Queer Say & AK Soufflé

LATEST’S CREATIVE DIRECTOR ANDREW KAY TALKS ABOUT HIS LGBT & FOOD SHOWS

In my final school report the headmaster wrote that no doubt I would end up working as an artist of some kind or a writer. He got both predictions absolutely spot on but what he didn’t foresee was that I would end up on the telly! But back in the early seventies what council house kid did think that they would end up on the telivision? Not me that’s for sure.

I joined this gaggle of creative friends some 26 years ago, firstly writing a restaurant column – which I still do, then as art director. These days I still write and design but for the most time I make TV shows. My first series was International Chef Exchange, a wonderful series that I subtitled The Joy Of Chefs, yes I’m never far from a pun or a double entendre. It went on to be seen worldwide on Amazon Prime and I still get letters from all over from viewers.
I followed that with Cook It! a series that aimed to get people back in the kitchen and away from ready meals. That was screened UK wide and still is. I’m please to say that I am currently working on Cook It 2, so watch this space.

When Bill Smith asked me to help create Latest’s LGBT+ TV channel I was more than excited, it tapped into my life in a poignant way and gave me the opportunity to air not only my views but those of a huge number of amazing guests. Queersay happens twice a week and thanks to my wonderful regular guests, James Ledward, Rev Michael Hydes, Geoffrey Bowden, Ivor Caplin, Alison Child and AlanFlack, we rake through the way global media covers LGBT+ news and issues. It’s become a popular show on Latest TV and I get as many compliments from the straight community as the gay one which makes it so worthwhile. There are 170 episodes too which you can catch up with online.

AK Soufflé is my weekly talk-show. It’s often fun, sometimes angry and frequently moving. Across around 70 episodes my guests have talked about art, love sex, death, religion, booze, boys and… well I’ll let you watch and see!

Oh and I read the news too, which is probably as far away from my headmaster’s vision of what my future might hold as he could imagine. Of course I do it my way which is in turn the Latest TV way, by which I mean this is local TV for a local audience.

Andrew Kay