BBC Two drama Versailles to include gay sex, cross-dressing and frontal nudity in first episode

The BBC’s new period drama Versailles is already causing a stir before the series premiere.

The first episode of Versailles will air tonight (June 1) on BBC Two and features four sex scenes – including a gay one – in the first seventeen minutes.

Versailles has been produced by the French for an English audience and will tell the story of Sun King Louis XIV’s 17th century Machiavellian court, but just two minutes into the first episode will see the king – portrayed by Brit actor George Blagden – having sex.

Speaking of filming his sex scenes, George says: “Sex scenes are always awkward. Anyone that’s ever done a sex scene in our industry know that they are the most embarrassing and really awkward as they’re really technical, difficult to shoot. I’d not done a lot of them before this series.”

The opening episode also includes an African dwarf inside Queen Marie-Therese’s skirt, Noemie Schmidt’s Henrietta leaving a pool of water wearing a transparent white top, and of course, the gay sex scene between Louis XIV’s brother Phillipe and Chervalier de Lorraine.

Alexander Vlahos, who plays Phillipe, told us last month: “The way their relationship is dealt with is one of the things I’m most proud of…These were kids in power, who were sexy and cool and yes, that means the show is raunchy. But it’s how they would have acted at the time.”

Versailles will air on BBC Two tonight (June 1) at 9:30pm.

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