Olly Alexander to tackle LGBT suicide and depression in new BBC Three doc
By Will Stroude
Olly Alexander is set to explore the issue of mental health among LGBT+ youth in a new BBC Three documentary.
Growing Up Gay will hit iPlayer next week and air on BBC One later this month as part of the BBC’s ‘Gay Britannia’ season celebrating 50 years since the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales.
The hard-hitting documentary will see Olly examine the reasons why half a century later, 40 percent of LGBT+ people will experience a significant mental health problem compared to around 25 percent of the whole population, and are more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide.
The programme will also see the Years and Years frontman, who has long used his pop star platform to champion LGBT+ issues and sexual diversity, open up about his own mental health issues and ongoing struggle with anxiety.
Speaking previously about his own his own personal struggles growing up gay, the ‘Shine’ singer said: “Growing up in a straight world is difficult. Once you admit to yourself and the world that you’re gay, there’s this expectation that you put on yourself in a way, that you’re ‘fine now’.
“You have to prove to yourself that you can live a happy life and be happy; that’s definitely something I’ve struggled with. You tell yourself that you’ve struggled enough; you shouldn’t have those feelings, you know?”
Growing Up Gay will drop online on BBC Three on 18 July before airing on BBC One later in July.
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