Actor Ben Forster: ‘I am gay… but no one ever asked!’

Musical theatre star Ben Forster has spoken about being gay for the first time in the new issue of Attitude – available to download and in shops now.

Speaking as he takes on the lead role in The Phantom of the Opera in London’s West End, Ben tells the story of how he came out to his friends, and later, his family.

“The first thing my mum said to me was, ‘Have you been in love?’ and I said yes, and she said, ‘Good, because the biggest thing that devastated me was thinking that you were 22 and you’d never loved someone’. All she wanted to know what that I’ve been loved and I had loved someone in return.”

He also points out that this is the first time he’s ever really spoken about his sexuality, saying, “I’ve never really been asked, which is why I’ve never commented.”

Ben, who rose to national prominence after winning the ITV talent show Superstar – which saw him tour the UK, the U.S. and Australia, playing the lead in an all star production of Jesus Christ Superstar – also talks about West End ticket prices, actors’ rights and filling the famous Phantom mask.

“It’s so iconic, it’s bizarre,” he says. “It’s an amazing process; it takes about an hour to put on the deformed face and mask and wig, and all that – and finally I turned around and looked in the mirror, and I had a real, theatrical moment…I just thought ‘Oh my god, that’s me, dressed as The Phantom!'”

Also in Attitude’s April Issue, alongside all you usual news, reviews, fitness & travel:

• Pop legends Pet Shop Boys appear on the cover and  chat inside about their new album Super
• The Attitude fashion team get their hands on supermodel and former Mr Paris Hilton River Viiperi for a glorious new shoot in this month’s style pages. pages.
• Maths teacher-turned model Pietro Boselli strips off for another scorching new spread, posing in nothing but his briefs for photographer Daniel Jaems.
• We explore the longstanding history of queer punk culture and meet Britain’s angriest and exciting new band, Sleaford Mods.
• Everyone’s favourite Gogglebox chatterbox Scarlett Moffatt finds out whether she’s one of us as she takes our ‘How Gay Are You Quiz’.

The new issue of Attitude is now available as a digital download from pocketmags.com/attitude. It’s in shops next Wednesday, March 2, and print copies are available to order from newsstand.co.uk.

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