get much better than hearing your name on the roster for the iconic Test Match Special programme. On one more occasion, that's something the brilliant Scott Read has been able to experience - including during last year's World Cup in England. So what's it like to join such an iconic show - and does the thrill ever leave you? Scott is a fantastic guest in...

When it comes to guests, Jade Konkel is a bit of a gift - because there's so much to talk about. The rugby union star made history when she became Scotland's first-ever female professional - and now plays for both her country and Harlequins Women. She's also martial arts black-belt, a personal trainer - and at the end of last year, she got a massive surprise when she went out to propose to her gir...

As a child, Mike Minay used to go along to Maine Road to watch Manchester City as a fan. Now, he gets to follow their progress around Europe as the club’s commentator for BBC Radio Manchester – and has seen them play everywhere from Wembley in the League Cup Final to the San Siro in the Champions League. So how did Mike get to where he is now; what are some of the tips he gives to other aspiring y...

For more than two years, the BBC's LGBT Sport Podcast has been shining a spotlight on the contributions made by amazing groups and individuals in the world of sport who happen to be LGBTQ+. In this special 'Revisited' episode, we catch up with one of our favourite interviews from the archives – as transgender rallying champion and columnist Rowena Purdy shares her remarkable story. WANT TO GET IN...

For more than two years, the BBC's LGBT Sport Podcast has been shining a spotlight on the contributions made by amazing groups and individuals in the world of sport who happen to be LGBTQ+. In this special 'Revisited' episode, we catch up with one of our favourite interviews from the archives – as MMA pioneer Liz Carmouche joins us to talk about making history in the UFC, her time as a Marine and...

For more than two years, the BBC's LGBT Sport Podcast has been shining a spotlight on the contributions made by amazing groups and individuals in the world of sport who happen to be LGBTQ+. In this special 'Revisited' episode, we catch up with one of our favourite interviews from the archives - as the BBC's Women's Sport Reporter Jo Currie joins us to talk about how she got her start in the indust...

For more than two years, the BBC's LGBT Sport Podcast has been shining a spotlight on the contributions made by amazing groups and individuals in the world of sport who happen to be LGBTQ+. In this special 'Revisited' episode, we catch up with one of our favourite interviews from the archives - as iconic referee Nigel Owens joins us to talk about his career in rugby. From refereeing the World Cup...

We live in an age of Rainbow Laces and Pride games - in fact, it's fair to say that sport has never been more welcoming than it is now to the LGBTQ+ community. But it hasn't always been that way. Darryl Telles knows what it's like to live in an era where homophobic abuse was rife on the terraces - and in other parts of life as well. A Spurs fan who has followed football for decades, he tells us hi...

At the end of January, Zach Sullivan put the sport of ice-hockey on the homepages of websites around the world when he came out as bisexual. His announcement coincided with the English game’s first Pride weekend – so now is Zach finding things now, now the media whirlwind has died down a bit? We met up in Manchester with Zach for a chat that we really enjoyed, and we think you will as well. There'...

When it comes to sporting CVs, Robyn Love and Laurie Williams have a lot to shout about. Both have represented Team GB in wheelchair basketball on pretty much every stage possible - from European Championships to World Championships to the Paralympic Games. And this weekend, they basically broke social media when they announced their engagement on Twitter and Instagram! On this wide-ranging interv...

On Wednesday, Justin Fashanu went into the National Football Museum's Hall of Fame. It's a story that has made headlines around the world - so we thought we'd do something a little bit different and take you inside the Museum for the induction itself. This episode is a bit different to our other ones - with not just one guest but lots of them, all talking about what Justin Fashanu's induction mean...

Wednesday would have been the 59th birthday of Justin Fashanu. The footballer was the first black player to earn a one-million pound transfer fee – and played for twenty-two clubs in a career that spanned two decades. Fashanu was also the first male English professional to come out as gay while playing – and became the victim of constant crowd abuse as a result. Ultimately, Fashanu took his own li...

We’ve often heard the phrase ‘get on your bike’ – and in Manchester, one group has taken it literally! ‘Pride Out’ is Manchester’s first LGBT+ cycling group – and is already going from strength to strength. Richard Hearne is the man behind it - and has joined us for a brand-new episode of the podcast to talk about everything to do with the group. From how it came about to the importance of having...

Last summer, the Sheffield Eagles had arguably the biggest moment in their history when they came from behind to beat Widnes at Wembley to win the first-ever 1895 Cup. It was a huge moment for the rugby league side - and watching it all unfold was Eagles' general manager Liam Claffey. He's a man that lives and breathes the Eagles - and, as a gay man, he's certainly been in demand as the sport reac...

We've covered all sorts of sports since we launched the BBC's LGBT Sport Podcast back in 2018. From athletics to pro-wrestling, we've done the lot - but today, for the first time, we take a look at the world of horse-racing. Russ Saunders is one of the people behind LGBT+ Inclusive Horse Racing - a new group that's trying to make the sport more welcoming and accepting for the LGBTQ+ community. We'...

We all know getting out and about is good for you, from both a physical and mental health point of view. But research shows that many gay, bisexual and transgender men find it difficult to get involved in sport - because they've often experienced abuse or discrimination when they've tried in the past. That's where the charity OutdoorLads is making a difference - by offering activities for gay, bis...

Ellie Mackin isn't the most famous person we've had on the BBC's LGBT Sport Podcast, or the most accomplished. But I promise, she's provided us with an episode that will stick with you for a very long time - and a story that you genuinely couldn't make up. In fact, we don't want to tell you too much about Ellie, as we want you to listen and hear her remarkable tale in her own words. So, we'll let...

Tadd Fujikawa is used to making history. In 2006 - at the age of just fifteen - the golfer became the youngest person to ever qualify for the US Open. And then a decade or so later, he came out as gay - something no male pro had ever done before. So what has life been like for Tadd in the time since he opened up publicly about his sexuality - and what has life been like since then? We've wanted to...

We've been trying to put our finger on why we enjoyed this episode so much. Emma Collings-Barnes is a former British Open Water Champion who competed at the European Championships, while Greg King-Limb has successfully coached swimmers at a county, regional and national level. They are - respectively - Director of Swimming and Assistant Director of Swimming at Mount Kelly: a school in Devon with a...