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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Kayleigh Dray

Brain-breaking sex, bad boys in leather and queer glory: why TV vampires are so intoxicating

A young bare chested and ripped young man with leather trousers and long fair hair wearing makeup, looks pleased with himself as he stands in front of a stage set of a rock concert
Sam Reid as the eponymous glam rocker in The Vampire Lestat. Photograph: BBC/© 2026 AMC Networks Entertainment LLC. All Rights Reserved./Sophie Giraud

If you want TV audiences to forgive a fictional man for absolutely anything, just sharpen his fangs and stick him in velvet. Case in point? The horny musical drama The Vampire Lestat, which became a cult hit in the US earlier this year. The show has now arrived in the UK and Sam Reid’s searing performance as Lestat has fans on their knees.

The first two seasons, which went by the title Interview With the Vampire, were about the “interview” in which Louis (Jacob Anderson) tells a journalist about his toxic relationship with Lestat. Now, the focus has shifted to Lestat – hence the new title and new narrator – as the golden-locked prince of darkness swaps centuries of secrecy for glam-rock stardom.

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