Over a decade after being outed as gay whilst appearing on X-Factor, Marcus Collins is taking back control of the narrative.
The Crosby entertainer, who appeared on the talent show when he was 23, lost out to four-piece girl band, Little Mix, at the grand final of the ITV show which was filmed in front of an audience of 10,000 at Wembley Stadium. What was supposed to be an incredible time in the former hairdresser’s life was tarnished by the press when they wrote about his sexuality unbeknown to him.
Now looking back with hindsight, the runner-up, who was mentored by Take That star Gary Barlow, told the ECHO : “It was humiliating and it taught me to not trust people working in the industry. It came as such a shock that my performance immediately following the incident suffered and then my mental health did. It just felt like such a betrayal and unnecessarily cruel.”
READ MORE: How rights and equality for the LGBTQ+ community changed under the Queen's reign
Despite being “thrown” by the fact that others had learnt about his sexuality, the 34-year-old explained that he “grew to be relieved” that he no longer had to hide who he really was and “that it was done one way or the other”. The psychology and counselling degree graduate said: “I have always been visibly queer to some degree or someone who didn’t immediately pass as heterosexual. But I learned how to blend in, tone it down and keep my mouth shut so as to not ‘disturb the peace.’ At the time, I wasn’t ready to come out. I had to tell my grandparents who were in their 80s whilst I was away from home before they read it in the press. They deserved better than that and I carry that disappointment with me to this day.”
As a result of the ordeal, Marcus “needed years of therapy” to allow him to “continue to figure out” who he was after the experience. Now, 11 years later, Marcus has landed himself a new role which allows him to be visible for those of the LGBTQ+ community who aren't ready to be so themselves. Fans can expect to see Marcus in "fabulous garments" as he stars as Andre, a married gay father, in the musical production of Mrs Doubtfire UK.
Marcus added: “I’ve learned and grown so much since 2011 and have taken the power back of being a black gay visible person. Doing this onstage to 2000 people a night showing the humanity of queer characters is an honour and I’m so grateful to be given the space to portray this and hopefully do it justice.
“Queer people deserve the same respect as anyone else and it’s important we showcase the normal things we do. You can still put your bin bags out for collection without being performative. Queerness is a culture within a spectrum and we can not all be judged based on someone's stereotype. It’s not representative of the overall queer experience.”
With last year’s increase in hate crimes which rocked Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ community and the uncertainty of the government’s conversion therapy ban including all letters of the acronym, Marcus emphasised the importance of visibility and believes it's needed now more than ever.
He said: “Visibility is incredibly important. Things are changing and due to social media, more people are able to find their place in the culture. The queerdom is for all. Find your sweet spot and thrive in it. Use your head too. It’s important to be street-wise and safe as not everyone welcomes the new change and increased visibility.
“That’s why I have a platform. It’s so rewarding to me. I have nine godchildren and I encourage them all to be good people, follow their dreams and hearts and I guess that extends to my socials. My Instagram story really is the spot. I will give you a laugh, educate you, inspire and encourage you to be the best version of yourself. It’s ok to have hard conversations and it’s always ok to be authentic.”
Receive our weekly LGBTQIA+ newsletter by signing up here .
READ NEXT
