Comedian Julian Clary: ‘A boy set fire to me on a bus’

Comedian Julian Clary has revealed he was once set on fire for being gay by a school bully.

Clary says he was repeatedly bullied at school because of his sexuality. But he was too scared to even tell his parents.

“When I was at school, I was given a really hard time. The other boys bullied me,” he told OK! magazine.

“On one occasion, a boy set fire to me on a bus. I wasn’t burnt. I have no idea [why he did it]. It was completely unprovoked.”

Terrified of losing his free place at private St Benedict’s School in Ealing, he never reported the attack.

“I went to a private school and was given a free place to study there, so I didn’t say anything,” the 53-year-old said.

• Nov 29 2023

56 celebrities you didn’t know are gay, bisexual or lesbian