Rylan ‘held back’ by TV crew after homophobic abuse while filming new series
Rylan Clark has said he was ‘held back’ by a TV crew after vile homophobic remark was launched at him from a passerby. (Getty/Mike Marsland)
Rylan Clark has opened up about having to be “held back” by a TV crew after a homophobic remark was shouted at him and Rob Rinder while filming their new BBC series Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour.
Clark opened up about the incident while appearing on This Morning with Rob Rinder, known best for his hit show Judge Rinder. Together, the pair have ventured across Italy with for a three-part series following where they use Lord Byron’s poems to guide them.
During the segment, which aired on the morning of Thursday (16 May), Clark shared that during their travels, which saw them visit Venice, Florence and Rome, they were subjected to homophobic abuse.
The 35-year-old said of an incident: “A guy shouted out something really homophobic and derogatory. A young guy. I was held back by production. Stepney Green nearly came out of me in seven-foot heels.
“I would’ve been in court but I’ve got the best in the land,” he added, pointing at Rinder.
Clark has been continually open about homophobia in the UK. He previously opened up about experiencing a horrific homophobic attack as a teenager that left him with a fractured skull. He has even created a documentary – Rylan: Football, Homophobia and Me – aimed at tackling homophobia in one of his favourite sports, football.
The national treasure has previously said he to wade through a wave of homophobic abuse from the public when he first shot to fame as a contestant on The X Factor in 2012. He’s even spoken out about a hotel worker who once threatened to “slice his neck”.
Rob Rinder, who is known for his ITV show Judge Rinder is gay and in recent years has been a regular presenter on Good Morning Britain. He married his long-term partner and fellow barrister Seth Cummings in a civil ceremony in 2013. However, the marriage only lasted four years, and Rinder split with Cummings early in 2018.
Alongside his show, Rinder has participated in BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2016, coming in fifth with his partner Oksana Platero and he has fronted the BBC documentary My Family, The Holocaust and Me, where he reflected on the horrors of the Holocaust.
Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour can be watched on BBC iPlayer and airs on BBC Two on Sundays at 9pm.
