CBB housemate Austin Armacost opens up about anger and alcohol issues

Celebrity Big Brother: UK vs USA kicks off tonight on Channel 5, and while the full list of housemates hasn’t been officially confirmed, it seems a safe bet at this point that reality star Austin Armacost is among them. Fiery and outspoken, the out gay star of reality bitchfest The A-List: New York is sure to ruffle a few feathers in the house. We’ve featured him in Attitude a few times – most recently earlier this year when he expressed a desire to enter the CBB house, and blasted off about then-current housemate Perez Hilton: “Please excuse me while I go and hurl my f*cking guts up. What an absolute disgrace to America, the LGBT community, and to himself as a father. A complete embarrassment. He is an absolute knob, which is ironic as he used to be famous for drawing knobs on celebrities’ foreheads,” he said. Them’s fighting words – let’s hope they don’t send Perez back in at any stage this season! We should be seeing a lot more of Austin in the coming weeks, but ahead of his arrival in the house, we thought we’d look back at an in-depth chat we had with him last year for our aTEEN Magazine. In his first UK interview, Austin opens up about coming out, marrying his British boyfriend, controlling his hot temper and having dinner with the Beckhams! We’ve just seen series one of The A List… Looking back at the show as a viewer, what did you think of yourself? Hot Mess! I think that anybody who is able to look back on their early 20s and NOT say that, probably was not too much fun growing up. My eccentricity just happened to be captured on film. Fortunately for that fact, I am able to look back on my actions and learn, grow, and develop from them. It is what I am doing with my life now that really defines me. The A List NY just gave me the platform and opportunity to do the work I am doing today (advocacy, philanthropy, etc…) From what we saw on the show you had some anger issues. Why were so angry all of the time?! I was in an extremely difficult situation during filming. I had been with my boyfriend (now husband) Jake a few years, we were living in separate countries, and having immigration issues so all of those things combined made me angry. I am (extreme) in every aspect of my life. FULL THROTTLE! So, looking back, I would not say angry but extreme. You seemed to get angry most when you’d had a drink – do you think you have a problem with alcohol? Let’s be honest, in my generation, EVERYBODY is out getting pissed on the weekend. I like to drink, and I like to fight. Going out to the pub and going toe-to-toe with some punk running his mouth is not something I am foreign to. Also, The thing is, most of the time we were filming, it took place at events, openings, galas, etc. so yes it was in the evening and drinks were available. I don’t think that alcohol ever altered my behavior. It just so happened, when somebody made me mad, I was drinking. So from the outside looking in, some people might think it played a part… But it did not. I do however drink a lot less now! [laughs] Did you have to cut it out of your life? Not completely. As I said, my generation is one of alcohol, intoxicants, and various other drugs. I am enjoying something legal, Which is more than I can say for most of the people I know. I don’t use drugs, I don’t smoke, and I don’t over-indulge. You seem very comfortable with your sexuality – how was your coming out experience? I knew, like almost all LGBT people, at a very young age something was different. I just wasn’t sure what exactly it was. turned out it was just my fabulous gayness. My experience was simple and without repercussion. I officially came out aged 14, not to the surprise of many of my close friends. Not to the surprise of anyone actually. I was not feminine, although I had NEVER dated a girl and was very fashionable. I had no problems from anyone around me for two reasons. One: I have two older brothers that made it very clear they had my back as far as harassment, and two: I was an All-American athlete and a member of the Junior USA Track & Field team. I feel my generation was one of the first to realise being gay was just not that big a deal. My family was great. We have generations of actors and models in my family, so we’ve been around queens for a very long time!  Did you have any bad reactions from anyone? NOBODY! I was so lucky in that sense. I know so many hundreds of teens, if not thousands that I’ve met over the years, doing the work I do, and I’ve heard horror stories. I am so glad and lucky that my coming out experience was painless. Also, I was working as a model from 16, so I was always surrounded by industry people who were mostly gay friendly, if not gay themselves. Was moving to a big city a great way of embracing your gayness? I couldn’t say a great way to embrace it, because I had not yet found it. Being from Southern Indiana (a country-ass town) I was unable to really discover all the different aspects the LGBT community had to offer. Chicago was the first city I moved to at 18 and just to know they had a whole neighborhood called Boystown gave me a hard-on. I did not “change” but I was able to express more of my gayness. You wanted to become a model but on the show, you are told that you need drop some weight. How did that make you feel? I know the industry and knew there was NO WAY I could work in NYC as a model at that weight. I already had my successful modelling career from 16-21. At the time we shot the show, I was getting more into celebrity endorsements, product placement etc. Companies utilizing my social media fan base and my public profile did not necessarily care if I had a six-pack, it was more about being Austin. I am still today working with big magazines around the world and shooting with some of the best underwear and swimwear designers around. Have you ever had body issues or taken a diet too far? I am not body conscious at all. I feel most people who need to have a great body don’t have that much to offer as far as personality is concerned. Rodiney [from the show] is a perfect example of that. He is very nice to look at, HOT! But, boring as a f**king brick wall! But yes, I have definitely taken diets too far. When I was about 20 my body started to change. I was becoming a man so I was growing and carrying weight more than before. Since I was still modeling I had to stay thin. Five-hour workouts, going days without eating, throwing up my food was all a part of my life as I was not naturally thin. I soon got over that as I knew that wasn’t the way to be. You’re married to a lovely young Brit. Yes, Jake was on a 12 month work placement program from University in England here in Indianapolis. Indy is my hometown. I was out one night and heard the accent, I melted. Unlike most people who will probably read this, the Yorkshire accent to me is awesome! We dated for the remainder of his internship until he returned to England. Not thinking anything would come of the relationship, we left as friends. Only three days later we found out we couldn’t live without one another. I applied for my first ever passport and moved to the UK the day after I got it. How was the long-distance relationship, If anybody ever complains about being in a long-distance relationship, I don’t want to hear it! I had an ocean separating my husband but we still made it work. I don’t think that distance is a factor when it comes to love. If it is that important, you make it work together. Luckily, I was in a financially comfortable position to travel to the UK almost every six weeks. The flight from NY is only seven hours. For me that’s not too long. Also, thank god for Skype – it was a life saver. We never did any freaky sex Skype chats though! I hear a lot of people do but we were not into that. And to be honest, knowing we would be away from one another for months at a time, I encouraged him to relieve his tension… with himself and the internet though, not another man. We are fully monogamous. You married so young. What was the rush? For us it was a matter of necessity. Before I moved to England in 2009, I had never left the USA. I thought you could just up and move to another country freely. I wasn’t aware of immigration laws, VISAs, etc. So after my six months had expired, it was either get married or go back home. I think we were a bit young but we had to! Gay Marriage in America was not yet allowed, so our only option to stay together was to remain in the UK as a married couple. I can honestly say today though, I absolutely love being able to say “my husband”. There is a level of authority, respect and dignity that comes along with that title. How is Jake different to American guys? He’s not a prick! [laughs] There are several differences between English and American men. Firstly, I feel English guys grow up and mature much faster than American men. A lot of the time in America growing up, you are coddled by your parents and don’t learn about the real world. Being from Yorkshire, he was taught how the world worked from a young age. Then of course there is the whole circumcision thing! [laughs] How did he react to your persona on TV? He never watched the show. So he doesn’t know my persona on TV. Although, it’s pretty similar to me in real life. You dated Marc Jacobs before Jake – what was it like to date someone so high-profile? I was young at the time I was with Marc; I did not fully comprehend his star power until we left the hotel one day to go to lunch and there were ten paps standing out front waiting for us to leave. He’d just had a very public break up with his long-time boyfriend Jason so being with a new young man so soon was big news I guess. Meeting Marc’s celebrity friends was interesting. I am not a big ‘fame whore’ so I don’t really get star-struck. Though looking back, sitting down to dinner with David & Victoria in their home in L.A. was probably an experience I won’t see again. It was fun flying around on private jets, partying with celebs, eating at the finest restaurants, but at the end of the day, that wasn’t my life, it was Marc’s. I am glad now that I have worked hard and have separated my name from his. To be honest, I always get asked about him but that is old news for most people. I feel like I stand alone! Although I wish Marc all the best and hope he finds happiness soon like I have. What was the fashion lifestyle like? When I was model-thin and working in NYC I never got any flack. After I started filming the show and was ‘heavier’, I was no longer working as a model. I am happy to be able to portray a naturally good looking man of a slightly bigger build. Sexuality is completely subjective, and I feel MANY people I know don’t find a thin, six pack, shaved up boy that attractive. I would rather see Ben Cohen or someone of his build. I like to call it the ‘Rugby build’! Do you like being the centre of attention? I don’t actively try to be it, it just sort of subconsciously happens. I am entertaining, I love to tell stories, I love to put a smile on people’s faces. So yeah, I guess I do like being the centre of attention. That’s just the way I’ve always been. Have you had bad reactions from the public following the show? Look, at the end of the day the show was not meant to be a documentary about gay rights, it was a fucking reality show. Fluffy, trashy, entertaining, and fun! That’s what we set out to make, and that is what we accomplished. I am so proud though of what I am now doing with the profile I was given from the show. I have worked with dozens of organisations around the world to advance the gay rights movement and continue to work for equality. The show was a stepping-stone, a platform to raise me into the public-eye and then do good things with that platform. I filmed the show when I was 22, I think most people have realised you grow up, you learn, and you evolve. Almost everybody I meet always says to me “wow, you’re so different to what I expected,” considering I am well versed in LGBT politics and legislature, well traveled, and educated. Of course those aren’t the things they wanted to film… What’s your plan for the future? Just a few days ago I became a fully certified Personal Trainer so I am joining the health and fitness industry. I am really into crossfit style training at the moment and hope to open a gym soon. The old way of working out is becoming obsolete, it’s all about evolving with the times and being innovative. But I continue to do work with LGBT community and was fortunate enough to hear Dustin Lance Black speak last week in Chicago. There were several comments made about his boyfriend of course Tom Daley, but Dustin is a passionate, compelling, convicted fighter in the battle for equality and it was so moving to hear him speak. I met Dustin at a post-Oscar party actually several years ago, the same year he won for MILK. I consider him the face of the gay rights movement.