The LGBT Sport Podcast

It's a title that dates back to 1905 -- and is one of the most prestigious belts in the world of professional wrestling. But remarkably, it took more than 100 years for an openly gay man to challenge for NWA World Heavyweight Championship. That happened last month, when Norfolk grappler Brad Slayer wrestled for the belt in front of a hometown crowd at Carrow Road. So what's it like to be a gay man...

We've never interviewed a couple on the podcast before - so for our first time doing that, we decided to aim big. We mean, really big. Fiona Pocock is a Premiership winner and England rugby star, and Susannah Townsend is a hockey player who was part of the legendary Team GB side that won gold at the Olympics in Rio in 2016. Elite athletes on the field, they're incredible guests off it - talking pa...

This time last year, English football fans were on a high after Gareth Southgate's side's unexpected run to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Russia. It was the national team's best performance since Italia '90, but off the pitch, something else was taking place. An group of fans called 3 Lions Pride began displaying an England flag in the colours of the rainbow at games, to help highlight the s...

If you've ever flicked through the back-pages of Britain's newspapers, you've probably read Alex Kay-Jelski's work. After a stint as the Sports Editor at the Daily Mail, he moved to The Times to do the same job - and now, he's got an exciting new venture on the horizon. So what's it like to be the person in charge of some of Britain's biggest sporting newsrooms - and how did he end up taking a tri...

Richard Morris has a CV that sounds like it's straight from the pages of an Ian Fleming novel. He has a doctorate in history from the University of Cambridge; he's represented Britain on the international stage as a fencer; and now, Richard Morris makes his living as a racing driver for Spire Sports Cars. He's also the co-founder of Racing Pride - a new organisation that's working to promote inclu...

For Kellie Maloney, boxing seemed to be in the blood. In fact, it was a passion that took her from an amateur club as a schoolchild to managing Lennox Lewis and a whole stable of other world champions - but away from the ring, Kellie was struggling with her true self. You see, she was born as Frank - and on this episode of the podcast, we talk about the journey that has taken Kellie to where she i...

On paper, the odds were stacked against John Dickinson-Lilley becoming an elite para-athlete. From a non-sporty family and told he needed to lose a significant amount of weight to make it to the very top, John put in the hard work to become the UK's leading blind skier, winning British and European titles along the way. But as the only gay person on the circuit, life as an elite athlete was often...

He's an England Touch international who makes his living commentating on rugby matches around the world. And when Nick Heath isn't doing the commentating himself, he's learning about it from the very best as the host of the brilliant 'Cue Commentator' podcast that sees him interview some of the most familiar names to ever sit behind a microphone. He's just got back from Dublin where he was working...

How would you fancy running out for a team called the Pride-o-saurus Rexes? That was *almost* the name that Edmund Connolly gave to the world's first inclusive lacrosse team - but ultimately, he decided to go for the Rainbow Rexes instead. The team had humble beginnings - with players learning the names of team-mates on their way to their first tournament - but has grown significantly, and offer a...

Lindsay Peat is the sort of amazing athlete who hasn't just excelled in one sport - but in a whole bucketload of them. She represented Ireland as a youngster in football; she did the same in basketball as a full international; then played three All-Ireland Finals as a Gaelic football star. Then, she decided to take up rugby - debuting against England in only her eighth game, and taking part in a W...

There's not a lot to cheer about at the moment if you're a Huddersfield Town fan - but maybe the side's inclusive supporters group will put a smile on your face. It was founded by Ryan Mather - and is all about the philosophy that football is for everybody. So why did Ryan decide to start this LGBTQ+ supporters club - and what difference has it made in his life? He's been talking to us about that;...

She's a six-time winner on the European Tour, a three-time Solheim Cup player - and a woman who has fought doggedly for equality in the sport of golf. And at the end of last year, Britain's Mel Reid decided to open up for the first time about her sexuality when she came out publicly as gay. So, why did she do it - and what has life been like since? We're delighted that Mel took time out from a wel...

No messing about here - this episode with Keegan Hirst is one of the most hard-hitting we've done since we started this podcast. The rugby league star become the first openly gay English player back in 2016 - and in this edition of the show, we talk about how it happened. The lack of role models; the environment he was brought up in; the impact it had on his own two children; the contemplation of...

We'll be honest - some episodes just click, and this is one of them. We've wanted to have the Northampton Outlaws on for a little while - and we decided the perfect time to do it was now, fresh off their triumph in the IGR Southern League. So, we got Simon Chapman and Simon Law from the inclusive club into the studio for a really fun conversation about a whole load of things. On the agenda - how t...

What would you do if you wanted to play football - but couldn't find a club. Most of us would sigh, shrug our shoulders and find another sport to try - but Laura Montgomery isn't most people. When she decided she wanted to play the game at a higher, more organised level, she decided to co-found Glasgow City - which has gone onto become one of the most successful teams in Scotland. Started in 1998,...

She wowed viewers across the UK as she made her way to the final of Masterchef - but before that, Jilly McCord excelled in a very different way. The Scottish schoolteacher represented her country on the rugby field - playing at the 2006 World Cup and eventually captaining the national side - and combined it with life as a school-teacher. And all of that was BEFORE the whirlwind of Masterchef, whic...

What's it like to be the person in charge of a football club - and not just any club, but one with the history of Leeds United? It's a position very few people have held - but David Haigh is one of them. During his time as a managing director at Elland Road, he championed initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion - which is something he continues to do in his current role with the FA in Cornw...

He's the former Exeter University student who is also the European Age Group Triathlon Champion. But Jack Bristow has also made headlines away from the sport - after successfully helping persuade its governing body to reverse a ban it introduced on LGBT athletes flying the Pride flag. And, still in his mid-20s, Jack is determined to make sure gay sportspeople get the representation they deserve. H...

He's a columnist, a podcaster - and one of the very few male footballers who came out as gay while still actively playing the game. In fact, Adam McCabe still runs out for the Georgia Revolution in the National Premier Soccer League in the United States and is one of the most articulate, eloquent guests we've had on yet on what it's like to be closeted in sport - and his own coming out story. Also...

The Six Nations is coming to an end - so we thought it was worth taking a dip into our archives to revisit some of our top guests from the world of rugby. So, in this episode, we're going to hear again from ... - The iconic rugby referee Nigel Owens on how he got into officiating in the first place, and the pressure of social media. - Verity Smith talks about life as a transgender rugby player - a...

Coming out to anyone is never easy - so imagine doing it to your Sunday league football team in front of a national television audience! It's not something your average person goes through - but Richie Anderson isn't your AVERAGE guest. He's part of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show who, along with Zoe Ball, wakes up the nation on the UK's most-listened to radio programme. He's also the Proud Baggies pat...

Sting vs Hollywood Hogan, Starrcade 1997. That's when professional wrestling first got into the veins of Anthony Bowens - and, ever since, the American athlete has been captivated by this unique form of sports-entertainment. He's also one of a growing number of LGBTQ+ individuals plying their trade inside the squared circle - something that hasn't always been easy to do. In fact, if it weren't for...

David Hill's Paralympic career began in the pool at the Games in Athens when he was just fifteen years old. It ended more than a decade later - after twelve years of medals at both a World and European level. We're really grateful he's taken the time to join us for a brand new episode of the podcast - and spoken so honestly about why hiding his sexuality had such an impact on his performance in th...

By day, she works as an engineer in offshore drilling. But Kristen Fraser is also one of Scotland's leading boxers - the first professional female from the country, and the first to ever win a Commonwealth title. So, not a bad record for someone who first started getting into the sport at a time when it was illegal for women to step into the ring! She's now targeting a bid for a world championship...

Clare Balding. If you've watched or listened to ANY sport over the past 25 years, you'll know all about her work. And if you've been living under a rock, the CV tells its own story - Olympic Games, Paralympics, Winter Olympics, Crufts, Trooping the Colour; and all of that in addition to be a best-selling author and campaigner for better coverage of women's sport. We're absolutely chuffed to welcom...