AK Soufflé: The Rise

Last night I called a cab to take me to the theatre, it was a cold night and I was feeling fragile and vulnerable. Not that I need to feel that way to use a cab, I should have shares in City Cabs by now. Anyway I rode up front with the driver as usual and after a few minutes the driver said that he recognised me from the telly. He said that he really enjoyed my shows on Latest TV, which is always nice to hear. He then asked me if I lived where he had picked me up. When I said yes he was surprised – “I thought you would live in a big house in Withdean!”. How I laughed.

Growing recognition is one of the nice things about making AK Soufflé but it is as nothing compared to the opportunities I have had to talk to some of the most inspiring people I have ever met.

We had an amazing young actor who reduced me to tears with his stunning performance in A Chorus Line, a photographer talking about coming out as gay in the Jehovah’s Witness community, a human rights lawyer, and a gay and black football fan, amongst so many others. Too many to list here as at this point in time there are 48 episodes to watch.

A photographer talking about coming out as gay in the Jehovah’s Witness community

And this is in addition to 68 episodes of Queer Say, in which I am joined by a regular team of presenters as we look at global LGBT+ issues as presented by the world’s media. A big thank you to Ivor Caplin, Geoffrey Bowden, James Ledward, Rev Michael Hydes, Billie Lewis, Kathy Caton and Adam Betteridge for their support in making this the show that it is. A big thank you too to the production team at Latest TV, one and all, and the support I get from the entire Latest Media staff, I know I can be a bit of a diva, but that, my mum says, is what make me “me”!

Over the next few weeks you will no doubt eat and drink to your heart’s content, have fun, celebrate and of course remember departed loved ones. But when you have taken your fill then take a look online and catch up on the Soufflés and Queer Says of 2017 and please, if you know someone who I should have on the show, let me know. The programmes are there for us all to share and you can find them at thelatest.co.uk. We aim to celebrate the very best and expose the very worst of our LGBT+ world.

Seasons greetings, whatever you believe in. Andrew xxx