Adam Lambert Out Loud and Proud sees the Queen frontman chat with a host of big name music stars and share his own unique perspective to reveal how British LGBTQ+ artists have fought for their place in the music industry over the past few decades.
The one-off ITV documentary, which airs on Wednesday, June 19 at 9 pm on ITV1 and ITVX and coincides with Pride month 2024, sees the multi-platinum-selling singer conduct candid interviews with a range of legends including Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor who reflect on their bandmate and queer icon, Freddie Mercury and discuss how Freddie pushed new boundaries.
"It's a look at the last 40 to 50 years of pop culture in the UK, particularly the musicians that have trail-blazed into our current times in regards to queer representation", explains Adam. "Getting to sit down with Brian and Roger was really special because we've had so many of these conversations in private. To be able to capture some of it for the cameras and share it with the public is really cool."
Here we tell you everything you need to know....
Adam Lambert Out Loud And Proud release date
Adam Lambert Out Loud And Proud airs on Wednesday, June 19 at 9 pm on ITV1 and ITVX and coincides with Pride month 2024.
Adam Lambert Out Loud And Proud — which musicians will Adam be interviewing?
Adam will be chatting to a host of trailblazing musicians including his bandmates Roger Taylor and Brian May as well as Andy Bell from Erasure and Skin from Skunk Anansie, who was the first black British artist to headline Glastonbury.
He also talks to British pop ikon MNEK and actress and singer Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, the first trans woman to win a Golden Globe for her role in Pose.
Adam Lambert Out Loud And Proud —what does Adam say about the series? Interview with Adam...
Why was it so important to you to make this documentary?
Adam: "I've seen a lot of documentaries about queer actors in the film and TV industry but I hadn’t seen a comprehensive look at the history of queer musicians so I thought ‘Ok, maybe I should make one.’ I started talking with ITV and that's how it came to be."
He continues: "If I think about iconic queer musicians the first ones that come to mind are almost all UK artists — Elton, Freddie, Bowie, Boy George. For me, realising my dream of wanting to be an artist on stage and a singer outside of musical theatre, those were my touchstones and so that felt like a really exciting place to dig into."
What was it like interviewing fellow musicians and hearing their stories?
Adam says, "It was great to talk to people like Andy Bell from Erasure and Skin from Skunk Anansie because they represent two different decades when they were still fighting to be seen. In the 1980s AIDS was rearing its ugly head and it was a very tricky time. The fact that Andy was out there being super camp and successful was such a ray of light for the community. And Skin was a trailblazer in the 1990s not only as a queer woman but also a woman of colour."
Was there a moment from filming that particularly stood out for you?
"Sitting down with my Queen bandmates Brian May and Roger Taylor was really special because we've had so many of these conversations in private but to be able to share them with the public was really cool. Freddie is one of the most beloved rock stars ever and I think viewers will find it fascinating to get their take on what his sexuality was like for him and them as a group."
Did anything surprise you?
"In every interview there were things I hadn't thought about before, behind the scenes stories and interesting tales. The goal is to open minds and offer a different look at something people thought they knew. That's the first step in combating homophobia; information, education and visibility. This show is a great way to take a closer look at a journey that you may not be familiar with and a lovely way to be proud of all that we are and where we've come from.
"There's still a lot of challenges but looking back at history and putting it into a retrospective gives you hope and makes you realise that positive strides have been made. Billie Eilish came out as being attracted to women and it felt like no-one batted an eyelid. That is a perfect example of the progress that's been made."
Adam Lambert Out Loud and Proud airs on Wednesday 19 June, 2024 at 9 pm on ITV1.