Dancer Wayne Sleep: ‘I hid my sexuality from my mother, so it was wonderful to come out and be myself at last’

Born in Plymouth in 1948, Wayne Sleep is a dancer and media personality. At 12, he won a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School in London, and made his stage debut with the company at 17. In the 1970s and 80s he became one of the industry’s most prominent dancers, creating the role of Mr Mistoffelees in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit Cats, and dancing with Princess Diana at the Royal Opera House – one of many collaborations with the royal family. Wayne lives in London with his husband, José Bergera. His memoir, Just Different, is out now.

Wayne