The LGBT Sport Podcast

Dame Kelly Holmes shares her extraordinary story, from serving in the British Army under a ban on being gay, to becoming a double Olympic champion.

Speaking candidly with Nicola Adams, Dame Kelly talks about the fear of being outed, the trauma of hiding her identity and the toll it took on her mental health.

She shares her pride about the moment she finally came out publicly.

Presenter: Nicola Adams. Producer: Jennifer Nelson. Sounds...

When it comes to the ice, Conor McDermott-Mostowy is fast – like, really fast!

A national speed-skating champion and a member of US Speedskating who has won medals across the world, the American knows all about what it takes to compete at the top-level – and how to do it while balancing his sport with a university degree.

Conor came out publicly in 2021 – and now he’s here with us on the podcast to talk more about his sporting career...

You may well have seen Nick Ransom reporting on Sky, ITV, BBC and plenty of other outlets – covering everything from the footballing stories of Afghan refugees to LGBTQ+ representation in the media.

He’s also worked as a producer, bringing together content for events like the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Wimbledon, the Euros and more – basically, this is someone who lives and breathes sport.

It’s no real surprise that Nick ended...

Big games deserve the big build – and that’s what John Reavey does when it comes to the Premier League.

The director and creative producer is responsible for some of the video packages that you’ve seen hyping a number of the beautiful game’s massive matches – including the Manchester Derby and the start of the new season.

It’s not just there that you’ll have seen his work either – from a West Ham kit launch to Anita Asante’s retirem...

We feature professional wrestling on the podcast a lot – but this is only the second time that we’re speaking to someone from the world of freestyle wrestling.

And honestly, what better way to do it than with Samantha Stewart?!

The Canadian is a multiple-time medallist and a Pan-American champion who has been involved in the sport for more than twenty years – and has seen it take her right around the world.

There’s a world championshi...

‘It’s my church’ – that’s how Lucy Clark has previously described her love of football, and the meaning that she attaches to her involvement with the beautiful game.

Her appointment at the end of January as the new manager at Sutton United Women was therefore not just a moment of personal achievement, but a landmark for the game as well – with Clark becoming the first transgender woman to manage in the top five divisions of the UK ...

When Robbie Manson announced that he was hanging up his oars ahead of the Tokyo Games, he’d already achieved a bucket-load of amazing sporting achievements.

The New Zealander had competed at back-to-back Olympics in London and Rio, had secured a spot for Tokyo – and, with multiple World Rowing Cups and a World Rowing Championship bronze medal in 2015 under his belt, no-one would have blamed him for wanting to do something new.

But a...

If you were watching professional wrestling in the mid-2010s, you’d have seen Gabbi Tuft in action – where she was better known as WWE superstar Tyler Reks.

There were matches at the Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, appearances on many of the WWE’s flagship shows – but it was only when wrestling came to an end that Tuft was able to become her authentic self as a trans woman.

She shared her story publicly in 2021 – and one look at her...

For as long as Chris Paouros can remember, she’s been a proud supporter of Tottenham Hotspur.

But while she’s always loved her football team, she’s not always been sure that football has loved her back – which is why she’s spent years trying to transform the game into somewhere that everyone feels welcome.

Her CV is formidable enough – a vice-chair and trustee at Kick It Out, a Board Member at the Football Supporters’ Association, a...

Take a look at the CV of Jason Webber, and you’ll see that a passion for equality and diversity is burned into everything does.

For more than a decade, he was a campaign co-ordinator with Show Racism the Red Card – and since 2020, he’s been a key part of trying to make the beautiful game something for everyone in Wales as the senior EDI Manager at the Football Association of Wales.

That love of the beautiful game runs deep in this m...

If there’s anyone who knows about what it takes to make football inclusive, it’s James Laley.

As the founder of Rainbow Blades, he’s helped embed diversity in the heart of what Sheffield United does, and it’s not just us saying that either – as James has been recognised not once but twice as this year’s Football v Homophobia Awards.

So, we felt it was the perfect time to get James onto the podcast to talk about his journey in footb...

In a way, Mikey Connor has his nan to thank for his love of football.

It was her who took him along to Everton games, who encouraged him to give the game a go, and told him that he should give refereeing a go as well.

So really, it’s her who Mikey has to thank for his love of the beautiful game which – by his own admission – is now a sport that he absolutely can’t live without.

As a former semi-pro ‘keeper, he’s done it as a player –...

There are so many strings that Pollo Del Mar has to their bow that it’s hard to know where to begin!

A performer, journalist, activist, philanthropist and campaigner – but our interest today is in Pollo’s position as one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ wrestling personalities out there today.

First as a wrestling journalist, Pollo began participating in wrestling personally – as the host of EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch and a manager in variou...

With a mother and a father who amounted to bowls royalty, it’s really no surprise that David Gourlay found his way into the sport.

But David was determined to make his own way in bowls, and has amassed a whopping seven world indoor titles – including the 1996 World Indoor Singles Championship, as well as three World Men’s Indoor Pairs Championships and three World Mixed Indoor Pairs Championships.

And as if success as a player wasn...

To say that Ellia Green is an incredible athlete would be a dramatic understatement.

As a kid, it was athletics – and particularly sprinting - that Ellia excelled at, competing at World Junior Championships, all with the encouragement of an amazing mum who was all in on supporting their journey.

Ellia ended up switching to rugby sevens – and in 2016, they were part of the Australian team that took gold at the Olympics in Rio in the ...

2023 is almost at an end – and in many ways, this has been the biggest year that the BBC’s LGBT Sport Podcast has ever had.

More guests telling more stories in more places and more ways than ever before – so to round out the year, we thought we’d remind ourselves of some of the most memorable moments that we’ve had on the podcast between January and December.

World Cup winners, Olympic gold medallists, rugby and football internation...