Ollie Locke on coming out and baring all

"Pride, as a month, has always been a big event," Ollie Locke tells me over Zoom. The reality-TV star is currently soaking up the sun in Mexico with his husband, Gareth Locke (yes, they had the same surname even before marriage).

The two finally wed in an intimate ceremony in the Natural History Museum in London in November 2020, following multiple Covid-related delays.

Three weeks ago the two made another big move in their relationship, taking to Instagram to announce that they would be travelling "across the world and under medical exemptions" to begin their IVF and surrogacy journey.

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Ever the glamorous entrepreneur, the British personality is still working while abroad, taking a series of online interviews while residing in the luxurious La Valise hotel.

When we spoke, the 33-year old was discussing his role in the 'Be a Naked Rainbow Machine' campaign which was launched to support the release of Naked's new Rainbow Machine smoothie, just in time for Pride.

The smoothie brand have partnered with LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, giving 10c of every bottle of the drink sold in June and July to support their work with young LGBTQ+ people currently not in education, training or work.

To help bring attention to the efforts of the campaign, Ollie decided to bare all in a very colourful - and very naked - photoshoot.

Speaking on the launch, the MIC star said that he agreed to be the face of the campaign because "it was actually putting money into a charity's pocket" and aimed to support LGBTQ+ youth.

"It was also 10 years since Made in Chelsea and I loved the idea of going back to my slightly more ridiculous self and doing a very naked photoshoot which is something I did years ago," he adds. "Even though I'm in my mid-thirties, I've still got it somewhere."

"It's not a sexy campaign, I'm not trying to be the next super model," he insists. "I'm trying to basically sit there and bring awareness because Pride has been pushed back. It will be on a billboard and hopefully people will smile and think of Pride."

As well as bringing a smile to people's faces, the campaign is encouraging everyone to not only embrace a diverse ‘rainbow’ of fruit and veg in their diet, but also to celebrate inclusion in their work, life and communities.

Speaking of his own experience of coming out, first as bi-sexual and later as gay, the TV star says he was lucky to have a diverse group of friends and colleagues to help him through tough times.

"Gok Wan was one of my biggest helps, he's been one of my best friends and biggest mentors of ten years. He was always there with a shoulder to cry on if necessary. He was one of the people who helped me an awful lot."

"Alan Carr was one as well," he adds, "they were all a part of the Channel 4 family and have stayed close to me now. If we had the chance to have a proper big wedding, they would have been there."

The Englishman said that he hopes his appearance in campaigns like this one, as well as his presence on social media and on TV, will lend a level of support to those who may be struggling with coming to terms with their sexuality or coming out to friends and family.

"I came out as bisexual in the beginning because I put my entire life on camera," he reflects. "Bisexuality, 10 years ago, was something that people didn't understand. It wasn't accepted as much as it is now."

"Every Monday night I had to talk about where my head was at, but I didn't know what I was" he explains. "People used to say things to me like 'bi now, gay later', but I didn't know what to say. I was still going out with women but I was in a period where I knew I wanted to go out with men as well."

"That was the situation back then and there were a lot of struggles. And then I had to come out again as gay. Then I had to come out to my parents after I had come out as gay on television."

"I had to come out a thousand times," he adds, laughing.

"It's something that I think people around the country might have watched and it might have given them a tiny sliver of help or support," he continued. "It's about giving someone a sense of support when often it is not there."

"There were loads of struggles," he adds, thoughtfully. "For everyone, coming out is difficult - I'm not saying mine was more difficult, it wasn't - but I felt like I was doing it for all the people that couldn't."

For more information or to contact Stonewall click here.

Ollie Locke on coming out and baring all

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