Exclive: Ted Lasso creators handled their gay footballer storyle a 'rehg' and 'signifint' way, say leadg LGBTQ mentators as h TV show is praised for showg 'humany' | US

Contents:

• TED LASSO SEASON 3'S GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE HAS ARRIVED AT JT THE RIGHT TIME
• “TED LASSO” JT REVEALED THAT THIS CHARACTER IS GAY AND CLOSETED
• IS COL GAY TED LASSO? IS HE BASED ON A REAL SOCCER PLAYER?
• ‘TED LASSO’ ACTOR BILLY HARRIS ON WHAT IT TOOK TO UNRSTAND GAY SOCCER PLAYER COL: ‘HE WASN’T LIVG HIS TE SELF’
• EXCLIVE: TED LASSO CREATORS HANDLED THEIR GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE A 'REHG' AND 'SIGNIFINT' WAY, SAY LEADG LGBTQ MENTATORS AS H TV SHOW IS PRAISED FOR SHOWG 'HUMANY'

TED LASSO SEASON 3'S GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE HAS ARRIVED AT JT THE RIGHT TIME

In the last eighteen months, at least three active footballers have e out as gay across the world: first Jake Cavallo Atralia, followed by Blackpool youth player Jake Daniels here England and, most recently, Czech ternatnal Jakub Jankto over Prague.

A groundswell of support for gay cln the sport has rultantly grown, wh active players and punds alike g out solidary and allyship: Daniels was celebrated by the lik of England pta Harry Kane and long-time Uned goalie David Gea; ahead of the ntroversial World Cup Qatar, France forward Antoe Griezmann lled homophobia not “an ia, [but] a crime. ”Wh around 550 active players the Premier League, 's a statistil likelihood that at least one player is gay, but no one has e out while playg England's top tier sce Jt Fashanu 1990, who endured hostily om the prs and died of suici eight years later.

“TED LASSO” JT REVEALED THAT THIS CHARACTER IS GAY AND CLOSETED

The world has changed sce then, wh the vast majory of people England supportg gay rights, but g out as a top-drawer footballer — the first 33 years, not least — remas a fearful prospect. And what a thg that would be: an openly gay footballer the sypy fictn of Ted Lasso's Premier League before, y'know, the real-life one.

Disregard as the product of imagative wokery all you like, but Ted Lasso season 3 is makg up for s historil lack of gay rep wh an arc that uld go some way further turng the real-world dial.

Ted Lasso watchers have speculated that AFC Richmond player Col Hugh (Billy Harris) is gay sce early season two, and those spicns were nfirmed season three’s third episo. Trent then shar wh Col that he’s gay as well, openg the door for Col to — perhaps — tell his teammat and ach. It seems like sports, particularly men’s sports, is among the fields that has been slowt to adapt and accept gay people.

IS COL GAY TED LASSO? IS HE BASED ON A REAL SOCCER PLAYER?

There’s a le episo three where Isaac [Kola Bokni] says “That’s a b gay” a risive way. It’s kd of a two-way street, bee wh the world of the show, no one knows about Trent beg gay eher. "Ted Lasso, an Apple TV+ show centerg around the tular character (Jason Suikis), an Amerin llege football ach who is hired to ach an English Premier League soccer team, AFC Richmond, even though he has no experience, has jt troduced s first gay until now, this progrsive seri has yet to feature an out character.

Their openns has also been met wh overwhelmg support and celebratn, for the most UK not that there are around 550 active players the Premier League, which mak statistilly likely that at least one player is gay. Although England as a whole has changed support of gay rights, the Ted Lasso storyle uld be settg up an openly gay footballer the fictnal Premier League to hopefully fluence the real episos of Ted Lasso stream on Apple TV+ every Lasso — Season 3 Official Trailer | Apple TV+All roads have led to this. The other shoe seemed about to drop last week's Amsterdam-set episo when Trent followed Col to a gay bar, promptg the athlete to swiftly ex wh the wrer on his heels.

‘TED LASSO’ ACTOR BILLY HARRIS ON WHAT IT TOOK TO UNRSTAND GAY SOCCER PLAYER COL: ‘HE WASN’T LIVG HIS TE SELF’

Three episos to s third — and possibly fal — season, the sports edy TV seri Ted Lasso jt revealed that one of s regular characters is gay and closeted. “We’ve known for a while that Col was gay, ” Hunt told the U. Hunt said that he and the show’s wrers always tend to troduce a gay character on the show’s fictnal team, but opted to have an existg character e out rather than stg someone new.

They even toyed wh the ia of revealg that Col was gay and closeted Season 2, but stead merely seed the ia wh a le which the character mentns Grdr.

EXCLIVE: TED LASSO CREATORS HANDLED THEIR GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE A 'REHG' AND 'SIGNIFINT' WAY, SAY LEADG LGBTQ MENTATORS AS H TV SHOW IS PRAISED FOR SHOWG 'HUMANY'

Acrdg to Hunt, the shownners have known for “a while” that Welsh wg Col Hugh is gay.

Some reful viewers may have noticed that the third episo of Season 2, Hugh mentns that Keeley’s datg app Bantr is spelled like the gay datg app Grdr. This episo troduc a strong new plot pot: Welsh-born AFC Richmond wg Col Hugh is gay.

Meanwhile, we also learn that Col is secretly gay and his his sexualy for the sake of his reer.