James and Austin’s CBB bromance: ‘I became his little slave for four weeks!’
They took out the ‘TV Moment of the Year’ gong at last week’s Attitude Awards thanks to their bromance in the Celebrity Big Brother house, and in our new issue, we catch up with the pair for a chat – and a totally adorable photo shoot, snapped at London’s Andaz Hotel…
James, we loved the fact that you had no qualms about sharing a bed with a gay guy. Did you ever stop to think what people would say?
J: No, not at all. You see, the thing is I am 100 per cent sure of my sexuality. I know what I like. And I don’t care if someone is gay, straight, bi, lesbian, or whatever. I just love this guy for who he is. We had a great friendship. I didn’t look at his sexuality; I just liked him for who he is. He never crossed the line, he never tried it on. He respected my sexuality and I respected his, and I think that’s why we have this amazing friendship.
A: And on my part there were two very important barriers between James and I: the fact that he is straight and that I am married.
J: And all Austin did was speak about Jake. And I think it was nice for him to have me there, because with Jake out of the equation he had someone to hang out with. Normally I’m a bit of a loner, and it can be lonely in the house, so it was nice to have someone who had my back all the time. Although I really became his little slave for four weeks!
It’s one of the reasons we fell in love with your relationship…
A: Looking back on it, I think it was important to show how our friendship developed. It’s rare you see a friendship like ours grow and develop organically onscreen. It’s not really big news to see someone come out of the closet anymore, but to see a straight guy share a bed with a gay guy for 28 days is something else. I never tried to cross the line, he respected me by never saying, ‘dude, we’re cool, but don’t try this’ because he knew I wouldn’t do anything.
A gay man and a straight man getting so close, enjoying ‘man tubs’ together and confiding in each other. It’s beautiful to us, but it was strange to Farrah in the house.
J: It’s a culture thing. The way Farrah acted stems from her probably never seeing that kind of relationship before in America. For me, I am so comfortable about everything; it’s just never an issue.
A: I can say that 100 per cent in America this relationship would never have happened.
You say gay and straight relationships wouldn’t work on American TV, but what’s it like in everyday American life?
A: Every time I meet a straight man in America they always say ‘we’re cool, as long as you don’t hit on me’. Every single time! And I’m like ‘you are 350lbs, you got acne, don’t worry, you’re good’.
With my straight mates here in England we share beds all the time.
J: It’s what lads do. Even if we stay over at a mate’s we stay in the same bed to watch a movie.
James, you have said you get hit on more by gay men than girls. Is that really the case?
J: Yeah, I have had my bum pinched a few times. It’s quite flattering.
A: Well, you do have a nice bum!
You can read our full interview with James and Austin – and see their stunning, eight-page photoshoot – in the current issue of Attitude, out now in shops. You can order the print version from Attitude.co.uk/newsstand or download the digital version (with extra unseen pics!) from attitudedigital.co.uk.
