I Kissed a Girl host Dannii Minogue on risking career with G-A-Y performance: ‘Nobody will buy your records’
Exclusive: "It was a given that if you were [queer] you had to be very quiet about it and only your close friends could know," the star tells Attitude
By Dale Fox
I Kissed a Girl host Dannii Minogue has affirmed her ally credentials by sharing how she risked her career by agreeing to perform at G-A-Y in London in the 90s.
Talking with exclusively with Attitude to mark the release of the dating show, the singer and media personality shared how she was asked to be the first ever performer at G-A-Y when it opened.
“Jeremy Joseph [G-A-Y’s owner] asked me would I come and perform because nobody else would do it. And I said yes because that’s because I wanna be out playing music. I wanna listen to the people. I wanna dance,” Dannii shared.
“It was the 90s. Every artist knew that record companies and management would tell people who were queer that no one wants to know about it. You will be dropped by your label. Nobody will want to buy your record. Radio won’t play you.
“It was a given that if you were [queer] you had to be very quiet about it and only your close friends could know, and that even performing at a gay club would mean that you would open the floodgates for journalists to say, wow, if they’re performing there … he’s gay, she’s a lesbian.”
I Kissed a Girl is “groundbreaking” TV – Dannii Mingoue
Fast-forward to today, and Ms Minogue is hosting the new queer dating show I Kissed a Girl, which she describes as “groundbreaking, because it is the UK’s first ever dating show for women who love women.”
Discussing the importance of LGBTQ+ representation that’s coming from the show, Dannii said: “It’s important that queer women and lesbians are represented in every facet, but particularly in this show because it is unscripted. They are absolutely uninhibited and they’re just being themselves.”
In the follow-up to last year’s I Kissed a Boy, the show sees 10 girls enter an Italian Masseria as they find their perfect love match.
And, of course, Dannii is stealing scenes in her fabulous summer wardrobe, which she says filled a massive 11 suitcases on her trip from Australia to Italy.
“That moment at the airport when they say you’ve gone a little bit over on luggage and you ask how much it’ll be? £2,000!” she shared.
“We need to bring the drama. I love dressing up and I wanted to bring some different looks. Some of those dresses, took up one whole case. Is she worth it? Yes!”
We think so too.
I Kissed a Girl is streaming now on the BBC iPlayer.