We chat about Growth, Identity, Global Tours, Dream Duets, New Music and more.
MIZZ MAE
Celebrating A Local Icon’s Legacy: Breaking Barriers and Inspiring Generations
Weddings
It’s a Double Bill Issue, we celebrate a new BIG DAY and a 5 Year Anniversary
fashion food fitness
Sensation From Vulnerability to Vision, This Journey Is Just Getting Started — Wonder Awaits
Credits
Daniel May Editor & Director
daniel@gnimag.com
Pauline Fitzpartick Commercial Executive
Tony Day Design
Columnists
Gary Campion / Danny Malone / The Gourmet Boys / Martin Murray / Paul Mc Allistar / Megane Herrick / Jo O’Neill / Peter Irvine / Gavyn Andrews / Ellise Richards and Out & Active NI
Thanks to:
Calum Scott, Tom RowntreeFinley, Thomas McCorry, Mizz Mae, Lo, Adam Strong, Jochebel Ohene MacCarthy, Elle Ma-Kinga N’Zuzi, Miles Fallon, Mike Maimone, Courtney Rumbold, Eddy Luna, Anthony Hughes, Michael Moloney, Alexa Moore, Sharni & Robyn, Thomas & Patrick, Desmond Baker, Jeff Dorta, MANALI, Liam Rudden, Jacquie Richardson, Paul Hudnick and Conor Ross
Photography, Stick in the Middle, James Hobart, Chris Giardelli, Scott E Schwimer, Four Seasons Carlingford, Positive Life, DawBell, Grand Opera House Belfast, Halestorm PR, The Rainbow Project, Magic Con, LIDL, Consello, The Ivy Collection, Molly & Tommy, Brown/ O’Conner Communications, Medjugorje lgbt Ministry, Chuff Media, Neil Reading PR, OFAVISION, Project Publicity, and all those who submitted content.
Danny Malone Gavyn Andrews
Gary Campion Gourmet Boys
Jo O’Neill
Peter Irvine
Martin
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
As we turn the pages of our latest issue, we embark on a journey through music, theatre, community, and culture, each featuring a thread in the vibrant tapestry of queer life.
We begin with music, where Calum Scott opens up about his journey since Dancing on My Own propelled him into the spotlight. This beautiful man is always a pleasure to interview. Keep your eyes peeled for big news about his new album and tour dates.
Rising star Lo shares the stories behind her music, including the deeply personal Born to Run video. Meanwhile, Anthony Hughes reflects on his transition from professional dancer to pop artist, and Mike Maimone brings us a new single in honour of his late husband. Theatre lovers are in for a treat as Adam Strong, currently thrilling audiences as Frank N. Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, shares the joys and challenges of playing such an iconic role. We explore the much-anticipated arrival of TINA: The Tina Turner Musical at the Grand Opera House. And for those who love a bit of local drama, Tom Rowntree-Finlay and Thomas McCorry, the creative minds behind The Belfast Ma, discuss their latest production and aspirations of a television programme.
Our community remains at the heart of this issue. We pay tribute to the legendary Mizz Mae, whose influence on Belfast’s drag scene will never be forgotten. We also highlight the work of The Rainbow Project and Positive Life, two organisations making a real difference in LGBTQ+ wellbeing.
Eurovision fever is in full swing, and we’re diving into predictions for 2025, revisiting the icons who have shaped the contest, and assessing the UK’s chances this year.
Beyond entertainment, we tackle important conversations. We examine the controversy surrounding puberty blockers, explore the relationship between trans identity and religion, and celebrate five years of love for Sharni and Robyn, a couple who continue to inspire.
Fashion and lifestyle take centre stage with a showcase of MANALI by Marc MacNamara, expert advice from Jo O’Neill on the latest makeup trends, and Danny Hair’s insights into haircare. Meanwhile, Peter Irvine offers design inspiration, and Gavyn takes us on a couples trip to Gran Canaria.
Foodies will relish our Ivy Belfast review and Gourmet Boys’ top dining picks.
Finally, we check in with Ellise on health and fitness, explore Martin’s journey with Triathlon Ireland, and get a dose of pop culture with Gary Campion’s celeb bits and hot hits.
From music to activism, love to lifestyle, this issue is a celebration of who we are past, present, and future. Enjoy reading all this and so much more.
Daniel May Editor
CALUM
It’s been nearly four years since we last caught up with Calum Scott, and a lot has happened since then! From selling out tours worldwide to releasing heartfelt anthems that continue to touch millions, Calum has solidified himself as one of the most soulful voices in pop music. But what’s next? As he gears up for an exciting 2025, we sit down to chat about his journey, his growth as an artist, and what fans can expect from his upcoming music. Plus, we get a little personal with fun stories from the road and his message to LGBTQ+ fans!
Mental that we last chatted in 2021! How has life changed for you over the past few years? I always say this in my interviews - it is very surreal for someone who for me comes from a working class family. I remember when I was at school I had to have like a little ‘top-up’ which is an educational allowance to buy books and stuff. I have come from not a lot, and to have a dream, but more so for that dream to have come true is quite a surreal experience for me. Every time I look back and reflect, I always get like a lump in my throat, because it is just little old Calum from Yorkshire, and that is how I still sort of see things. For me I am very humbled and grateful and for the last four years, when you think “OMG, how can it get better” - In the last four years I have been on tour with Ed Sheehan and he has also invited me to sing more of my songs with him which is just stupid. I have sang for His Majesty The King for the Coronation celebrations in his back garden which again is just mind-blowing, I have had my second studio album out, I have had a huge hit with ‘Where Are You Now’ and ‘Lost Frequencies’ and ’You Are The Reason’ continues to be listened to by people in their millions. You sit there and go “I don’t know if this could get any better”, but I am just one of those people that constantly pays my dues and respects the fact the only reason that I am in this position is because I have got incredible fans, incredible support and people like yourself who keep spreading the word about Calum Scott. It humbles me to my core, so every time I look back at the last four years, or even as far as 10 years, since the audition it’s like I have a huge amount of gratitude, but yes it is quite emotional.
You’ve travelled the world performing—have you had any unforgettable or bizarre experiences while on tour?
On tour, when I was with Ed, I always say this, it is very hard to be present and to perform at the same time if that makes sense. Because as you are performing, you are thinking about your lyrics, you’re thinking about your steps, about track listing and things that want to say to the audience so it is hard to then be present as well, to be in the moment. But one thing that Ed did which I loved and he sprung it on me by surprise, little bugger, but he invited me up to sing You Are The Reason with him on his set, so it was a stadium full of people and as were singing the song and got towards the end, I was just about to sing the end line, and Ed said “I am going to surprise Calum a little bit here, I want you take take your in-ears out and I want you to listen to the crowd singing it back”, and he counted them all back in and everybody in the stadium started singing You Are The Reason and I could not fathom it. I like tingled everywhere because it was the first time ever I witnessed people singing my song back. You know if I say “Sing it everyone” then that’s one thing but Ed telling me to take my ears out, I’ve got Ed Sheeran next to me playing guitar and the crowd was singing one of my songs back in their tens of thousands, honestly it was the most unbelievable ever. I will never forget it, I will never forgive. Lol.
Your music has such an emotional depth. Do you have a particular song that still hits you hard every time you perform it? Yes, there are certain songs that I sing that I always find quite difficult performing live. I guess No Matter What is quite profound for me because that was the song that helped me come out and accept myself. I think for me it is the responsibility that song holds for people - it has become a bit of a tool or medicinewhich is the highest honour for me as a songwriter to make something that people go to and say “Thats my story and that healed me”, that for me is a huge honour. I sing from the heart so for me I go to that place when I am singing the song and I want people to see the emotion that I carry in there. It can be quite difficult but all I have to do is look out and see people singing it back or in the front row some people are crying, mums and sons or daughters hugging, it makes it all worth while even though it’s difficult and it can be emotionally quite taxing it is worth every second, and I always have a little blue. My mates used to say to me “Do you put it on just for a little bit of show?”
And I was like “No”. Sometimes I have been hugging my cello player, absolutely sobbing and your stomach is going as well, because it is just very real. I take it really, really seriously.
You are no stranger to a collaboration Leona Lewis, Lost Frequencies, Darren Espanto to name a few - who is on your wish list to work with ? - I’d love a collaboration with Adele - that would be the ULTIMATE Ballad.
I mean yeah, there wouldn’t be a dry eye in the house would there? It would blow up I think. That’s my dream, is Adele. She is someone that I still do and always have idolised, especially at the start of my career when I was the bad guy, I was the guy that was going to make people cry, for me at that point it was all about Adele. It was about trying to be like Adele, and I obviously wanted to make people dance as well, but I have always idolised her. I think it was when I watched the Celine Dion documentary I thought I would love to do something with Celine because for me growing up all I listened to was my mum’s music tastes. People like Whitney, Tina Turner, Elton John, George Michael, Celine, you know these big voices, so I would love to do something with Celine or I would have loved the opportunity to do something with George Michael , I think it would have been so good, because I always come back to George Michael and David Bowie who did Under Pressure, and I just think two professional artists singing a song like that I would have jumped at that, I can dream.
We need to move on to new music...
I’ve been lucky enough to hear your new song ‘ God Knows’ , I’m not just saying this but it is absolutely beautiful. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve listened to it, lol - The question iswho do you need, who is the song about ?
I think the thing about God Knows is it is another lived in experience. It’s that thing of, we have all made mistakes, we have all pushed somebody away that we love and we have said things out of anger, you know we take things out on the people closest to us. For me it is like that desperation that I know I have messed up, I know that I need to make this right and I don’t think anybody really understands how much I want to make this right. I always like to take simple things and
bring out the power in them. For me it is trying to take out something small but bring out the power of it. God Knows for me is a big sing, especially if you have heard that last chorus, Christ!
Your voice is so on point, the last part of the song when you go up the octave is FIRE - as a thespian I listen to that and think ‘lord i would hate to be trying to do that live lol’ - do you ever get too brave in the recording studio creating perfection and then ask yourself later ‘why did I make it so hard’ ?
Even listening to it today, I was in Abbey Road Studios before I left to go back to Yorkshire and we were mixing the song in Atmos and hearing it in 7 different speakers all at one I was just like, I turned to the guy and I said “I don’t know how I am going to do this”. But do you know what, I think with anything I do, I do give it 110%, so I feel that the listener for me they are going to feel that as well. Even though it is difficult I feel like that is what my audience deserves, so I am just going to have to knuckle down with the vocal lessons.
I watched the video on your insta at Real World Studios, seeing the emotion and excitement in your face had me well up - it shows how you don’t rest on your laurels and love creating - how would you describe the experience? Especially when you are recording strings it is just the most amazing feeling ever, because at that point you have got all of these people there, for you and for your music. It is so heartwarming just to see people coming together for your project. The thing about music is it is quite magical in a way because it comes from idea to reality. Being there and watching strings being recorded, it is a real humbling feeling, I just stand and well up every time. I am such a sensitive boy! It’s unbelievable. I think in the process of making the album I have never felt more like Calum Scott until I do nowbecause of my route into the industry and it was a bit of a whirlwind and I have gone through periods where I did not have as much support - so I think I have had that imposter syndrome in my head where it is all going to come crashing down at some point. However, I feel like I really believe in myself these days and I think the music I am making now reflects that. I just feel more confident and all of the songs I am evolving and pushing boundaries as you heard at the end of God Knows, but
I also know what I want to do which is just be a positive influence on people and in people’s lives. Whether that is writing a song about living life to the fullest because life is fragile through some experiences that I have gone through life who are close to me. There is also a song on there that is a song to my future baby because I am thinking of a family in the future, so there’s all of these songs that speak to people on a very emotional level but then there’s also songs on there, but dare I say it Daniel, are a little bit sexy! This feels like the music that I have needed to make and so I am very confident and happy with that.
So in addition to a single we are finally getting your 3rd Album - entitled ‘Avenoir’, ive googled and read different meanings of the word - For our readers can you explain the title and why you chose it ?
Avenoir was something that I came across in a book
from a gentleman called John and he is able to make words that we don’t have words for yet, if you know what I mean. It’s almost like redefining the English language. He had put this word called Avenoir and I thought I have never seen this word in my life. Basically Avenoir is the desire to want to see memories in reverse. He talks about how we move through life, always moving forward but always facing backwards and we can never see what’s coming next. It’s almost like a “What if” situation - I thought if I was able to see things coming, would I choose to have that vision and I thought it’s actually the surprises in life that make life worth living. All of the hope and the ambition that comes from not knowing what is around the corner, for better or for worse. To me Avenoir is a bit of a challenge really, to live life in the present. For me it is really cool, I really enjoy trying to challenge the perception of life. Also with the songs that I have made, I have written songs about regret and wanting to make things right,
Pre interview we asked CalumWould you rather!
Always have to speak in rhymes or sing instead of talking?
I think I would probably talk in rhymes then at least I would still be able to have a career.
Be able to teleport anywhere instantly or have the ability to pause time?
Teleport I think. It would save a fortune on flights.
Live in a world with no music or a world with no movies?
Oh my god! No movies. That pains me as well because I love movies.
Duet with your musical idol but mess up every note or nail a performance with a mystery guest?
It would have to be the latter. It has to be quality over quantity.
Swap lives with your best friend for a day or your favourite celebrity?
Probably be one of my best friends. Going back to a regular job and routine would be nice.
SNOG MARRY AVOID, SLAP
We have your 4 BGT judges, Simon, Amanda, Alicia and David I would marry Amanda, snog Alesha, avoid David because he makes me laugh so much that I want to wet myself, and then I would slap Simon - only because he was nasty to my sister - and then we would have a cuddle and make up. So I have got reasoning…
but I have also written songs about hope and in the future and the love letter to my future child. So I think Avenoir to me is just a celebration of living in the present which feels very topical these days with what’s going on in the world, like social media and life as well because generally I think it’s a reflection of life. To celebrate the fact that we don’t know what is around the corner and just to celebrate that.
If you could describe your next era of music in three words, what would they be?
I would definitely say confident, I do feel like as a person I have grown, I wouldn’t say matured because that makes me feel. Like I am getting old, which I definitely am! I would definitely say confident because the work that I have done on myself and I still go to therapy and I still have my coach who helps me with the way that I am feeling - I am always going to be a sensitive boy and the industry, as amazing what it is, it is also a whirlwind of emotions and there is life as well. I would say purposeful as well, and the reason I say that is because I think you know my first album. I used to worry maybe I am going like a rabbit caught in headlights, just churning songs out not knowing which move to make next. However, I feel like on this third album, having been 10 years in the industry, this album feels very purposeful. The things that I have wanted to say are on there. The first album, like every artist will tell you, you have got your entire life to draw, the second one you have got the time in between your first and your second for inspiration. I think for me, this third album, I’d sung with Ed Sheehan, performed for the King, I had three songs with over 1 billion streams on Spotify which is absolutely mental, and I think that made me believe in myself a bit more. I thought, do you know what, I do deserve to be here and I do deserve the success that I have got and I do think that I am going to be here for a long time. I look at artists like Tom Jones or Cher and I’m like they’re careers have spanned over decades and that’s what I want to be. So I would say purposeful, confident and grateful. I am so grateful for not only the experiences that I go through but for the people I have around me. I am a very aware person and I know that I wouldn’t be here without the people that supported me both fans and people like yourself, the label, management, my PR team, everybody who joins in to help me make this project what it is, it just fills me with pride. I used to collect trolleys at Asda, I used to sit at a desk and dream of this and now I get to do it. I think that gratitude no matter what or how confident I become, no matter how much success there might be in the future, one thing that will always remain consistent is my gratitude. See what I mean I am a sensitive boy.
FANS QUESTIONS
If you weren’t a singer, what do you think you’d be doing right now?
Right now, I would probably be knee deep in course work. I used to want to be a councillor, like a therapist, and I looked on
the university website to find out how many years you needed to study, and I was like “nope, not for me”. Now I can of have that I just do it to music instead.
What’s one random fun fact about you that most people don’t know?
In my end of year school pantomime I played Peter Pan. Green tights, I got right into character.
Spill the Tea on your relationship status?
I keep my cards quite close to my chest when it comes to that stuff because I share so much of myself on social media, my struggles and successes so sometimes I like to keep things a little close to my chest.
Any advice for those struggling with their identity?
First of all, please know that you are not alone. There are a lot of people who have gone through the same struggles and may never talk about it. So I think reaching out is beautiful in itself. There are amazing charities and organisations out there that can really help with these things. I am not an expert on pretty much anything but one thing I do know is how to speak from the heart. I think, if I can do something with my music to help people feel accepted, to help them feel themselves in their own skin. I have got a song called Flaws that speaks about how we are what we are made of and to practice a little bit more self love no matter what, acceptance. There are amazing charities and organisations out there so please use them because that is what they are there for.
Finally - you will be embarking on a tour, which will go on sale soon , can you spill about when it will kick off and are we going to get a Belfast or Dublin date ?
I think it is the end of this year, I know we haven’t released dates just yet, but I think that will be after the single and album will be released, so there are some dates coming. I have always said the Irish are an incredible audience to play to. The thing I love about an Irish audience is when you sing something personal and very emotional they are angel quiet. The second you want them all guns blazing they get involved, and by god do they let you know that they are involved and I love that. It gives you that extra percent just to create that little bit more magic. So yes, I have full intentions of going back to Ireland to perform. Long may it continue as there is a lot of talent in Ireland, so I just want to be there to add to that. So watch this space… it won’t be long before we are reunited.
Thanks for taking the time to chat Calum, pleasure as always
Interview with Daniel May
Check out his new single ‘God knows’ which is out NOW! And keep your eyes peeled for info ref his album release and tour dates
tom & Thomas
Belfast’s most beloved matriarch, Sadie, is back and bigger than ever! The Belfast Ma, a character who has captured the hearts of audiences across Northern Ireland, returns to the stage with Away Play Around Your Own Door! at the Grand Opera House this June. Writers Tom Rowntree-Finlay and Thomas McCorry sat down with GNI Magazine to chat about the origins of Sadie, the creative process behind their hit productions, and why audiences can’t get enough of Belfast’s ultimate Ma.
The Belfast Ma has been a huge success—what inspired the character, and did you ever expect her to become such a phenomenon?
Thomas: I suppose it is inspired by all of our mothers really. Initially when we were creating this, Tom’s mum is a lot of fun and my mum is just a drag queen in a woman’s body in life and she passed away back in 2014. We had lovely chats about her and about Tom’s mum and we explained about things in the past just in the drama world. We thought, “We need to write these stories down
because they are hilarious and they are not things you want to forget in the future”. As we started writing the stories down they seemed to get bigger and bigger on the page and the more we looked at them on the page they just jumped out like automatic mini skits. We then started tying the memories of my mum together and obviously the “active craic” from Tom’s mum and said this has a journey. It is more than a skit this is a journey let’s see what we can do with it.
So we decided to write the initial script which is the one going to the Opera House and the script just
flew onto the sheets. However, we had so much left over we said there was more for about another six shows in the archives of this, and we have probably got a few of those out there now as well. But as I said the initial inspiration was always the matriarchs of our houses, but the catalyst for us jumping into it was I suppose for me it was Greece in memory of my own mum and it was Tom that pushed that. He said: “Look what our mummy’s are, they’re nuts and amazing, everything altogether. Look what we have written down in these memories, it’s cracker. There’s nothing out there like it.” We also wanted
to celebrate those people, not just our mum’s but everyones mum and bring a piece of everybody into it.
Everybody knows a Sadie?
Tom: As soon as we did the first show and we saw how the audience reacted to Sadie, they just absolutely loved her. But all you heard from the audience was “Oh my goodness that’s like you, that’s like my ma, or that’s like my auntie Susie or my granny”. They were literally saying this out loud while they were watching the show, and I think that’s like when we knew how big or how far the show could actually go. When we saw it in front of an audience for the first time, which happened in The Devenish back in 2019, we were like “Wow, this is really special, we have got something that is going to inspire people so much.” As people were coming out they were saying that it was lovely and laughing their sides off, so to speak., but also just remembering stories of their mums , telling stories about their mums on the way out the door. We were like, this can fly!
What’s your creative process like? Do you bounce ideas off each other or is there a method to the madness?
Tom: We have a really fun way of writing the show and it is very much a collaborative process. We get together and come up with an initial storyline and then we start to act it out. So one of us pretends to be Sadie and just starts talking and the other one writes down what they are saying. We then read it back and the other person has a go and does the next scene. We then just build it from there. Actually writing the show is as much fun as watching it.
Thomas has a caravan so we will go down on a weekend with a big bottle of vodka and a mind full of ideas and it is just so much fun putting it together.
Thomas: This is our eighth show that we are working on at the moment, Sadie has taken on her own persona, her own life, her own way. So we love getting into her character and the last few shows as well, it started off as a one woman show, we have been able to add other characters who other actors come in and play which can be really fun. So down in the caravan you are not just hearing Sadie anymore you are hearing her husband John and her nephew Stevie, like all of these different people so for us we have a get bringing them to life and it has just opened up this whole world which is the Belfast Ma.
Belfast audiences have a unique sense of humour—do you ever write something and
think, “Ah, they’ll never let us away with that!”? Tom: We say that about most things in the script, don’t we? Sadie is a risky woman and she gets away with it. She is that mad she could say anything to your friends and no-one would fall out with her. So we try to be as risky as we can but respectful at the same time. We have had to pull ourselves back a lot of the time.
Thomas: We have a certain rule though that we don’t do anything smutty, because we are writing about our mum’s.
Tom: It is all pretty much story led and her sneakiness and the way she gets away with things. We also keep it very much on both sides of the divide because we are in Belfast. She lives in Belfast and we have no affiliates anywhere. With her name, her families name, we try to keep it as neutral as possible so we don’t offend anyone.
Thomas: One thing that happens as well as we go through the rehearsal process is that we allow things to be edited out. So we kind of go “Let’s just go for it” and then when we hear it coming out of someone else’s mouth we will know whether to keep it or bin it. I always remember one of the shows we did where she kills her neighbour’s dog next door. It had been barking for ages and she comes up with this plan and she kills the dog by poisoning it, just to shut it up. But it was a Christmas show that it happens in so the actors were like, “We can’t kill the dog”, you can’t have this dead dog at the end of the show. So we actually had to rewrite the script so that the dog came back to life. So sometimes in the process that’s when the editing happens.
If you could bring any past show of yours to the West End, which one would it be and why?
Tom: I have two, I couldn’t pick just one.
and every show he goes to he will say “I don’t get what you are writing sometimes” and he walked out of Mother of the Groom and said “that is the best show I have seen in years”, because by the end of it her heart is as big as the audience, but her craic is as big as the theatre. You see all of the pieces of Sadie from every show come into the one and you just fall absolutely in love with her. I love that script.
Tom: I think what is lovely about that script is this is one of the reasons why her son is getting married and her son is called Thomas. I feel like that was the script where we were able to show a little bit more about how our relationships with our mum’s
Thomas: The Away Play Round Your Own Door script will always be our favourite because it was our first but even the adaptation of it for the Opera House, it is so much more than what it even was before. So there will always be a love for it. But I have massive space for Mother of the Groom, you see her in all of her antics, but it is the one show at the end of it - my partner goes to see every show
are in terms of the connection we have. She was preparing him to get married and it really felt like a beautiful thank you to obviously my mum, because when she was watching it she was just saying “Well, this is how I feel about you and how you make me feel”. I think that really came out very strongly in that script and where they allowed us to do that. I think the lovely thing is that although Sadie has taken on the work on her own we have always
tried to keep a wee bit of our mum’s and our families in there.
You mentioned that there were some kind of changes made, so if anyone is coming this time around to Belfast or one of the other venues are they going to remember a lot. Is there much difference?
Thomas: Well, the big change I think is that the first show was a one person show. This show now has all of the other character’s in it. We have a great actor called John Traverse who does multiroles. We have been able to bring them to life in the script, so we have taken the core storyline and just expanded it and put all of those other characters into it. It has just elevated the whole show.
Paul Nugent has been the face of The Belfast Ma—what makes him the perfect fit for the role?
Thomas: Initially most people know him as Tina Legs Tantrum and it was a no-brainer for us. I think whenever Tina couldn’t continue with the show Paul just jumped off the Tik Tok page for us and the humour was naturally there.
In terms of working with him I will have to pass that to Tom, because Tom produces and directs as well.
Tom: Paul has been doing it for the past three to four years so he really has helped us develop all of those other sides to Sadie, particularly with all of the other family members where we see how they changed her. He is absolutely brilliant to work with. We have a laugh every day because no matter what he loves Sadie as much as we love her. He has so many thoughts about her, whenever we see her up there in action when that wig goes on it is just a wonderful time and we have such great craic. He had never acted before when he was Sadie so he came to me and said he wanted to give it a go. He always laughs because when he was doing the show we were just coming out of Covid, so he auditioned for Sadie in my back garden and was shouting down the street .
Where the neighbours not thinking “What the hell is going on?”
Tom: Exactly. That was him and I just remember that first day because we had been talking about it and Thomas said I have an idea of who should do it and I said “Let’s audition him”, and from that first day you could see the magic that was there. The journey we have gone on he has really learnt to act, he is such a great actor. I think he could go on any professional stage and stand among any professional actor with his head held high. Particularly at the start, when it was a one woman show, he was saying “I can’t do this, what are you
doing to me, this is too hard and I have to learn all of these lines and moves and do them the same every time”.
So for Paul, obviously the whole drag persona is a lot of off the cuff persona so it’s completely different. I agree he pulls it off really really well.
Tom: The thing to add as well is there’s wee parts in the show because the audience plays the character of Patricia who is the neighbour from across the street. So there is this whole interactive part in the play where Sadie is always talking to her and sometimes he would go into the audience and torture them a wee bit. I’m like “In these moments you can do whatever you want, but this is the line in and this is the line back out.” Even learning that sometimes is really hard at the start, particularly when we were doing the shows he started out in pubs and hotels. Whereas with the audience this is a bit more drunk and felt that they could heckle a bit more and if he didn’t control that enough they just took over. So it was all those learnings that came along the way. Now we have a Sadie that is so strong, sometimes he knows what’s on the script before he even reads it.
If you had to sum up the show in three words, what would they be?
Tom: Excited and delighted, I mean that’s what Sadie would say. That’s her, the ultimate Belfast Ma. You will relate to every story.
I’m surprised you haven’t door knocks, with things like Mrs Brown Boys and The Hole in the Wall Gang / Give My Head Peace and all that. Can you ever see a TV Programme in the cards in the future?
Thomas: From the very first time we saw an audience watch this show we just knew how great it was and how much people connected with Sadie. Our next job was to make a really successful stage show and then we have to get it into theatres and we want to go to the Opera House, then we are going to hit the BBC, ITV or Channel 4. All of these really successful things you mentioned, I also feel that they are not done but they are kind of like an old version.
Yes, it’s old fashioned humour and in a certain genre. It definitely could be doing up with a mix but sometimes they say if it is not broken don’t fix it. For me there is certainly a space in the market for Sadie’s story to be on TV. Will we watch this space and manifest?
Thomas: Completely. Because we are young men and we do feel it is up to time. It has still got that real connection to Belfast but it’s a more modern
version of what we can see in Belfast. Our original inspiration was Jimmy Young and we thought we need to make the new Our Jimmy, because no-one has really made a new one. That’s where the idea of Sadie being a man in a wig came from. We could have done it with a female but we thought it has to be a man in a wig because it’s “Our Jimmy” style of humour and the quickness of it and that works. That’s what Sadie is about only in the current day with current situations.
Tom: We are really, really lucky. We have created all of these characters and they never have a line on stage. There’s the Dirty Gurties in number 30, there’s Laura across the street, there’s big gay Ian across the road and all of these characters that the audience have never met but they all have stories that are just bursting. Even when Sadie is on stage and says “see that frigger Dirty Gurtie in number 30”, before she even says number 30 the audience say it. They know those characters before even hearing a word from their lips. There is so much more to uncover with the Belfast Ma. I would love to live on her street.
Final Question - Belfast Ma and Paul have such a following, those not familiar why should they come and see the new show in June?
Tom: First of all you will laugh your legs off the whole time. Everyone comes out crying because they have laughed so much. You will just have the best night of theatre where you just let it all out. The thing is you won’t be just laughing at Sadie you will be laughing at ourselves. We are laughing at the antics of our mummy’s, our granny’s, our next door neighbours, our aunties, our sisters, that is who we are really laughing at. You will 100% have an amazing evening.
Leave your worries at home and come along for a laugh.
Tom: I tell you what, people come and they see every show. The same faces come through the door because they love her so much and they think when is the next one and what is happening now. That’s the thing about her, you are guaranteed a great night’s entertainment.
With Away Play Around Your Own Door! promising plenty of laughs, relatable moments, and a few surprises, there’s never been a better time to experience The Belfast Ma in action. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a first-time viewer, this is a show that guarantees a night of top-tier Belfast humour. Don’t miss it—tickets are available now at goh.co.uk.
Mizz Mae
A Belfast Drag Icon: Remembering Mizz Mae
Mizz Mae, Belfast’s first drag queen, blazed a trail from the turbulent 1970s through to today’s thriving LGBTQ+ scene. Created by Harry McAllister, Mizz Mae entertained generations in venues across Belfast and beyond, breaking barriers with glamour, wit, and resilience. A beloved performer, charity fundraiser, and community icon, Mizz Mae’s legacy will live on.
Join us as we celebrate a true legend, honouring the life, impact, and unforgettable presence of the queen who paved the way for so many.
This is the story of a Belfast legend, the late great Mizz Mae, created by Harry McAllister in 1971.
Harry often frequented the Royal Avenue Hotel in Belfast, in and at a time when things in Belfast were turbulent because of the ‘troubles’, there were very few places that opened back then. In the Royal Avenue Hotel Harry was approached and asked by Ernie Thompson and Jim Kempson if he would entertain the punters by doing a bit of drag in the bar and that is where the legend that we know today became Mizz Mae.
Hailed and known as the first ever Drag Queen in Belfast, Northern Ireland, her act, enthusiasm and bravery at that time paved the way for all who followed. Mizz Mae a trailblazer in every way performed over the decades in countless venues such as The Casanova , The Chariot rooms , The Shakespeare , The Sunflower ,Plaza, The Delta, The Crows Nest ,The Parliament, Union Street Bar , Maverick, The Fountain Tavern and of course where it all started in the Royal Avenue Hotel.
Mizz Mae also Performed in places like Benidorm, Gran Canaria and often did private events .
Born Harry McAllister in the Silent Valley in the Mourn Mountains, the family eventually moved to Belfast’s Antrim Road. At the age of 17 Harry started working in a Fruit Shop of all places, he also had other jobs in the late 1970s, he worked as a Care Assistant in a Nursing Home, working
By Desmond Baker
his way up to Senior Care Assistant, he was truly loved by all the staff and the residents of Haypark Residential Home.
Harry lived a very quiet life in later years compared to the party life he lived, outside of doing his shows as he looked after his mum until she sadly passed away in 2014.
Harry had a partner for quite a number of years who tragically was killed in a hit and run accident in Belfast on the 31st of December 1999, this was devastating for Harry and he never had another relationship.
Harry continued to do his drag show over many years and since the late 1980s has helped me raise over £100,000 for many different charities .
He/She was truly loved by so many and that was reflected in some of the celebrations over the years, his 50th birthday in the Crows Nest, 60th in The Maverick and also the celebration of his 40 years of drag in Copperfields, each venue was packed to the rafters.
In 2017 and in 2018 he won two awards from GNI Magazine for his contribution to the LGBTQIA+ community which he treasured dearly.
Harry or as he is better known to us as the legend that was Mizz Mae will be very sadly missed by all who knew him and all who loved him, he was an
inspiration to so many which I don’t think even he realised.
In his own words he would say “ I entertained more troops during the war” a true legend never to be forgotten when asked what his advice would be to anyone he said and I quote “ live life and enjoy yourself, everything will work out in the end”.
So goodbye our dear and loving friend, we will forever miss you and to coin a phrase from a song which was your favourite “ You will always be a little girl in me.
We are holding a fundraiser in his memory in the Fountain main bar on the 28th of June. We very much hope you are able to join us.
Looking ahead we are planning for an exhibition of his memorabilia and his costumes which he made himself to be held in the Ulster museum - more information to follow
- lo -
Lo is an artist who refuses to be boxed in. With a sound that blends raw emotion, cinematic storytelling, and irresistible melodies, she has captivated audiences worldwide. From the striking visuals of Born to Run to the heartfelt storytelling in her latest single Rose & Jack, Lo continues to push creative boundaries. Now, with her highly anticipated EP Wonderlust dropping on April 25th, she’s ready to take us on her most personal journey yet. I caught up with her to chat about her career, inspirations, and what fans can expect from this exciting new chapter. Buckle up—Lo is just getting started!
What first sparked your love for music? Was there a defining moment when you knew this was the path for you?
I can’t explain it, I have just always felt like this was what I was meant to do. There wasn’t one specific moment, but I do remember watching Katy Perry on her California Dreams tour and thinking - somehow I need to do that !!
Your sound is so unique—who were your biggest musical influences growing up?
Thank you!! I went through different phases - I loved indie rock bands like Two Door Cinema Club, White Lies, The Wombats etc then I loved EDM but Pop has always been a constant. I love the big icons of the 2010s, the Max Martin esque world of pop, vocally I love Gwen Stefani and MARINA and performance wise Lady Gaga & Freddie Mercury.
As an artist, what’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far in your career?
You can’t plan for everything, as much as I enjoy making lists and goals, so many cool and unexpected things happened that I never dreamed of. You just have to make art you’re proud of and promote it the best way you can, the rest is out of your control!
Born to Run has such a cinematic and empowering feel—what was the inspiration behind the song and video?
Thanks! It’s a lot about my ambitions as an
artist and wanting to make it in the music industry, and how that affects my relationships and means sometimes I run from things that are good for me. We kept the video simple but seeing as the song is about empowerment we had me running around central in let’s say minimal clothing in the freezing cold, which required a lot of confidence lol.
The visuals in Born to Run are stunning. How involved were you in shaping the creative vision for the video?
Thank you - I worked with the director Callaway Breeze who is the best babe ever and such a talented and fun energy on set. She had the idea of keeping it really simple and focused on me, visiting lots of different locations in London, but then thought it would be nice to have a base location so it’s as if I’m leaving home. Luckily my friend Nick let us use his newly designed house which is sooo gorgeous! I’m forever grateful for my friends around me who help me make these ideas come to life.
If you could have any filmmaker direct one of your future music videos, who would it be and why?
Baz Luhrmann - my favourite films are Moulin Rouge & Great Gatsby and I just love his incredible style - it oozes with theatre, pizazz and magic and it would be a dream to work with him.
I also love Bardia Zeinali - that collab would be amazing.
Your new single Rose & Jack is such an intriguing title—what’s the story behind the song?
It’s about the struggle of hiding your feelings for someone, the pain of not being able to openly celebrate your love and the frustration of keeping it in the shadows. Love is the best thing ever!!! So it sucks when a situation means you can’t share that with the world. We specifically reference Rose & Jack in Titanic and the moments they are so happily dancing together, free, in love, without judgment, as an ideal of what we wish it could be like.
Thematically, does Wonderlust explore new
territory for you, or does it build on the themes of your past music?
It builds on themes of my past music and is an honest dive into the whirlwind of my imagination; the endless ‘what ifs’, toying over what could’ve been or yet, still could be. It’s about craving more than what’s in front of you—a love that’s deeper, a passion that’s stronger, a world beyond the ordinary. Every song is a peak into my daydreams, exploring the highs and lows, twists and turns of my inner thoughts.
If Wonderlust had a movie-style tagline, what would it be?
WONDERLUST - dare to dream. Lol!
What track on the EP means the most to you personally, and why?
Rose & Jack - because it’s incredibly honest - the most honest - and real to my life and a situation I’ve gone through personally. I’m really proud of it.
What does a typical songwriting session look like for you? Do you start with lyrics, melodies, or something else?
This changes every session depending on the mood, who I’m working with etc but typically we have a title or concept and shape the song around that, starting with melody then lyrics.
Performing live can be an emotional experience—what’s been your most memorable gig so far?
Performing at The Hundred last year in a stadium of 25,000 people - it felt like what I imagine the main stage at a festival to feel like and it felt so cool, it gave me a taste of what I want to do forever!
If you could create your dream collaboration with any artist, living or dead, who would it be?
Ooo so hard - I think it would have to be Lady Gaga. She’s just unreal and I find her commitment to her craft so inspiring, she’s never wavered from who she is and I would love to
see her work.
If your life was a musical, what would the title be?
Wow depends on what time of my life but right now it would be something like…. Living in the Upside Down
What’s one thing fans might be surprised to learn about you?
Emm i’ll spill a few - I used to do Irish dancing, I love marmite and I HATE coriander!
Thanks for the chat Lo
Interview with Daniel May
Wonderlust will be out in the world from 25th April
Global Attacks on LGBTQIA+ Rights Aren’t Going
our only hope is to Organise
Away
Global Attacks on LGBTQIA+ Rights Aren’t Going Away - our only hope is to Organise
It has been a troubling few months for global LGBTQIA+ communities and movements.
Last month, Viktor Orban’s ruling right-wing party fast-tracked legislation through the Hungarian Parliament outlawing Pride parades, which have been taking place in the country for 30 years. It comes after several years of rights regression for LGBTQIA+ communities in Hungary, having abolished its legal recognition of transgender people in 2020 and passing a Section-28 style law banning the depiction of homosexuality to under18s in 2021.
Anyone organising or taking part in Pride rallies - or any assembly that could be deemed as ‘promoting homosexuality’ in a public space - can be fined up to £500. Police are empowered to use facial recognition technology to identify offenders.
A few months prior, Ghanaian MPs brought back legislation clamping down on LGBTQIA+ communities, with a range of prison sentences for identifying as LGBT, a blanket ban on gender affirming care and a 5-10 year imprisonment for ‘promoting’ homosexuality and wider LGBTQIA+ identities.
Across the water, the returning US President has clamped down hard and fast on LGBTQIA+ rights and wider equality measures, putting the brakes on any equality and diversity policies and programmes within the Government and creating a hostile environment for those programmes in private companies.
Transgender people began having their gender markers changed back on IDs, mentions of LGBTQIA+ identities, black history, and women were scrubbed from Government websites. Trump has clamped down particularly on free speech, targeting non-citizens who engage in activism or campaigning on causes he disagrees with. Ireland, and many other European countries, have issued updated travel advice to trans and LGBTQIA+ people travelling to the US, urging caution with official documents particularly for those who have changed their gender marker to ‘X’ on their passport.
Closer to home, we’re seeing a gradual slippage towards a more homo-, bi- and trans- phobic society, with increasing attacks on LGBTQIA+ communities by politicians, the press and even the courts. LGBTQIA+ charities and services have come under consistent attack from a particularly hostile media, and anti-LGBTQIA+ groups have coordinated attacks against vital community services, particularly youth services, through the courts and regulators.
A case currently going through the courts targets
one transgender woman’s right to use gendered facilities in the workplace; throughout the proceedings, the judge has allowed the opposing legal team and claimant to directly misgender the woman in question, calling her a man repeatedly and creating an intense and hostile environment. It is clear that there is a concerted effort to erode and undermine transgender people’s ability to move through society, including upholding their rights through the courts.
These attacks on our rights are well organised, well funded, and well connected; they co-ordinate tactics, messaging and strategy on a global scale. From the UK to the US, from Ghana to Hungary, all of these efforts big and small are part of a worldwide attempt to subjugate and erase LGBTQIA+ communities.
While it may, at times, seem hopeless, it’s important not to let these setbacks dampen our energy and our fight. They rely on our communities losing morale and losing hope - we have to keep pushing.
The fightback is happening everywhere, in big and small ways. Directly following the passage of the law in Hungary, LGBTQIA+ activists and allies blocked traffic on a bridge, while opposition MPs lit flares inside the Parliament. Organisations in Dublin and across Europe have staged protests demanding the EU take action against Orban’s government. A global issue requires a global response.
Trans communities across the US have organised to protect each other and build mutual aid networks, particularly in areas where restrictions or bans on access to gender affirming care were in place. The same is true across the UK and Ireland, with organisations and communities working to protect each other, fight back against organised attacks on LGBTQIA+ rights, and deliver support to people affected by those attacks, all in an increasingly hostile environment.
In Northern Ireland, we’ve been working to build opposition and resistance to growing transphobia within politics, working to shift the narrative and improve access to gender affirming care, to push forward a ban on conversion practices, and to rebuild the momentum and movement which developed around the LoveEquality campaign. At the same time, we’ve been improving our services and support for LGBTQIA+ communities, developing a new Cancer Champions service, renewing and expanding our Rainbow Youth service in the NorthWest, supporting access to co-cultural counselling, sexual health testing and support for hate crime victims.
Prides in Belfast and Foyle, as well as the influx of smaller Prides taking place in towns across the region, have been working tirelessly to bringing people together in difficult times, to show that LGBTQIA+ people are loud and proud in every
corner of Northern Ireland, giving the invaluable gift of representation and visibility to people who are yet to come out or are questioning their identity.
Communities and groups across Northern Ireland, including organisations in the sector as well as smaller activist groups and self-organised communities, have been taking the fight to politicians on their regressive policies while building support and solidarity across LGBTQIA+ communities
While it may sometimes feel like there’s no one in your corner, people are organising, communities are responding, both challenging anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric and supporting each other through what are undoubtedly difficult times. Around the world, organisations like ILGA (International LGBT Association) and GATE (Global Action for Trans Equality) are connecting communities and movements around the world to share strategies, resist globally coordinated anti-trans and antiLGBTQIA+ efforts, and build solidarity between each other.
You can play your part and be the change that Northern Ireland needs. It’s not just about getting angry and active on social media - although, of course, raising awareness and spreading information is so important. It’s about linking into your communities, paying attention to what actions you can take, responding to consultations, pushing your local representatives to be more active in defending and progressing our rights. It’s about supporting your queer friends and family, checking in on them when things are getting worse, turning up for protests and Prides, building solidarity and community through the struggles.
When the hopelessness starts to creep in, remember that we are in this together, that there are communities and organisations fighting for our rights, that we will never stop pushing for equality as a united community.
Adam Strong
The rocky horror show’s frank n Furter
Adam Strong is no stranger to commanding the stage, and his latest role as Frank N. Furter in the U.K. tour of The Rocky Horror Show is nothing short of iconic. With a career spanning powerhouse performances in Jesus Christ Superstar, Rock of Ages, and We Will Rock You, Adam brings a wealth of experience—and plenty of attitude—to the legendary role. As a queer performer myself, I was eager to dive into his journey, his take on Frank’s unapologetic queerness, and what it means to strut across the stage in fishnets and heels. Let’s do the Time Warp with Adam Strong!
Thanks for taking the time to chat Adam, let’s go back to the beginning for anyone not familiar, tell us where you grew up and where you live now...
I grew up in Sunderland and I live in Houghton le spring now, although I’m never there due to work.
What first ignited your love for musical theatre? Was there a defining moment when you knew this was the life for you?
I’ve always loved musicals since I was a child. The first time I saw Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera on stage, I was hooked, it’s such an incredible show.
Many LGBTQ+ performers face challenges breaking into the industry. Did you encounter any barriers along the way, and how did you navigate them?
Thankfully I cannot relate to that personally and the majority of people I work with in the industry are from the LGBTQ community.
Your career has been incredibly diverse, what was the audition or role that changed everything for you?
When I auditioned for We Will Rock You, I am a massive queen fan and I knew it was time to move from understudy to playing a role of my own, and it worked out.
You’ve played some legendary roles—what’s been the most rewarding, and is there one that felt particularly personal to you?
Playing Jafar in Disney’s Aladdin was very personal to me, the animation was the first time I’d seen anyone who looked like me on screen! And Disney is so conscientious about casting a diverse company.
Do you find yourself drawn to certain kinds
of characters, or do you enjoy pushing yourself in unexpected directions?
I play very different roles, but I have a lot of fun with villains and quirky roles.
Every performer has that show where something wild happened on stage—any funny or unexpected moments you can share?
I did fall down the stairs when I did Jesus Christ Superstar, and I couldn’t stop laughing.
I had a nosy on your insta you have met and worked with so many amazing people, who was someone you were completely star struck with and what were they like?
I think for me it will always be Brian May, as a massive queen fan, getting to work alongside him was a dream come true and he’s the nicest man you’ll ever wish to meet.
We need to talk about Rocky Horror - Frank N. Furter is larger than life. What was your process for stepping into those iconic heels and making him your own?
I’ve been a massive Rocky Horror fan for many many years, and I’ve studied many different Franks, so for me it just felt like the right fit.
The Rocky Horror fanbase is legendary.
What’s been your most memorable fan interaction so far?
The fans are so supportive of the show! I get a lot of gifts which is very kind, as I love show memorabilia.
This show has always celebrated queerness and breaking boundaries. What does playing Frank mean to you personally?
I think as a Gay man stepping into the role it’s very important for representation within our community, quite often Rocky is a safe space for a lot of people to celebrate their Queerness and even explore it, so it means the world I get to play him.
Rocky Horror has been pushing boundaries for 50 years. In 2025, do you think it still has the same rebellious edge?
Oh, I think Rocky is timeless and always will be. I had a chat with our wonderful director in rehearsals, and we had a look at the script from the 70’s and it’s almost identical.
Have you observed significant changes in representation within musical theatre over the years?
I’ve observed a change in diversity, when I first graduated the world was a different place.
What advice would you offer to young performers who are just starting their careers in this industry?
Go to dance class! It was something I never really did. Also just go to all classes, singing, dancing and acting. You never stop learning. Really focus on your audition songs, I have two, and that’s it. I think it’s important to have songs perfected and when you have too many that’s not possible. I’ve been singing the same two for many years. You can never stop learning, do your research and don’t expect things to fall onto your lap. Hard work! Knowledge is power.
Adam thanks for taking the time to chat with me, I look forward to seeing you and the cast when you arrive in Belfast
Interview with Daniel May
Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show arrives at The Grand Opera House, Belfast on 21st July, tickets are available NOW via gok.co.uk
Inside TINA The Tina Turner Musical
by liam rudden
On the 24th of May 2023, Anna Mae Bullock, the ‘Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll better known to the world as Tina Turner, died at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, at the age of 83.
It was a day that Jochebel Ohene MacCarthy will never forget as, at the time, she was starring as the pop legend in the Australian production of Tina - The Tina Turner Musical. It wouldn’t be until the next day that she would learn of the sad news, making that night’s performance one of the most emotional of her career.
Looking back, she recalls, “When I first performed this show, Tina was still alive, a week after we opened, she passed. I didn’t know until I started receiving messages from people the next day telling me how sorry they were to hear the sad news. I was like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa...’
“That night, the house was packed, people wanted to be there to pay their respects and show their gratitude. Having experienced doing the show with the potential for Tina to walk in the door at any moment, that night I experienced it with the potential of her presence being there… the emotion was phenomenal, a different level of performance, like an out of body experience.”
MacCarthy is one of two performers reprising their role as Tina for the UK tour of the smash hit musical that charts the highs and lows of the singer’s journey from Nutbush, Tennessee, to becoming one of the world’s best loved performers. Joining MacCarthy on the production directed by Phyllidia Lloyd (Mamma Mia!) is Elle Ma-Kinga N’Zuzi - the pair will alternate the role.
The first UK Tour is also the eighth production of the show; Tina - The Tina Turner Musical premiered at London’s Aldwych Theatre in 2018, a Broadway production opened the following year. Further productions followed, in Hamburg in 2019, Stuttgart, where N’Zuzi joined the production, in 2020, Madrid in 2021 and Sydney, where MacCarthy came onboard in 2023. There was also a US Tour, in 2022.
Today, both Tinas are together, sharing their love of the star who first came to public attention as one half of Ike and Tina Turner and later scored global success on her own with songs such as What’s Love Got To Do With It?, We Don’t Need Another Hero, and, of course, The Best.
N’Zuzi says, “My foster dad was a huge fan of Tina Turner, consequently, she was the first black artist I was introduced to as he had all her cassettes and CDs. I’d dance in front of the TV whenever she was on, that’s why they sent me to dance school, to stop me blocking the view of the telly.”
As a child, N’Zuzi’s party-piece was Proud Mary, indeed you could say she was destined to play her current role, “Maybe there was something in the stars,” she agrees, admitting her road to the musical was “random”.
She explains, “I was in rock bands at the time and at several concerts I’d been asked to sing the likes of Proud Mary. I was working in Germany when the producers needed an alternate Tina and they emailed me. I thought, ‘Why not?’ So I went along and I got the job. It just happened.”
It was at the age of seven that MacCarthy first came across the name Tina Turner
thanks to a singing birthday card she’d bought for her mum. She laughs as she recalls, ”That was the first time I ever came across her name, it was back in the day when you got these cards that, when opened, would sing. This one sang, ‘Simply the best,’ over and over again.”
To their regret, neither N’Zuzi nor MacCarthy met the rock legend whose story they tell, the former missing the opportunity to do so by just a few months.
“Tina had visited the show a few months before I joined during a cast change,” she says. “So half of the cast had met her, the other half, like me, had not. But I discovered that Tina loved Germany and that when she ran away from Ike, she hid in Stuttgart, just around the corner from our theatre there. Not many people are aware of that. In fact, while I was there, I went to a local recording studio to record some stuff and there, on the walls, were all these amazing photos of Tina that I’d never seen before.”
Being on stage when Tina died meant MacCarthy couldn’t pay her respects to the star until the tour had finished, at which point she embarked on a pilgrimage to Switzerland, to visit Tina’s home.
“I went to her house and laid some flowers by her door. Unlike many huge stars who live in secluded communities, her house was by the road, she always wanted to be accessible. I spent 45 minutes there; I knew she wasn’t there but I wanted the connection of having walked the streets that she would have walked. It allowed me to say, ‘Thank you,’ to her for being the incredible woman she was and for giving strength to so many people. It was a visit filled with joy and gratitude.”
For both actors, telling Tina’s story is a challenge they are revelling in, from her trademark strut to her powerful, distinctive vocals, they have spent many hours studying the singer in order to capture her essence.
“Our choreographer Simone Mistry-Palmer worked a lot with Tina so knew all the moves. She has ensured that what you see in the show is faithful to what Tina did on stage and both Jochebel and I have watched a lot of videos. We still do because we are very different Tinas,’ says N’Zuzi, adding, “No one will ever be her, but as we are telling her story, we have a tool box of things we can choose to implement in the songs, for example, she had a very specific way of forming some words that audiences expect to hear.”
MacCarthy confesses that the famous strut was something she took time to master. “That whole Tina-esque presence was definitely something I had to work at and took about eight or nine weeks to perfect, but with Tina you are constantly learning. If you want to be better and better you have to constantly go back to the documentaries about her, to revisit her story, and then drive that into your performance. Every day, you learn something new. The thing is, when you finish rehearsals and go to the shops and suddenly hear, ‘What’s love got to do, got to do wIth it...’ coming over the store’s speakers, you do think, “Tina’s following me. She wants me to do better - that’s how I feel anyway.”
“Me too,” laughs N’Zuzi.
With such an iconic back-catalogue to choose from, it almost seems unfair to ask the pair to choose their favourite song, for the record it’s Tina’s cover of The Tramps’ classic
floor-filler, Disco Inferno, although MacCarthy, adds, “I also love singing I Can’t Stand The Rain because a sample of it was used in Missy Elliot’s The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) - I like that, the past and the present coming together through Tina’s influence.”
N’Zuzi ranks River Deep Mountain High and, unsurprisingly, Proud Mary among her favourites, but admits, “ It’s so hard to choose, however, my favourite moment in the show is when it’s time to sing Simply The Best. The second the audience hears the introduction they are on their feet, singing out loud and in that moment Tina is alive. I look up and think, ‘Tina’s up there somewhere watching this going, ‘Oh, this one again…’.”
Simply The Best begins the musical’s explosive concert finale, which recreates Turner’s record-breaking 1988 show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Recalling the first night she stepped in front of an audience to deliver that scene, N’Zuzi reveals the audience reaction left her in tears. “I cried because, oh my God, I had done it, we had done it, and the audience gave us so much love. We were celebrating and honouring Tina together.”
That love continues at the stage door, says MacCarthy, “When you come out the Stage Door, having given it your all, and audience members, many of whom saw Tina in concert, are waiting to thank you for giving them back the memory of seeing her live, it is so encouraging. It’s a lovely, lovely feeling, so many blessings of love that can sometimes be a little overwhelming.”
N’Zuzi smiles, as she remembers, “I’m quite small in real life, so often I’m not recognised, but when I started playing Tina, my hair was shaved. When I walked back to my car after the show people never recognised me. I’d hear them replaying the medley at the end of the show on their phones, saying things like, ‘Oh my god, she is Tina Turner!’ I’d stay silent but hearing them say that was such a gift for me. I’d just have a little smile. But it’s also lovely to do pictures and sign for people. Hearing them tell you how much they loved the show is so validating. That’s why you do it, to make people happy and feel nostalgic.”
As they prepare to take Tina’s story around the UK, just what would they say to the Queen of Rock if were she were to appear in their dressing room one night?
“Thank you… but then there would be so much to say, I think I would lock the door so that we could have a chat for about three hours...” laughs N’Zuzi, “… and then I’d cry.”
“I’d scream, either out of excitement or fear...” beams MacCarthy, without a second’s hesitation, “... and when I’d finished screaming, I’d ask, ‘What are you doing here?’ Because I’m not worthy of being in the presence of such greatness.”
N’Zuzi speaks for both of them, when she says, “That’s the great thing about TinaThe Tina Turner Musical, it ensures her amazing story can live on, and on, and on, and we are honoured to be keeping a part of her alive .”
“TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is more than just a show; it’s a celebration of resilience, passion, and the unstoppable force that was Tina Turner. Packed with electrifying performances and all the hits you love, this is one theatre experience you don’t want to miss. Don’t wait—secure your tickets now at goh.co.uk and witness the story of a true music icon live on stage!”
Queer Spaces in Belfast
Past and Present
Belfast has long been a city of contradictions—a place where history and progress collide, and where the LGBTQ+ community has fought tirelessly for visibility, rights, and safe spaces. As a gay man and editor of GNI MAG, I’ve seen first-hand the importance of queer spaces in shaping our identity, culture, and sense of belonging. But these spaces are more than just bars and clubs; they are lifelines, sanctuaries, and hubs of activism. In this feature, I take a deep dive into Belfast’s LGBTQ+ history, from hidden underground venues to the thriving safe spaces of today, and ask: how do we preserve our queer culture in an ever-changing city?
The Early Days: Belfast’s Underground LGBTQ+ Scene
In the not-so-distant past, being openly LGBTQ+ in Belfast came with immense risks. The city’s first queer spaces were hidden from public view—secretive venues where members of the community could gather in relative safety, away from the watchful eye of a deeply conservative society. During the 1970s and 80s, being gay was still criminalized in Northern Ireland, and police raids on suspected gay venues were common.
One of Belfast’s earliest known queer spaces was the Chariot Rooms, an unassuming venue above a pub where LGBTQ+ people could socialise discreetly. In a city where fear of violence or arrest was real, places like this offered rare moments of freedom. However, secrecy came at a cost—many spaces operated in the shadows, making them vulnerable to discrimination and police harassment.
The Evolution: The Rise of Queer Nightlife and Activism
The partial decriminalization of homosexuality in Northern Ireland in 1982, following the landmark Dudgeon v United Kingdom case, paved the way for a slow but steady transformation of LGBTQ+ spaces. The 1990s saw a surge in queer nightlife, with venues such as The Parliament Bar and the iconic Kremlin becoming central to Belfast’s LGBTQ+ culture. These spaces were not just places to drink and dance—they were where people found chosen family, support, and political solidarity.
The 90s and early 2000s also saw an increase in LGBTQ+ activism, with spaces doubling as hubs for campaigning on issues like marriage equality, adoption rights, and workplace discrimination. The Rainbow Project, founded in 1994, became a key organization in providing support and advocacy, helping LGBTQ+ people navigate life in a society that still harbored deep-seated prejudices.
Modern Safe Spaces: A Changing City
Today, Belfast’s queer spaces have evolved beyond nightlife, reflecting the diverse needs of the LGBTQ+ community. While venues like Kremlin, Maverick, and Boombox remain essential parts of queer culture, there has been a growing demand for spaces that offer support, creativity, and community beyond the club scene.
The LGBTQ+ Centre in Belfast, run by Cara-Friend, provides a crucial safe space for young LGBTQ+ people, offering peer support, mental health resources, and educational workshops. Meanwhile, initiatives like Outburst Queer Arts Festival showcase LGBTQ+ voices in theatre, music, and visual arts, proving that queer culture extends far beyond the dance floor.
Despite these advancements, challenges remain. Gentrification threatens the existence of LGBTQ+ venues, and while legal progress has been made, discrimination and violence are still very real concerns. The closure of queer spaces due to economic pressures has reignited conversations about how we can safeguard them for future generations.
Preserving Our Queer Culture
So, how do we ensure that Belfast’s queer spaces continue to thrive? The answer lies in both activism and adaptation. While physical venues remain vital, there is also a need for digital and community-driven initiatives that connect LGBTQ+ people beyond traditional nightlife settings.
Grassroots movements advocating for dedicated queer spaces, increased funding for LGBTQ+ support centers, and greater visibility in mainstream culture are crucial steps forward. At the same time, fostering intergenerational connections—where younger queer people can learn from those who paved the way—ensures that our history is not forgotten.
As Belfast continues to change, one thing is clear: queer spaces will always be necessary. They are more than just buildings; they are symbols of resistance, celebration, and belonging. And as long as there is a need, our community will fight to protect them.
Belfast’s LGBTQ+ history is one of resilience and transformation. From underground bars to vibrant community hubs, the city’s queer spaces have played a vital role in shaping who we are. As we look to the future, we must ask ourselves how we can continue to create and protect these spaces—not just for us, but for every generation of LGBTQ+ people to come.
As Belfast continues to evolve, so too must its queer spaces. Whether through dedicated LGBTQ+ venues, inclusive community hubs, or cultural events that celebrate our history, the fight to preserve and expand these safe spaces remains ongoing. If you want to learn more about Belfast’s LGBTQ+ history or find support, organisations like The Rainbow Project, HERe NI, and Cara-Friend offer invaluable resources. You can also follow GNI Magazine for updates on queer events, stories, and voices shaping our community. Our spaces matter—let’s continue to protect and celebrate them together.
Writer Daniel May
BELFAST IS MAGIC
MAGICON IS BACK
Belfast will be a magical place this May Bank Holiday weekend as up to one hundred professional and amateur magicians from Ireland, the United Kingdom and abroad converge on The Malone Hotel from 2nd-4th May for MagiCon 2025 hosted by The Ulster Society of Magicians, funded here in 1942.
The event takes place in Northern Ireland every three years and this year is co-organised for the seventh time by Society Secretary James Hobart. While some events take place behind closed doors for magicians only the event is open to “muggles” for three shows and a Gala Dinner and Cabaret.
Firstly, on Friday night we have “The Magic Mod”, appearing for one night prior to his next U.K. tour. “Rock’n’Roll’s favourite magician” is a title given to him from being a magician that has toured with bands such as Paul Weller, The Libertines and Pete Doherty. The Mod brings his love of music and magic together in one action packed show that is not to be missed. A proud member of the
world-famous Magic Circle he has also appeared on television including a program made about one of his heroes Tommy Cooper What do you get if you put Tommy Cooper, Liam Gallagher, Paul Daniels and Paul Weller into a mixer? You get the Magic Mod !
On Saturday morning we have “The FizzWizzPop Magic show” - an immersive and interactive magical experience for children and families. FizzWizzPop is guaranteed to make you, and your children laugh, smile and really enjoy what a magic show should be… an entertaining performance that brings people together through this girl’s love of magic! This show is interactive, colourful and designed to engage children from toddlers up. The Magic age for a FizzWizzPop magic show is 6 because this is the stage where children really engage with magic and are very curious about the world around them and are guaranteed to remember it.
Saturday evening brings a four course Gala Dinner with drinks reception, raffle and after dinner cabaret. Closeup magic will happen at your table from Fay Presto and others and Griffin and Jones supply the onstage show. Award-winning tricksters Griffin & Jones, famous for their high energy comedy and slapdash magic, are likely to have you glued to your seats and rolling in the aisles in equal measures. Whether trying to flog you snake-oil, coerce you into playing one of their ridiculous games, or leaving you watching through your fingers in horror, these guys will leave you not only asking how they did it, but why!
On Sunday evening “Stars Of Magic” will
be introduced by the iconic Fay Presto. Current President of The Ulster Society of Magicians and a former Tatler ‘Party Entertainer of the Year’, Fay has been personally requested to entertain the late HM Queen Elizabeth on no less than six occasions, as well as performing for every other senior member of the Royal family. A Gold Star Member of The Inner Magic Circle, her powerful personality-based magic and ability to connect with an audience has set a standard within the magic industry. Fay will introduce local prize winner Nikola Arkane, Quentin Reynolds from Dublin and Tom Stone from Stockholm.
As the ‘Diva of Magic’, our headliner. Romany is the first and only woman to be named The Magic Circle Stage Magician of the Year, the only British winner of the prestigious Las Vegas World Magic Awards, and a member of the exclusive inner circle of The Magic Circle. She has performed on Penn and Teller’s Fool Us and by personal invite for King Charles
MagiCon is taking place from 2nd to 4th May 2025 and for magicians only there will be private lectures and seminars as well as traders selling the latest magical effects. These are not restricted to members of Magic clubs and Societies – you just need to have a genuine interest (and be prepared to pay the relevant registration fee) Any minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Full details of the convention can be found on our website here https://www.ulstersocietyofmagicians. com
MILES
By Paul Hutnick
Fallon Angel - Miles Fallon is Heaven Sent in His Bound Gods’ Debut
rowing up in small town New Jersey, Miles Fallon’s path to adult entertainment wasn’t exactly scripted. He transitioned from theater kid to jock in middle school, excelling in wrestling and track—sports that not only honed his physique but also sparked his love for showing off his body. His first same-sex experience, a steamy encounter with a fellow wrestler, set the stage for his sexual self-discovery. After high school, Fallon embraced his adventurous side, eventually exploring adult content creation through OnlyFans before moving into studio productions. Now, he dives into the world of high-intensity BDSM, making his KinkMen debut starring alongside Christian Wilde in Bound Gods’ “My Good Little F*ckmeat.” We spoke with Miles from his Philadelphia home.
When was your first experience with a guy?
At 17, when I was a senior in high school. It was toward the end of the year. There had always been sexual tension between my teammate on the wrestling team and me. One day, we finally got into a jeep, went down by the river and released the pent-up unrest.
Do you remember when you first discovered your love for kink?
I am still pretty new to the kink world but I do recall first being introduced to kink in my early 20s. At the time, I was still engaging in mostly vanilla sex but I met with a hookup who was in law school and I remember in the middle of it, he spit in my face! I didn’t know what to make of it! Then he pulled me in tightly and started praising me. It felt good; life changing in fact.
What led to your pursuing a career in adult film?
A lot of things. During my sports era, I started to enjoy showing off my body. My self-awareness and confidence built up to a point where I felt comfortable exploring a career in the adult industry.
Is there a story behind the name, Miles Fallon?
It has a two-parts origin. Miles came from a childhood friend that I was attracted to from my theatre days. Fallon came from the TV show, Dynasty.
How would you describe your first experience on a porn set?
Going into it, I thought I would be nervous and on edge, but as soon as the day started, it was an adrenaline rush. Everything is so positive on set; everyone is so helpful. I had only done OnlyFans for a year before getting into studio work. I found I really like working with a director. Getting feedback and guidance enhances the experience.
How has being an adult content creator impacted your dating life?
There has been a good side and bad side to it. The good part is that it has made me raise my standards quite a bit. I now know that I need someone who has a good head on their shoulders, who is confident and has their own life. My work is about creating a fantasy for viewers. My partner needs to be able to distinguish between reality and fantasy and not let jealousy get in the way. I’m very single now, by the way.
For those who haven’t experienced kink play, would you describe it as more of a physical or emotional activity?
It’s both, depending on the person. For me, its emotional. I love to turn off my brain, submit, obey commands, do a good job and be praised for it. If I have the emotional connection with my partner, it makes everything so much more.
Do you like being disciplined?
I have a high pain tolerance. It might be from my time in wrestling or the many injuries I sustained from running track. I tripped a lot. (Laughs) Mostly I feel happiness from taking the pain and then being rewarded for it. I have discovered that at my core, I have a desire for praise. I like to be a good boy. I enjoy doing things that give pure pleasure to the dom.
How were you introduced to KinkMen?
I discovered KinkMen online a while ago. I think I may have DM’d them on Twitter. The director, Van Darkholme, reached out and invited me to film with them.
What has been your favorite KinkMen scene so far?
My very first one with Christian Wilde is my favorite! He is so talented and so beautiful. It was my first introduction to BDSM. Christian was incredible with the flogger and crop. He was also great at giving praise.
What are some of your favorite scenes to film?
The Bound God scenes. I was suspended and tied up. I’m very much into that!
Do you have any fetish fantasies that you would like try?
For the longest time, I wanted to try Bukkake (a sex act in which one participant is ejaculated on by multiple participants). I finally did it with 51 guys! Now I have to figure out my next fantasy.
What is the biggest challenge in working in the adult industry?
Porn is a job like any other. It’s not always fun. The travel and the long hours on set can be exhausting. But also, you’re putting yourself online for people to like or criticize. Luckily, I don’t encounter too much hate online.
What would fans be most surprised to learn about Miles Fallon?
I flew a plane once! I thought I might want a career as a pilot so I went to flight school for a day and attended a seminar. They put me in the cockpit of a two-person plane and we took off. The worst part was when the instructor stalled out the plane in mid-air. I was so scared and it obviously showed because the academy didn’t accept me as a student. They thought I was too nervous to fly.
What makes you smile?
My friends. Also, chance encounters. You know when you’re out at a social event and share a vibe with a stranger? I like that.
What makes you weak in the knees?
When a tall man comes behind me and puts his hand on my neck.
What would you credit as the part about yourself that makes others weak in the knees?
People often compliment my smile and giggle.
If you had three wishes, they would be...
That’s a hard question because I’ve seen too many genie movies to know that there is a cost to every wish! You can’t wish for all the money in the world because then it’s your job to figure out how to distribute it. You certainly can’t wish for love because that’s where they get ya! I guess if I had to choose, my first wish would be that my cat, Dumplin, lives a very long life. My second wish would be to be equipped with the best financial knowledge I can have so I know how to manage my money. And lastly, good health until I’m dead.
Which celebrity would you most like to slide into your DMs? The Rock.
What is the one pick-up line that always works on you?
If you have the confidence to come up to me with a cheesy pick-up line, I’ll fall for it every time.
Miles Fallon makes his Bound Gods debut, starring alongside Christian Wilde, in “My Good Little F*ckmeat.” Visit KinkMen.com/BoundGods.
Mike Maimone...
honours late husband with heartfelt single, “on my way”
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Mike Maimone is set to release his deeply personal new single, “On My Way”, on March 7. The upbeat, feel-good track serves as the first single from his forthcoming EP, Guess What? I Love You, a poignant tribute to his late husband, renowned PR guru Howard Bragman. While the song’s infectious melody will surely have listeners tapping their feet, its origin story adds layers of heartfelt emotion and profound meaning.
“On My Way” was born during the early days of Maimone and Bragman’s long-distance romance. “We were always hopping planes to see each other,” Maimone recalls. “Just before one trip, I called him with a guitar in hand and sang this little ditty that was running through my head about how excited I was to see him. He didn’t pick up, so I left it as a voicemail. He told me it was fun and catchy and encouraged me to turn it into a full song.”
That simple voicemail would later become a cornerstone of Maimone’s healing process after Bragman’s untimely passing. The couple married, but tragically, the day after their wedding, Bragman passed away in Maimone’s arms. Left grappling with immense grief, Maimone found solace in music, channeling his emotions into Guess What? I Love You, an EP that chronicles their love story and his path through loss and healing.
“Side A is about finding love, and Side B explores loss,” Maimone explains of the EP’s structure. “I knew this album would be difficult for anyone who has experienced the trauma of losing a loved one before their time. But I didn’t want to leave the listener in darkness—I wanted to find a way out.”
While working on the record, Maimone revisited old voicemails from Bragman, using them as emotional touchstones for the EP. One of those recordings was the original “On My Way” message. Though he initially planned to re-record the vocal as it was, the process organically evolved. He expanded the song, adding a second verse, a bridge, and layers of stomps, claps, and snaps to give it a more celebratory feel. “It felt like Howard was nudging me to keep going,” Maimone shares. Energized by this connection, he flew his band back to Nashville to complete the track with a full-band arrangement, transforming the once-simple ditty into a dynamic anthem of love and remembrance.
Maimone’s career has been defined by his storytelling prowess and his ability to turn raw emotion into captivating music. Hailing from Ohio—where he once played high school basketball against LeBron James—Maimone initially followed a traditional path, earning a business degree and working as an accountant. However, his passion for music eventually led him to trade spreadsheets for songwriting. His distinct blend of raspy vocals, emotive piano, and gritty storytelling has drawn comparisons to legends like Randy Newman, Leon Russell, Tom Waits, and Warren Zevon.
Over the years, Maimone’s artistry has taken him across the country, performing alongside icons like Stevie Wonder and touring with bands such as
Blues Traveler and the Plain White T’s. He’s graced stages at major festivals, including Lollapalooza, Riot Fest, and Summer Camp, and his music has been featured in TV shows, films, and even on the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field playlist. Recognized as a Local Artist of the Week by Nashville’s Lightning 100 FM and recently featured in LA Weekly after relocating to Los Angeles, Maimone continues to solidify his place in the American music landscape.
Following Bragman’s passing, Maimone released Borrowed Tunes, Vol. 2: Songs for You, an album of covers that held special meaning for the couple. The project wasn’t just a personal catharsis; it was also a charitable effort. Maimone performed sold-out release shows in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, donating all proceeds to The Trevor Project, an organization Bragman deeply supported.
Maimone’s creative journey didn’t stop there. In 2024, he unveiled Unfollow, an experimental EP featuring five reimagined versions of the same song, each in a different genre. He also completed his first book, a memoir chronicling his transformative year of love, loss, and reinvention, providing fans with a deeper look into his life beyond the music.
Now, with “On My Way”, Maimone is ready to introduce Guess What? I Love You to the world. “This song went from being a voicemail I had discarded to the lead single on my most emotional and profound album in two decades of music-making,” he reflects. “Howard saw something in it that I didn’t at the time, and now I get to share that with everyone.”
“On My Way” isn’t just a love letter to Bragman; it’s a universal anthem about cherishing connection, embracing joy, and finding hope in the face of loss. As Maimone shares this new chapter of his musical journey, listeners are invited to experience not only his love story but also his resilience and commitment to living life fully—just as Howard would have wanted.
“On My Way” is available on all streaming platforms. Follow Mike Maimone on IG @ mikemaimonemusic
By Paul Hutnick
Anthony Hughes... Introducing
With a background in dance and a powerful voice to match his energy, he’s quickly making his mark in the pop world. His music blends infectious melodies with uplifting messages of self-love and inclusivity, resonating with fans far and wide. From his breakout hit Shining to his latest releases, his star is only rising. With his passion for performance and advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community, he’s not just making music—he’s making an impact, Introducing Anthony Hughes
Anthony Hughes is a rising pop sensation with a voice that commands attention and an energy that’s hard to ignore. After transitioning from a professional dance career, he made his mark in music in 2020, quickly becoming a force in the pop world. Based in London, his sound fuses infectious melodies with empowering lyrics that resonate deeply, often touching on themes of self-love, diversity, and inclusivity. Since his debut, Anthony has built a reputation for captivating performances and a magnetic stage presence, drawing fans from all walks of life.
His track “Shining” became a breakout hit in 2023, catching the ears of major platforms like BBC Introducing and Gaydio. The single was even spotlighted by DNA Magazine in Australia, further solidifying his place in the music scene. More than just an artist, Anthony is an outspoken advocate for the LGBTIQA+ community, using his platform to spread messages of positivity and acceptance. His collaborations, like “Thought of You” with Habbo Foxx and “Take You There” with “FHALLA, really pushed his sound last year even further, and with 4 New Singles out this year, his momentum only continues to grow with every release. Anthony Hughes is making his mark, and it’s clear that this artist is on the rise, ready to take the pop world by storm.
Career Highlights
Anthony worked as a professional dancer for 8 years, for artists and a commercial dancer for tv shows such as the 2012 olympic ceremony, the one show and blue peter. He always had a love for music and decided in 2020 it was time for him to focus on his own music. Dance has always been a huge part in Anthony’s career and his musical influences and there is always a hint of his success as a dancer in all of his performances.
2022 - BBCs the new music show with Alan Rowett, track of the week with his new single ‘Out the other Side’. 2022/2023 - Reviews and articles with BUZZ MUSIC LA, DNA magazine Australia.
2023 - Hit of the week for BBC INTRODUCING with his single ‘Shining’ with B-SIGHTS.
2023 - ‘Shining’ was also given a weekly radio placement on Gaydio over the course of the release.
2023 - Headline artists at PRIDES across the country including Bournemouth pride, Southampton pride and Wembley pride.
2023- Headline artist at the Taste of London food festival.
2024- Released ‘ Take you there’ signed by Vivifier records and had a much celebrated launch night attended by press and featured on Getty.
2024- Cannonball bash headline artist, MIAMI
COURTNEY RUMBOLD
C
ourtney Rumbold is the vivacious vocal powerhouse who lit up the UK music scene as part of the electrifying girl group, Stooshe. Born to command the stage, Rumbold’s journey to stardom was a testament to talent, determination, and unwavering passion.
Hailing from the vibrant streets of London, Rumbold’s love affair with music began at a young age. Blessed with a soulful voice, she honed her skills performing in local talent shows and singing in church choirs. It wasn’t long before her undeniable talent caught the attention of industry insiders.
In 2010, fate intervened when Rumbold joined forces with Alexandra Buggs and Karis Anderson to form Stooshe. With their unique blend of R&B, pop, and
hip-hop, the trio stormed onto the music scene, capturing hearts with their infectious energy and unapologetic attitude. From chart-topping hits such as “Black Heart” to electrifying live performances at the Brits and Mobo Awards, Stooshe dominated the airwaves and stages across the UK and beyond. But Rumbold’s journey wasn’t without its challenges. Alongside the glitz and glamour of fame came the pressures of the industry, forcing her to navigate the highs and lows with grace and resilience. Through it all, she remained true to herself, using her platform to champion authenticity and empowerment.
Beyond the stage, Rumbold is a force for positive change, using her influence to advocate for social justice and equality. Whether speaking out against injustice or lending her voice to charitable causes,
she continues to inspire others to stand up and make a difference.
A testament to her journey this 2024 sees Courtney embarking on a thrilling new chapter in her musical journey as she gears up to unleash her first solo EP. Fusing her passion for pop culture with her soulstirring vocals, Rumbold’s solo debut promises to be a genre-defying masterpiece. Drawing inspiration from her eclectic musical influences, she seamlessly blends elements of pop, soul, and drum and bass to create a sound that is uniquely her own.
Check out and follow Courtney via instagramiamcourtneyrmusic
Introducing Eddy Luna
Further proof of the wealth of musical talent emanating from outside the M25, Eddy Luna is a gifted singer-songwriter who pairs raw, introspective lyrics about relationships and mental health with neosoul and jazz-influenced production. Hailing from Dudley in the West Midlands, the 25-year-old draws from all corners and eras of music to craft something completely unique and compelling.
Music runs through the veins of this Black Country artist; her entire family is musical. “My mum would always get me involved in church singing, and my dad was a DJ, so I was constantly surrounded by a mix of rare groove, lovers’ rock, reggae, dancehall, and jazz. I’m glad I had that combination.” Blessed with the same open-minded and curious nature, her own sound mirrors this—a cross-pollination of influences and styles.
Eddy Luna’s musical decisiveness began at the age of five. After starting singing lessons but not connecting with the classical music she was asked to learn, she brought Ashanti and JLo sheet music to her lessons instead. By ten, she had picked up the guitar and began singing old rock ‘n’ roll songs. “Back then, Buddy Holly was my universe,” she reflects. “Anything Buddy sang, I’ve probably sung at some point.”
1980s funk and soul singer Sylvia Striplin also had a deep impact on Eddy Luna’s sound. “I didn’t know how to get past playing the same chords on the guitar, and rather than standing there and making everyone cry, I wanted to bring more of a vibe,” she says. “The first time I heard Sylvia, it was a whole groove I didn’t even know existed. That was the moment I thought, ‘You know, I could actually try some of this.’”
Then, there are “the classics,” she says—Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and even Skunk Anansie. She has spent hours poring over their biographies, figuring out how they translated their life experiences into their music. “They made me feel more confident in expressing emotion,” she explains.
As a test of her musical abilities, Eddy Luna enjoys covering unusual song choices. She and her collaborator deliberately seek out tracks they wouldn’t typically sing—such as Internet Money’s ‘Lemonade’— and reshape them into jazz versions. “It’s about exercising our creativity and seeing if we can turn a song into something we’d actually play,” she says.
Diving deep into themes of relationships and mental health, Eddy Luna describes her debut project as a “taster of life experiences that not only I’ve had, but that I think everyone on the planet has.” Her first single, ‘Still Breathing’—which features impressive vocal runs and rich instrumentation—was written during a bout of depression. Initially a way to pull herself out of it, the song has since resonated with listeners who have reached out to say how much it has uplifted them.
Elsewhere on the record, ‘Choose’ explores a familiar situation— whether in a relationship or a life choice—where someone isn’t taking you seriously. “At that point, it’s on them to choose, but you’re going to do what you’re doing regardless,” she explains. Designed to inspire confidence and self-awareness, Eddy Luna’s music aims to guide listeners through dark times—something she has experienced firsthand. “That’s why I love music so much,” she says. “It makes me feel different emotions or acknowledge emotions I didn’t even know were there.”
Eddy’s first major support slot landed her on tour with Years & Years alongside Olly Alexander. She continued making waves with live performances on TV show Tonight With Target and a unique live set at Sofar Sounds. She has also performed at various music venues across London and Birmingham. With airplay on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra bringing her into the spotlight, Eddy Luna has now been signed by DJ Target to Columbia Records. Managed by Kemal at Ofavision, she is currently recording new music for release, keeping her Gemini zodiac traits at the forefront of her musical journey. Follow her on Instagram: @eddyluna__
Make the first step in changing your life, visit www.carlislehouse.org
In recent weeks, Positive Life and the charity sector in Northern Ireland has been rocked by bad news on Core Funding. This is the money that charities use to keep the lights on.
Positive Life’s application for £78,000 of Core Grant Funding was unsuccessful and we are totally gutted. We’re not alone: Positive Life was one of more than 250 health charities applying for the £1.8m of government funding. Of these, only 25 were successful.
While charities can apply to other funds for specific projects, most of them dictate that you absolutely cannot use the money to cover things like rent, rates, electricity or central admin costs. The Core Grant is vital to groups like Positive Life.
There is a fundamental lack of government understanding of the value of charities like ours. It shows no respect for our work and it feels like a brutal snub for our service users.
Save our Services #SOS
As Northern Ireland’s only dedicated HIV charity, this decision puts the future of our work in doubt. We are already down to a tiny team and we work across the whole region. Worryingly it also threatens the public health goal of eliminating new HIV diagnoses by 2030.
The biggest blow is that this simply does not make financial sense. Our work takes the pressure off other frontline NHS services: it actually saves the Department of Health money.
As well as delivering therapy, support and a peer community for people living with HIV, Positive Life provides a safe place, free of stigma, ignorance and judgment. The mental health benefits of this are immeasurable: within the last week, two recently diagnosed service users have told me directly that if Positive Life wasn’t here, they wouldn’t be here. This funding decision just does not stack up. Positive Life delivers crucial public health education and increases access to testing, aimed at driving new HIV diagnoses down.
In basic financial terms, every new HIV diagnosis comes at a price. The cost to the health service
of the medicines for just one additional person diagnosed with HIV, would core fund three years of our prevention, awareness and support work. Through our lobbying work, we also give a voice to people living with HIV - probably one of the most marginalised groups of individuals in Northern Ireland. Since most of our service users choose to keep their status very private, if our services disappear, they may be left without a voice.
We know health budgets are under pressure. £1.8 million is a drop in the ocean when compared with Stormont’s total allocation for health in the 2025/26, a whopping £8.79 billion.
The Minister says publicly that the community and voluntary sector are doing great work to support front line health services. You’d think that properly funding us, so we can open our doors, would be a priority. Instead, this funding blow leaves many of us running on fresh air and struggling to stay afloat. You can help us by contacting your local MLA or MP about this. And of course, As a charity boss, I’ll never to miss an opportunity to share a donation link: Make a donation to Positive Life.
Surely health charities deserve better treatment, right?
By: Jacquie Richardson, CEO, Positive Life, NI’s only dedicated HIV charity
eurovision 2025 favourites and Predictions
Eurovision 2025 Favourites and Predictions
As we gear up for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, the excitement is palpable. With a diverse lineup of entries, fans and bookmakers alike are buzzing with predictions. Here’s a deep dive into the top 10 contenders, highlighting their strengths and the buzz surrounding their performances.
1. Norway
Norway has emerged as a frontrunner this year, captivating audiences with a unique blend of traditional Nordic sounds and contemporary pop elements. The country’s selection process emphasized authenticity and innovation, resulting in a performance that’s both visually stunning and musically compelling. Norway’s commitment to
showcasing its rich cultural heritage while appealing to a broader audience has positioned it as a favorite among fans and critics alike.
2. Sweden
Sweden consistently delivers strong performances, and this year is no exception. With Måns Zelmerlöw, the Eurovision 2015 winner, returning with the song “Revolution,” expectations are skyhigh. His previous victory and continued popularity make Sweden a formidable contender. The country’s meticulous selection process and emphasis on high-quality production have solidified its status as a Eurovision powerhouse. citeturn0search4
3. Israel
Israel has been making waves with its dynamic
entry, blending modern beats with traditional Middle Eastern melodies. The artist’s charismatic stage presence and the song’s catchy rhythm have resonated with audiences, propelling Israel to the top tier of contenders. The country’s innovative approach to staging and choreography adds an extra layer of excitement to their performance. citeturn0search1
4. Austria
Austria’s entry has been described as a dark horse in this year’s competition. With a soulful ballad that showcases the artist’s vocal prowess, Austria has steadily climbed the betting odds. The emotional depth of the song, combined with a minimalist yet impactful staging, has garnered positive reactions from both fans and critics. citeturn0search1
5. Finland
Finland continues its tradition of pushing musical boundaries with a genre-blending entry that fuses rock elements with electronic beats. The energetic performance and distinctive sound have made Finland a standout contender. The country’s reputation for embracing unique musical styles adds to the anticipation surrounding their performance. citeturn0search14
6. France
France’s entry, performed by Louane, has captured hearts with its poetic lyrics and enchanting melody. The song’s romantic essence and Louane’s emotive delivery have positioned France as a strong contender. The country’s dedication to artistic expression and storytelling through music is evident in this year’s entry. citeturn0news29
7. United Kingdom
The UK’s entry by the girl band Remember Monday has been gaining traction. Initially met with mixed reactions, the song has grown on audiences, thanks to its catchy chorus and the group’s harmonious vocals. The UK’s commitment to refining their entry
and engaging with fans has contributed to its rising popularity. citeturn0search12
8. Spain
Spain’s representative, Melody, has undergone a significant transformation with her song “Esa Diva.” After initial lukewarm receptions, a radical change in the song’s arrangement and staging has led to a surge in popularity. The revamped performance now resonates more with international audiences, showcasing Spain’s adaptability and dedication to the competition. citeturn0news29
9. Ukraine
Ukraine’s entry combines haunting melodies with poignant lyrics, reflecting the nation’s rich musical heritage. The artist’s powerful vocals and the song’s emotive composition have struck a chord with many, securing Ukraine a spot among the top contenders. The country’s history of memorable Eurovision performances adds to the anticipation. citeturn0search11
10. Italy
Italy’s entry is a masterful blend of classical and
contemporary sounds, delivered by an artist renowned for their vocal finesse. The song’s intricate composition and the performer’s charismatic stage presence have earned Italy a place in the top 10 predictions. The country’s consistent track record in the competition underscores its potential for success.
As the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 approaches, these top 10 entries exemplify the diversity and talent present in this year’s competition. While Norway leads the pack with its innovative approach, the dynamic nature of Eurovision means that surprises are always possible. Fans worldwide eagerly await the performances, ready to celebrate the unifying power of music.
Feature by Daniel May
The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 is set to take place in Basel, Switzerland, with the semifinals on May 13 and 15, and the grand final on May 17. All three shows will be broadcast live on BBC One at 8:00 PM
Eurovisions Greatest Of All Time
By Megane Herrick
It is almost that time of year again – Eurovision is fast approaching, and we could not be more excited. This year it is all kicking off at the grand final in Basel, Switzerland on the 13th of May with some more amazing songs, artists and performances. Before we go forward, it is important – and lots of fun – to look back at all of the wonderful, glorious and hilarious artists that Eurovision has so kindly given us in the past.
Firstly, for probably the most famous band that has ever come out of Eurovision, or maybe the world in general, we are heading back to 1974, in Sweden with the iconic ‘Waterloo’ by ABBA. Made up of singer/songwriters Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, they not only won first place in their Eurovision way back when, but in 2005 they won Best Song in Eurovision History in their 50th Anniversary Competition. They quickly rose to superstardom following their win receiving 8 consecutive UK number ones. They sold 11.3 million singles in the UK alone before 2012 with unbelievable anthems such as ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie’, ‘Does your mother know’ and many many more. ABBA were awarded the Brit Billion Award –celebrating that their music has been streamed over one billion times in the UK in their career. They also surpassed everyone’s expectations by becoming the first musical group from a nonEnglish-speaking country to have consistent and continuous success in the charts in English speaking countries including the UK, USA, Australia and Canada. ABBA has won many accolades such as an induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. The success did cause significant issues in the marriages and friendships within the group, but it did not stop their continued success. Their music has been transformed into one of the most successful stage shows of all time with ‘Mamma Mia’, which subsequently became an award-winning film,
followed by an extremely successful sequel ‘Here we go again’. They also have ABBA voyage, a holographic concert and numerous themed nights modelled after the band, the music and the unbelievable costuming making them the ultimate Eurovision act of all time.
For little old Northern Ireland, we have had some amazing people, and one of the best parts of Eurovision is, it doesn’t matter what side of the wall your on, we all claim Ireland and United Kingdom when it comes to voting – especially when we win in either. Ireland holds the title for most Eurovision competitions won (well, tied with Sweden) with 7 wins, whilst the United Kingdom has a respectable 5 wins.
For Ireland it would be rude not to mention Johnny Logan who won twice, once in 1980 with ‘What’s Another Year’ and once in 1987 with ‘Hold me now’. However, Logan bringing home multiple trophies to add to Irelands fast growing collection wasn’t all fun and games – the country that wins the contest hosts it the next year, and anyone that’s been a host knows it gets expensive quick, never mind hosting something as large as Eurovision. Ireland being great performers in the contest actually began to actually hurt their economy – so we sent in Dustin the Turkey, quite literally a puppet, we were actively trying to lose that year clearly – but it was still very iconic and absolutely hilarious.
On the other side, the United Kingdom has sent many an iconic artist and whilst we may have fallen short at times, our winners have been nothing but extraordinary. We have to start our very first Eurovision win with Bucks Fizz in 1981 and the bubble-gum cheesy pop classic ‘Making your mind up’ – which is a song you will still here at pretty much every wedding you go to till this day! Other fantastic UK winners are Sandie Shaw 1967 with ‘Puppet on a String’, Lulu in 1969 with ‘Boom Bang-a-Bang’, Brotherhood of Man in 1976 with ‘Save Your Kisses For Me’ and last but not least ‘Katrina and The Waves in 1997 with ‘Love Shine a Light’.
Whilst the UK and Ireland can’t win all the time, we have had some extremely iconic songs and artists that have performed on our behalf and amazed us. We had Gina G in 1996 with ‘Ooh..Aah Just a Little Bit’ which again, many a wedding, many a night out. More recently we have had Sam Ryder in 2023 with ‘Spaceman’ and Olly Alexander in 2024 with his song ‘Dizzy’ – neither won, but by goodness were we proud to send both! Speaking of pride, we have to talk about the Irish sweethearts, the ever entertaining, more-hyper-than-a-hamster act with their insanely sparkly red jackets – you know them, you might love them (or hate them, bit marmite like), copying ABBA with the names in the names, John and Edward or more commonly known – of course its Jedward!
An insanely famous person that you maybe didn’t know came out of Eurovision is Celine Dion. Back in 1988 she competed for Switzerland with the song ‘Ne partez pas sans moi’ and secured herself a Eurovision win. Whilst it wasn’t one of her most famous songs, it was Switzerland’s second contest under their belt, and still remains the only winning song to be sung in French!
One of the biggest wins in Eurovision for the LGBTQIA+ community was back in 2014 when Conchita Wurst won the contest for Austria with the song that would soon rise to the top of the charts, ‘Rise like a Phoenix’. If you don’t remember Conchita, she was the bearded lady before ‘The Greatest Showman’ made it cool. Not really, but it was a massive step in the right direction.
Thomas Neuwirth – the person behind Conchita’s Drag alter ego is an actor, singer, fashion designer and, of course, drag queen. Conchita has continued to be busy featuring in music, films (such as the Eurovision one), fashion and TV and has continued to fight for LGBTQIA+ rights and representation. While the performance sparked a lot of controversy, it was also a cause for celebration. Both for the win, obviously, but for the fact it sparked conversations and questions around what gender means. There have been more recent examples, but Conchita was a
pivotal icon that helped to open the doors of what it means to be gender fluid, what presenting gender can look like, and the fact that you don’t need to conform.
Another Eurovision performance that needs to be mentioned in terms of LGBTQIA+ wins came long before Conchita in 1998 when Dana International graced our screens during the contest with the song ‘Diva’. She made history with her win as she was the first openly transgender artist to win the Eurovision Song Contest. She also decided that that wasn’t enough, and cause quite the gasps when she changed into a stunning feathered Jean-Paul Gaultier in her winning reprise. The representation of the transgender community on live television at this time was sitting about a zero, so for her to compete, win, and then openly bask in the glory and amplify her own inner diva was a fantastic, historic and iconic move.
There isn’t enough time in the world to talk about all of the bangers, icons and legends that Eurovision has given us – but there are a few that couldn’t not be mentioned. One of Sweden’s best known wins (one of many of course) was in 2012 with ‘Euphoria’ by Loreen, which quickly became a club classic. More Eurovision club classics have to include ‘Fly on the Wings of Love’ by the Olsen Brothers (Denmark, 2000) and ‘Heroes’ by Mans Zelmer Low (Sweden, 2015). Two notable mentions that we can’t forget must go to ‘Hallelujah’ sang by Milk and Honey when they competed for Isreal in 1979 and the dancey, boppy cheesy pop that was ‘Toy’ by Netta, also Isreal, but a little more modern in 2018. Last but not least we have to talk about ‘Arcade’ by Duncan Lawrence who competed for the Netherlands in 2019. His win was great moment for Eurovision as the song quickly went viral on TikTok boosting its popularity in younger generations – which will help to keep our beloved Eurovision around for many more years to come.
If you are adding the old bangers and this year’s competitors to your playlist because you simply cannot wait. If you don’t bet on the horses or football but always place a fiver on your favourite Eurovision act – if you simply cannot wait any longer for Eurovision. Firstly, join the club, we are all anxiously waiting. Secondly, you can still get your fix! If you haven’t already, go and watch the Eurovison movie – it is laugh out loud, talk about it 3 days later type funny, it has a ridiculously star-studded cast, including some Eurovision favourites and it has an abundance of Eurovision bangers, plus a few ones you haven’t heard before but will not ever be able to get out of your head (shout-out to ‘Ya Ya Ding Dong’) –and if that still isn’t enough, the storyline is high, lows and completely bonkers from start to finish. If that doesn’t get you in the Eurovision mood, nothing will.
megane
Blocking Puberty Blockers
As you have probably been seeing on the news, the Northern Irish and UK Government have placed a ban on the prescription of puberty blockers, both via the NHS and Private Health Services. The ban on puberty blockers has been in effect in Northern Ireland since August 2024 but was first introduced in England in May 2024. The temporary ban was then made indefinite in December, for both the UK and Northern Ireland and is not sent to be reviewed until 2027. It is important to note that this ban was made with the knowing that there is a significant waiting list for gender specialist services within the UK and Northern Ireland, making it that much harder for those seeking treatment to actually be given any help whatsoever. The Government has said that this is following a review on puberty blockers from the Independent Commission of Human Medicines and the Cass review. However, in order to understand what this means, let’s take a look at what puberty blockers are, what they do, and why they are so important.
Please note, this column is the opinion of the columinst and not that of GNI or Romeo & Julian Publiccations Ltd.
Puberty Blockers have been around since the 80’s and were first developed to prevent precocious pubertywhere puberty begins too early for an individual. The use of puberty blockers does exactly that, it prevents puberty from taking place until the person is question is of age. Puberty blockers have been used more recently to prevent puberty more indefinitely for trans individuals, to give them time to explore their options and to prevent the turmoil that can be caused by growing parts that they don’t want to exist in the first place such as breasts, facial hair or other gender affirming body parts. This is a treatment with 40 years of safety and effectiveness in all of its uses but in trans youth specifically it has an abundance of proven benefits – so why has it been banned?
The CHM (Commission of Human Medicines) have, according to Gov.com, given the government independent expert advice that puberty blockers are ‘currently an unacceptable safety risk’ and recommended that the government placed ‘indefinite restrictions while work is done to ensure the safety of children and young people’. Apart from the Cass review, which has been widely discredited based on its methods and its guess work in drawing conclusions, the government have not provided any insight to what these proposed safety risks actually are. They have not released any information regarding this review which has left many of those in the transgender, LGBTQIA+ and ally communities questioning the validity of these claims, and whether this was truly a decision that was made based purely on safety and medical concerns, or whether certain ancient views played a role.
The Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting spoke regarding this situation, relaying pretty much verbatim what the Gov website said, but also said that the UK government was working with NHS England to ‘open new gender identity services, so people can access holistic health and wellbeing support they need’ and they are ‘setting up a clinical trial into the use of puberty blockers next year, to establish a clear evidence base for the use of this medicine’. While this does sound like they are trying – it is important to note that medicines go through extensive clinical trials before they are able to be given to the public, and that there has been an abundance of clinical trials previously, so until they release the information as to why we need more trials, and what the medical concerns truly are, we need to keep questioning – especially as there is no evidence to suggest that these drugs are banned for precocious puberty or
any other use for them bar for gender affirming care, so what are the medical concerns that keep being discussed, and why are they not valid for other uses?
One medical reason that is often said to be a con when talking about puberty blockers is a delay in Bone Mass Development, which can lead to bone conditions such as Osteoporosis. The fact of the matter is, while this can occur when it does it is years into puberty. Additionally, Bone Mass Development occurs from a lack of hormones, not necessarily from puberty blockers. While it is true that puberty blockers do inhibit hormones, the effects of this can be mitigated by hormone affirming therapy, such as oestrogen or testosterone being administered in a timely manner. All medications have risks, and the transgender community does need to understand and be aware of this, but we do also need to question why other hormone based medicines, such as the contraceptive pill which has far more side effects, are still allowed to be prescribed to under 18s. This is because, according to medical professionals, the pros outweigh the cons.
However, there are many pros when it comes to puberty blockers. Puberty blockers are completely reversable. You simply stop taking them and natural puberty will kickstart and run its course. Puberty itself is not reversable. Puberty is tough for everyone with all of its mood swings, spots, growing things, smells – it isn’t a walk in the park for anyone. For transgender youth, puberty is so much harder. It makes gender dysmorphia harder as parts that don’t feel like your grow and develop even further into a person that doesn’t feel like you, plus all of the other stuff. Puberty blockers can postpone these sexual characteristics from starting which helps provide transgender youth with vital time, to explore, discover, and understand their gender identity without pressure and emotions that would come with the onset of puberty. This time also allows transgender youth to figure out if they want further gender affirming care, such as hormone therapy and prevents young teens and adults from rushing into gender affirming surgery which they may not be physically, mentally or emotionally ready for – which is irreversible unlike puberty blockers. In this way puberty blockers can help to alleviate symptoms of gender dysphoria. Treating aspects of gender dysphoria improves emotional wellbeing by reducing mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies in transgender youth. Supporting gender affirming care is supporting mental health by reducing the stress and confusion that comes with the onset of puberty. This healthcare gives young people time to consider and
understand their feelings and think about what comes next for them during their transition at a complex but pivotal time.
Dr Hilary Cass, the author of one of the independent reviews that led to the banning of puberty blockers said that they proposed significant risks and that their benefits were unproven. Now, as we discussed briefly previously, her review has been subjected to strong, widespread criticism due to the methodology (the methods she used to research these risks were questionable) and the fact she was unable to draw strong conclusions based on her findings (she basically guessed as her research didn’t prove anything significant). So, as the government has decided to base a strong decision that is a step back for transgender rights on this, it is important to look at other forms of research. When you look up proven benefits on mental health of puberty blockers online, lots of news outlets (BBC, The Guardian) have posted the same study, which was a study of 44 children. This is not a large enough sample size to prove any real data and would need to be conducted on a larger scale. However, the original study showed no evidence of any mental impact, whether good or bad. When they re-analysed they found 34% had a decline in mental health, while 29% found their mental health has improved. However, they categorised mental health decline as needing mental health support, and improvement as no longer needing any mental health intervention. Anyone that has dealt with mental health knows it is not like a cold; it doesn’t just go away – it will always be chronic; it just gets more manageable. So, based on the flawed methods and sample size of this study, we can argue that it is insignificant and only seeks to establish the false narrative that puberty blockers to not help to alleviate any mental health struggles. However, new research that was published in JAMA Network Open reveals that puberty blockers, as well as other gender-affirming hormones do help to reduce the rates of depression and suicide in transgender and non-binary young people. This study has 104 participants, over double the UKs most quoted study and followed the lives of these young people over 1 year as they received gender affirming treatment at Seattle Children’s Gender Clinic. The results of this trail were that 60% of
those who received gender-affirming care or puberty blockers had lower odds of depressions, and a massive 73% had lower odds of self-harm or suicidal thoughts. Diana Tordoff, one of the researchers said that this study only added to an already robust and expansive amount of evidence that gender-affirming care is critical for young people in the transgender community.
As previous research has overwhelming indicated, transgender and non-binary youth experience higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts, which will continue to worsen due to this ban. Now the government is aware of this and has said that young people will have access to mental health services if this ban has affected them. The question is how are they going to provide these services when mental health services across the UK are already extremely overwhelmed. Based on a review of NHS England by April 2024 there were 343,000 referrals for children and young people under 18 waiting for mental health services, including 109,000 referrals who had been waiting for more than a year to receive any mental health treatment. So, with the NHS mental health services for young people already extremely overwhelmed, where are we going to fit in the young transgender and non-binary community?
Another question that crops up when discussing puberty blockers is who decides? Many people feel that children should not be making decisions about their gender or about gender affirming care when they are below the age of eighteen – which is a valid concern. Anyone over twenty-one will tell you the decisions they made at eighteen were not the best, and puberty happens long before eighteen, what sort of decisions were you making then? Surely not ones this big. Whilst we can’t completely discard this concern, it does bring up the question of bodily autonomy and consent. What is the age that you can tell someone they can or cannot make decisions about their own body and what happens to it? Should everyone, no matter how young, get to decide what happens to their own body? Many transgender people say that they knew from a very young ages that they were in the wrong body, and having to wait to late adulthood to get gender affirming care led to more struggles with identity and mental health – and actively advocate for puberty blockers
as they wished they had had them. Additionally, puberty blockers used to have to be prescribed by a doctor who believed that they would do more good than harm – regardless of the side effects. This should give us some insight into the fact that this isn’t a childish whim, this is long thought-out choice, made with a doctor by a child that has been medically evaluated. At that point, several people, including the child’s parents or guardians have to be pretty sure that this is the right choice. If we also add on that 97% of all transgender people, young and old, have no regrets about their choice to transition which an extremely positive sign that when making these choices, it is never done lightly.
Many people have questioned, in light of this ban, whether anyone that was involved in the choice to ban puberty blockers should be allowed to attend Pride parades and events? Based on all the information – it is a tough question. Yes, there are positives to the ban, but there are seemingly much more negatives. This choice will directly affect the mental health of the young transgender community with little to no help from already overwhelmed mental health services, so why should people that have knowing made this decision, who have knowingly chose to worsen their lives ever get to stand on a float with a flag and pretend for a day to be woke? Perhaps there is something in the hidden independent study that we arn’t seeing, that we don’t know yet. In that case, should the study be released and prove that puberty blockers do cause more harm than good – then we can welcome them for protecting a young and vunerable group. Maybe, we should have left it to the Doctors treating these children, understanding them personally and making a medical decision alongside them to do what is best for the person, for the individual. Every body is different, they have different needs, different risks and need different lengths of time to figure it out – a blanket ban does not and cannot account for this.
CREDIT: Megane Herrick
Trans & Religion...
by michael moloney
Ioften hear my fellow Catholic brothers and sisters use appalling terms like “mutilating their bodies,” “cutting off their breasts,” “ripping out healthy organs,” or “a woman pretending to be a man” when referring to some of the beautiful individuals who have faced or are facing the challenge of gender dysphoria.
My name is Michael Moloney, and I run a special ministry for LGBT people in the Catholic Church in London, www.medjugorjelgbtministry.com
Five years ago, while living in Croatia, I met a young man named Toni who was struggling enormously with his mental health. After praying with him, he experienced a remarkable healing and a renewed desire to follow Jesus. However, there was one issue—he was, and still is, transgender.
I remember when he told me, bracing for my reaction, anticipating rejection—something I, too, have faced all over the world for being gay. But instead of shock, I gave him a loving hug. I knew at that moment that I needed to help him even more.
A friend and I invited Toni to stay in our apartment, and we began bringing him to church. This turned out to be an education of a lifetime. While many of our Catholic friends were delighted that we were evangelising and sharing Jesus with LGBT people, their joy turned to horror when they learned that a trans person was living with us.
Most of our church friends refused to meet “her.” When we suggested bringing Toni to a prayer meeting, they declined, fearing that the “demons of transgenderism” might jump onto them. It was heartbreaking. One day, in desperate pain, Toni self-harmed. Later that evening, when we sought support, all the priest could say was that he shouldn’t have received Holy Communion before confessing his “awful sin.”
My friend Seamus and I were appalled by the lack of love, compassion, and sensitivity. Instead of encouragement, nearly all our Catholic friends— including priests and even a psychiatrist—told us to give up and “leave Toni to the professionals.” But Toni had already spent six months the previous year in a psychiatric hospital with so-called professionals, it was God’s love that he needed and a community and as someone who had barely survived similar “professional help,” I refused to abandon him.
Like the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt, we had to pack up and leave Croatia overnight. We went to Medjugorje, a very well-known catholic place of pilgrimage in Bosnia & Herzegovina, where Our Lady has been appearing for over 40 years. No sooner had we arrived than the police were called. We suspect we were reported by a closeted gay priest known to us for “giving Medjugorje a bad reputation” and for being “dangerous sodomites who were following demons.”
“Are you the girl who wants to be a boy?” an old woman asked Toni, with no tact or respect. Her words sent him into hours of self-hatred, fear, and depression. As usual, Seamus and I were left to pick up the pieces and when we reached out to the Church for help, explaining what was happening, we were simply ignored. It seemed that hatred toward LGBT people was not considered a sin and that our mission, our lives, and our well-being mattered only to God—not to the Church authorities.
Three months later, we moved to London. By God’s grace, we found a very special catholic priest who understood the challenges faced by LGBT people. He took Toni under his wing with a zero-tolerance policy toward transphobia. For the first time in his life, Toni began to flourish.
But the challenges didn’t end there. When some churchgoers discovered that Toni was transgender and serving on the altar, they were scandalised. Again, the lack of love, compassion, and sensitivity was shocking. When we read the Bible, one of Jesus’ strongest messages is to avoid judgment, yet these Catholics seemed to make a career out of it.
Many Catholics believe that gender dysphoria has a “quick fix”—counseling, inner healing, perhaps a few exorcisms, and all will be well. It’s the same misguided mentality behind “gay conversion therapy,” something I myself survived.
These well-meaning but misguided individuals are like the Pharisees of the New Testament—judging, condemning, and ultimately driving the most vulnerable people in the LGBT community further away from the unconditional love and mercy of God. As for Toni, while he was accepted by many, others left our church or stayed only to pray and fast that he would “never have the operation.”
One of the promises I made to Toni when we met
was that I would never stop him from transitioning if that was what he needed. After knowing him for nearly three years, it was clear that transitioning was essential for his well-being.
And so, one year ago, Toni had the operation. Unlike a regular medical procedure, where the church community would gather in support, Toni’s surgery had to be done in secret. I called it “Operation Top Secret,” as we had to sneak him into the hospital without anyone knowing and bring him home two days later.
Six months later, one woman remarked, “There is a remarkable improvement in Toni. I don’t think he will ever have that awful operation.” I stayed silent, though inwardly I wanted to tell her that his remarkable improvement was precisely because of the operation he had already undergone.
Another woman asked, “Has Toni had surgery? What will Jesus say when he dies and appears before Him?”
I replied, “Well done, my beautiful child, for loving Me, for not giving up, for not succumbing to despair. For every prayer and suffering you endured, here is your new resurrected body—three times more glorious to make up for the hell you endured on earth.” That silenced her.
As I conclude this article, what do I want you to remember?
Firstly, God is love. He loves all transgender people and understands the complexities involved far better than we ever could.
Secondly, our churches are still broken and fearful of these issues. Many within them continue to do tremendous harm to the gay and trans community. That is why our voices must be heard. Rather than running away from the Church, we must claim our places as equal and beloved children of God.
Finally, to any priests or pastors who may read this: The time for silence is over. The Church stands at a crossroads—one path leads to love, healing, and justice, the other to deeper division and pain. Will you be a shepherd who gathers God’s flock, or one who scatters it? The world is watching. More importantly, so is God. Choose wisely.
Your Wedding, Your Way
Multi award winning venue. Embrace yourself in the stunning heritage village of Leighlinbridge, a hidden gem in the Ancient East.
BIG DAY >>>
Sharni and Robyn 5 years on and stronger than ever!
In our community most don’t make it past a 5 month engagement yet you have reached the 5 year milestone of tying the knot, we would love to go on a trip down memory lane with you both.
First off, introduce yourselves and let us know where you are from/live ?
I’m Sharni Edwards-Peoples I’m from Brighton originally but now live in Belfast and have done for the past 10years and I’m Robyn I’m 31 from Belfast
When and how did you meet, were you single for a long time before you started dating?
Sharni - My wife & I met back in February 2014, I was single for a year or so before I met Robyn. We met by complete fluke being from Brighton. I didn’t know anyone from Belfast but at that time my cousin had moved over, so myself and my other cousin arranged a weekend away to visit him. Whilst visiting my cousin we went out for a night out in the town - we headed to the Kremlin where my cousin introduced us to
some of his friends he’d made over in Belfast - one of them happened to be Robyn. As soon as we met we hit it off straight away, my weekend away turned into a week & we spent every second together from there on out.
Robyn - Before we met I was single for about 8/9 months, I wasn’t planning on meeting anyone at this time in my life but once we met I knew I wanted to get to know Sharni & keep in contact with her.
How long after you started dating did it take to pop the question, was it an immediate yes ? And who asked who?
Robyn - we were dating for close to 2 years when we got engaged, we were in Paris for an Ariana Grande concert I proposed first in may of 2015 at locks bridge, the same year on my birthday sharni proposed to me which was what we’d both always spoken about, we both wanted the the proposal. It was definitely an immediate yes.
Tell us about your BIG DAY , location, amount of guests etc.
Sharni - Our big was day crazy insane, we had booked our wedding in for the 11th February 2020 as this is our anniversary of the date we first got together, little did we know this was coincide with the law change of the bills being passed for same sex marriage in Northern Ireland. Being from Brighton I wasn’t even aware of the difficulty LGBTQIA people had in Northern Ireland as I’m from the gay capital of England. It blew my mind how hard you all had to work for this bill to be passed & it became an absolute privilege for me to be a part of this history. Our big day was set to be held in Carrickfergus at the Loughshore hotel, with all the hype & all the press wanting to be a part of our big day we agreed on having an intimate ceremony with our nearest & dearest around 50 people allowing a time slot of 30mins after the ceremony & creating history by becoming the first same sex marriage in NI for the press. To this day it still blows our mind that we made history on the most amazing day of our lives!
Tell about the food and drink?
Robyn - The food was beautiful, there were options for the guests to choose from and the guests were all happy with the meal!
We had a few bars throughout the hotel, one in our reception room also which was great.
Our cake and dessert table was from Alex at Heavenly treats. She did an absolutely amazing job, everyone was talking about how good the cake and all the treats were, absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend her! Went above and beyond for us!
Were there any hiccups or did all go to plan?
Sharni - I can actually say honestly we were very lucky - everything went to plan for us, no hiccups at all. Our whole day was pretty much scheduled due to the press & TV interviews before & after our ceremony so everything went to plan & everything was kept to schedule from our interview with GMB at 6am, to our hair & makeup with the girls from the salon in The Loughshore hotel (couldn’t recommend them enough they were amazing & kept my nerves at bay, treated us all like queens unreal service). To the ceremony and so on. From start to finish it was the cliché perfect wedding day.
Did you have a honeymoon? If so tell us about it, any recommendations or places to avoid Robyn - We left the next morning from the Hotel to go on our honeymoon and it just started snowing in February. It was so beautiful! My mum booked us our honeymoon as a wedding gift which was amazing!
We went for 2 weeks in Cyprus, it was absolutely beautiful, the views, the sea and the food were all amazing! It was the start of the season so it was peaceful, the perfect honeymoon!
In your daily lives what do you do for work? What interests do you share and have that are different ?
Robyn - I went back to being a healthcare worker recently after a few years of being a chef. We have so many different interests. Sharni loves football. I will get her tickets for matches and join her at them. We both love music and going to see different artists around the world as we both love travelling also. With opposite shift patterns when we get time off together we both enjoy date nights together having dinner & going to see a movie or going for a few drinks together.
Sharni - I work as a Deputy General Manager at a Pizzaexpress branch in Belfast and have worked for the company for 14years. We have many similar interests and others completely different. I’m more
into my sports, especially football where as my wife is more artistic even though she does enjoy sport I’m just what she would call obsessed with my football.
Do you do everything together in terms of socialising, travel ?
Robyn - we travel together, we love getting away on holiday and also enjoy mini city breaks during the year also. We also socialise together with friends on nights outs & events but also socialise separately at times.
Sharni - We also like to do things separately too. With our jobs being so different as well our schedules seem to miss each other quite a lot so when we do finally get the time to spend together we definitely make the most of it with cute little date nights or nights away. My favourite thing to do is to spend time with my wife.
Have you a family, is this something on the plan for you?
Sharni - We don’t have a family as of yet but we will definitely be trying for a family very soon! We discuss it all the time and we’re very open and communicative of what we want as a couple - I love that about us.
Tell us who made your day possible in terms of rings, flowers, photographer, cars etc
Robyn - There were a few people who made our day run as perfectly, our wedding coordinator Leigh-Anne from Loughshore helped us from the moment we booked with her, she organised so much and ensured
we had everything we wanted for the perfect day. Diane from Wedding Belle decorated everything so beautifully! Our hair and make-up artists from the salon Shannon & Colleen who not only did our hair and make up throughout the day but ensured no media got to us before the ceremony. All the staff that day went above and beyond for us! We had a videographer and photographer who were both lovely and made us feel at ease! Love equality helped us so much too, they came to help manage the media as it was still all new to us, they helped with our nerves and helped us with everything along the way!
In the past 5 years has your relationship dynamic changed ?
Sharni - In the past 5 years our relationship dynamic has not changed at all, we’re still as happy as we always have been & I love her more every single day we’re together. Even our friends mention this to us all the time when we all socialise together.
Robyn - We feel more secure in our relationship from when we got married but I don’t think the dynamic has changed, we still do as much for each other as we did beforehand.
Having now had 5 anniversaries how do you spend them, do you get into the hype of presents, trips away etc or are they usually lowkey ?
Robyn - We do enjoy travelling and booking trips for each other to spend our anniversaries together, this year Sharni took me for dinner. We saw Bob the drag queen and she got me tickets to see Katheryn Ryan,
my favourite comedian. I love different shows, events and gigs.
We both booked it off work to ensure we had a few days together. We still go all out on presents, balloons and decorations which is nice.
Sharni - Having now had 5 wedding anniversaries & 11 years of being together we still make a massive fuss of each other and spoil each other rotten - we’ve always made a big deal to celebrate our anniversaries - even as the years go on we still celebrate massively - lots of presents, nights away, trips away the lot, I love spoiling my wife.
The old cliche question, what is the secret to a happy marriage and healthy relationship.
Sharni - The secret to a happy life & a happy marriage for me is so simple. Literally don’t sweat the small stuff, don’t hold on to little things, let things go. Life’s way too short, make the most of it especially if you’re lucky enough to do that with your favourite person in the whole world! appreciate each other.
Robyn - For me it comes down to a few things, communication is a must, trusting each other is also essential but it’s the small things to keep a relationship healthy such as celebrating the wins in each other’s lives, laughing together, having fun and enjoying life.
Sharni & Robyn Edwards-Peoples
Thanks for taking the time to chat with me Interview with Daniel May
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL
CARLINGFORD
W
e are thrilled to announce that the Four Seasons Hotel Carlingford has been awarded Best Winter Wedding Venue in Ireland 2025 in the Save My Day Awards, alongside receiving the title of Best Wedding Hotel Venue in Leinster 2025 from WeddingsUppliers.ie. These honours highlight our dedication to creating unforgettable wedding experiences for all couples.
Nestled at the foot of the stunning Cooley Mountains and overlooking the picturesque Carlingford Lough, our venue provides the perfect setting for a winter wedding like no other. Imagine exchanging vows with the breathtaking backdrop of the mountains, the tranquil sea breeze, and the crisp winter air enhancing every moment of your celebration.
As an all-in-one venue, we are fully licensed for civil and spiritual ceremonies, allowing you to hold your entire celebration under one roof. From your ceremony to your reception, to a luxurious overnight stay for you and your guests, we take care of every detail. Our venue ensures that your special day flows seamlessly, with exquisite wedding dinners prepared by our talented chefs, personalised service, and comfortable accommodations for you and your loved ones.
In addition to our exceptional wedding services, we are excited to launch our Winter Weddings by the Sea package for 2025/2026, available on selected dates. This new offering allows you to enjoy the stunning beauty of the coastline, adding a unique touch to your winter wedding experience. Celebrate with an intimate ceremony by the
sea, followed by a reception filled with seasonal delicacies and panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
At the Four Seasons Hotel Carlingford, we are proud to offer a welcoming and inclusive environment for all couples. We celebrate love in all its forms, and our dedicated team is here to help you create a day that reflects your unique love story in every aspect.
We can’t wait to welcome you to our stunning venue, where your dream winter wedding by the sea awaits. For more information or to schedule a tour, please contact us at 42 9373530, via email at visit www.4seasonshotelcarlingford.ie. Let us help you make your wedding day truly magical.
Winter Wedding By The Sea
€65 PER PERSON
Red Carpet on Arrival
Sparkling Wine, Guinness Flutes, Tea & Coffee Drinks Reception with Scones and Biscuits
4 Course Banquet with a Choice of Two Main Courses
Half Bottle of Wine Per Person with Dinner
Choice of Centre Pieces, Personalised Menus & Mirror Seating Plan
Evening Reception; Choice of Two Food Options
Complimentary Wedding Suite with Breakfast on the Evening of your Wedding
Two Complimentary Executive Bedrooms with Breakfast the Evening of your Wedding
Finger Food Platters for 30 people for the Next Day Celebrations
BIG DAY >>>
Thomas and Patrick
So tell us how you met. Were you single for a long time before you started dating?
We met online through Facebook. We had seen each other locally in passing and then discovered that our families lived a few streets apart and had done so for years, but we had never noticed. We began speaking online and arranged to meet. Thomas got to the meeting point first and while he was waiting, he was getting more nervous and was thinking about leaving, but just in perfect timing Patrick had walked around the corner and from that moment there was no going back. We had a long walk talking and laughing with each other and it was a beautiful start to what is now an amazing relationship. We were both single for a while before meeting, I think it was close to a year.
How long after you started dating did it take to pop the question, was it an immediate yes? And who asked who?
So after about 18 months we were heading out to dinner for Thomas’s birthday to a beautiful restaurant called The Ivory, which sadly is no longer here. Afterwards we had taken a walk along the river and as Thomas was distracted by the sky and the moon, as the night was just so clear, I had said “What if I was to ask you to marry me?” And just as Thomas turned round, I was standing with a ring in my hand and popped the question! It was an immediate yes! With lots of joyful tears, a very special moment that will never be forgotten.
Tell us about your BIG DAY, location, amount of guests etc.
We had a beautiful June Saturday Summer
wedding. We Had Our Ceremony, Dinner and Reception all in one location, through a carefully orchestrated wedding event team at The Bannville Hotel in Banbridge Co Down. The day was set up across three rooms, we had the entire hotel and the grounds for us and our guests. We had a small Spiritual Ceremony with around 40 people in house, conducted by a Spiritual Minister and the President of the Belfast Spiritual Church, and then opted for an intimate dinner with our immediate family just Patrick’s parents and our siblings, a time we are both so grateful for. We wanted a part of our wedding day to be carefree and having everyone around that one table together was perfect for us. We then had a location shoot for photographs at Brownlow Castle for our couple photos on the day in- between Ceremony & Dinner while our guests enjoyed a cocktail hour. We had 120
Guests for our reception party in the evening. Our entertainment was provided by a long time friend of Patrick’s and Q Radio/Downtown Radio presenter Declan Willson and his Entertainment Production Company, Perfect Events. A perfect ending to a perfect day.
What about the food and drink?
Our menu for our private dinner was not a traditional wedding set menu. We wanted everyone to enjoy and feel comfortable so we asked everyone to pick their favourite meal and the hotel catered a beautiful dinner, allowing everyone to have something they enjoyed. It was such a good idea, as had we had a large sitdown dinner with the 120 guests it wouldn’t have been as real and memorable. We choose things this way so we could have that quality time with our family before the reception. We couldn’t let the guests at the reception go without food, so we did also put a large spread buffet out for our party guests that evening, as we had several people traveling in form across UK & IRL.
Were there any hiccups or did all go to plan?
No, the day ran so smoothly; we woke up and the sun was shining. After all the months of planning you mentally prepare yourself for an issue or a problem, but we had two incredible wedding planners with years of experience under their belts that give us the peace of mind that we needed it. So truthfully if any problems did arise myself and Patrick wasn’t aware and every detail and moment was taken care of, we honestly couldn’t have faulted anything throughout the day.
Have you been on or are you going on honeymoon?
Yes, two days after we got Married, we went and registered our marriage with the Council and then Jetted off to Greece for a beautiful sunny romantic trip. We totally fell in love with the island. It was just magical and perfect for us. After the extremely busy day, and months leading up to the wedding, it was well and truly needed to wind down and relax.
In your daily lives what do you do for work? What interests do you share and have that are different?
So my husband Patrick is a Project Controller for a Civil Engineering Firm that covers NI & Scotland. I am an Author and Spiritual Coach, we also jointly run a Holistic & Wellness Events Company for the likes of Fairs to Retreats. It’s a great adventure we just have natural joint forces on.
Do you do everything together in terms of socialising, travel?
I’m not ashamed to say it, we just genuinely enjoy each other’s company, so yes, we do most things together, I’m married to my best friend so it’s just natural. We do have different hobbies in respect of our own individual likes and interests, example being, I’m very into music, love the arts and do a lot of mindfulness activities with friends, and for Patrick, he loves playing and watching the Snooker and his biggest passion is Boxing and enjoys training most days of the week. Even if there’s something the one of us is doing or wants to attend, that the other half won’t necessarily enjoy, we support one another and go along with it. Life is about being happy and finding joy in the things that make you and your other half happy.
Have you a family, is this something on the plan for you?
We don’t have any children yet, it is something
that we have discussed. We are both quite career driven and would really only begin the process once we felt we had the means and life to support a child. We are still young so who knows what the future holds. At the moment we have two beautiful golden labs at the young age of 18 months to keep us busy and entertained as you can imagine.
Tell us who made your day possible in terms of rings, flowers, photographer, cars etc, Our photographer was Courtney Hamilton. She is a true artist who made us feel so comfortable and was so professional, orchestrating the running of the wedding the way she thought best and we couldn’t fault her at all, she did an amazing job. Our rings are from a Dutch Designer in the Netherlands “Willemijn”. Our decors and flowers set across three rooms were by a very talented event design team lead by Kylie from Happily Ever After who sat us down, listened to what we wanted and completed it without any hesitation or any issues. Everyone we had to make our day special was absolutely and truly brilliant.
11. Has anything changed since you said, “I Do”?
Not in the sense of something big or dramatic, we have been together so long as we got married on our tenth anniversary, so we already have
built our life together, from buying our first home, first car and everything else that couples do after they get married. Our wedding was just the perfect way to celebrate our tenth year and was the icing on top of the cake to say “I DO”
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More about Marc
Born and raised in Anna Maria Island - Marc started in the gay adult world in 2008 after working in the mainstream television and movie industry. He’s filmed all over the world including South Africa, Germany, Paris, Barcelona, Ibiza, Malaga, Mykonos, Toronto, Montreal, London, Turks and Caicos, Costa Rica, Scotland, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Sicily, Portugal and everywhere else. In 2013 he started his own production house Nasty Boy Productions and he produces, writes and directs content for the biggest studios in the industry.
In 2021 Marc started the popular podcast Discretion Advised which mixes his love of pop culture and the adult world. Marc has also created and hosted a live stage show in Fire Island for the last 10 years and will soon be debuting a new tv show based on it called, “Hot Tub Games with Marc MacNamara”.
PAUL
AN EMBODIED JOURNEY TO REMEMBERING
There is a unique kind of wounding that exists within the queer community; one that is deeply embodied, living not just in our minds but in our nervous systems, our breath, our muscles, our very being. Many of us have spent our lives contorting ourselves to fit into a world that wasn’t made for us. We have shrunk, tightened, braced, dissociated, or numbed ourselves to survive. But what if we could release that? What if we could reclaim our bodies, our desires, our softness, and our power?
That is the intention behind the Sacred Soul Soma Retreat I am hosting in Blaney Spa, County Fermanagh on the 16th to 18th May. An immersive, transformational space designed for those of us who carry the residues of shame, rejection, and suppression in our very bones. This retreat is not just about an experience; it is about somatic liberation, about coming home to ourselves in a way many of us never thought possible.
The Queer Body Holds the Trauma of a Lifetime
For many queer people, our earliest experiences of the world are marked by micro-traumas that shape the way we move through life. Whether it was the first time we were told we were “too much” or “not enough,” the sting of rejection from family, the fear of holding a lover’s hand in public, or the way we instinctively check a room before speaking freely; all these moments accumulate.
Even for those of us who have done “the work”; who have gone to therapy, found community, embraced self-love, there is often a lingering residue in the body. Our nervous systems remain in states of hypervigilance or shutdown. We may find it difficult to fully trust, to fully surrender, to fully breathe.
Why Heal Now?
In my work, I have seen people experience a deep, embodied sense of belonging for the first time. I have witnessed rigid fears dissolve, old traumas surface and be released, and joy break through where there was once only numbness. These experiences can be profoundly liberating, especially when held in a safe and intentional container. This retreat is not just about hoping for a revelation. It is a carefully structured journey, integrating somatic bodywork, breathwork, movement, and emotional release to ensure that what arises during the experience can be processed, embodied, and integrated into daily life.
The Power of a Healing Space
One of the most powerful aspects of this retreat is the community aspect; being surrounded by people who truly get it. Too often, even in wellness spaces, we have to explain or defend our experiences. Here, we don’t. There is an unspoken understanding, a shared language of survival, a collective holding that allows for a deeper level of surrender. Many of us have never had a fully safe space to explore our sexuality, our bodies, our desires, and our emotions without fear of judgment. In this retreat, we create that space together. A space where softness is not weakness, where vulnerability is strength, where our emotions; whether grief, rage, joy, or desire, are all welcomed as sacred.
A Journey of Deep Integration
Please note, this column is the opinion of the columinst and not that of GNI or Romeo & Julian Publiccations Ltd.
The retreat does not end when it is over. Too often, people have profound breakthroughs but struggle to bring those insights into their daily lives. That is why integration is a central part of this journey.
translate these experiences into real, lasting change. Whether that means learning to set boundaries, cultivating self-compassion, deepening intimacy, or finding new ways to express your authentic self, we will ensure that you leave with the tools to continue your healing.
Who Is This Retreat For?
This retreat is for individuals who are ready to go deep. You do not need to have prior experience with any modalities; only a willingness to explore, to feel, and to trust the process. It is for those who feel disconnected from their bodies, who struggle with self-acceptance, who want to release old wounds and step into a fuller, freer version of themselves. Whether you are newly exploring your queerness or have been out for decades, whether you come with excitement or trepidation, you will be met with warmth, care, and deep respect.
Final Thoughts
Healing is not a linear path, and it is certainly not a solitary one. As queer people, we heal in community. We heal when we are seen, when we are held, when we are given permission to take up space.
This retreat is an invitation to come home to yourself, to your body, to your joy. To release what no longer serves you and to step into the wholeness that has always been your birthright.
If you feel the call, I would love to walk this journey with you.
Paul McAllister- Soul Script IG: soulscript.pm Facebook: soulscript.pm Email: soulscript.pm@gmail.com
ALEXIS
HOW OUT & ACTIVE NI HAS HELPED ME FEEL ANCHORED
“You’re very welcome here,” a man said to me at a checkout in a shop a few months after I moved to Northern Ireland. He noticed I didn’t have a native accent and asked where I was from. His friendly question led me to reflect on my journey to belonging. Since starting life as a French expat in the UK (after spending a few years in Wales, Scotland, and England before arriving in Northern Ireland), I’ve made friends at university, at work, and through my husband’s friends, but I never truly felt like I belonged anywhere.
When I moved to Northern Ireland in March 2020 (yes, during that time when everything shut down), I coincidentally decided to take the plunge and launch my career as a self-employed English-to-French translator, which meant working from home full-time. As I was aware of the need to break my isolation, I attempted to join several groups based on different interests but always feared not fitting in. For various reasons, those groups didn’t work for me. However, I can confidently say that the past few months with Out & Active NI have provided the sense of belonging I had been seeking.
Out & Active NI is exactly what I was looking for, and I’m fortunate to have been part of the adventure since day one. On October 1, 2024, while road-tripping across Canada and mid-order at a fast food chain, my friend Ryan Lee-Gribben (our chairperson) called me to pitch his idea for a sports and social group for LGBTQ+ people in Northern Ireland and asked me if I would agree to be part of it. I said yes straight away. The goal was to create a safe space where we could play games, enjoy sports, and meet new people outside of bars. I had no idea then that it would grow into a large and vibrant community with over 1,500 Instagram followers.
As someone with introverted tendencies, stepping out of my comfort zone to help run the group was daunting. But I’m so glad I did. I’ve experienced significant personal growth since our first bowling event in November. I still remember the burst of excitement and energy I felt as we left the bowling alley, realising it was the beginning of something special.
our members have been forgiving. There’s nothing like misnaming someone to ensure you remember their name next time!
What makes Out & Active NI so special is the variety of events we host. Sure, we’ve had a few hikes and dips already, but each event brings something new. The ever-changing lineup means we see fresh faces at every gathering. While we’re always excited when first timers become regulars, I also love the excitement of meeting new people each time.
Small talk has never been my forte, but I’m improving! It’s not something we typically do as much in France, at least not where I grew up. Connecting with our members has helped me feel more comfortable with it. And when there’s an opportunity for a deeper conversation, I’m in
Please note, this column is the opinion of the columinst and not that of GNI or Romeo & Julian Publiccations Ltd.
Fears and anxieties melt away when you’re surrounded by like-minded people eager to socialise. While I’ve always prided myself on having a good memory for names, my confidence has been tested as I’ve taken on the role of preparing name tags for events. There have been moments where I was 99% sure of someone’s name, only to find out I was wrong. Thankfully,
my element. That’s precisely what I love about our group. There’s a time for the activity where we can all have fun (running through Belfast to complete challenges at various landmarks, playing board games in a café in Banbridge or playing minigolf) and then we can all socialise together over a nice cup
whoever wants to stick around. In such a short time, I’ve made very good friends, and I hope to keep them for a long time.
Out & Active NI is, above all, a community group with a strong sense of friendship. Our success would not be possible without a committee that works exceptionally well together. Not only are we a great team, but we genuinely enjoy each other’s company. At our Doan hike, for instance, it was officially Conor’s event, but Ryan brought teas and coffees, Gary handled the legal forms, and Colm and I managed the name tags. That teamwork buzz is something I particularly like. Stepping out of my comfort zone has always been a personal mantra. It’s often the key to happiness. I’ll admit I wasn’t particularly excited about our rounders event—a grey and cold Sunday morning: “yay”. But not only am I glad I went, it turned out to be my favourite event so far. Playing games with friendly people made all the difference. It really doesn’t matter what you’re doing when the atmosphere is positive. I also love seeing others trying something new and unexpected. After our sea dip in Ballygally in March, someone who had never dipped before asked, “When’s the next one?” That’s always a great sign! There’s an overwhelming sense of pride when members leave an event I was in charge of and tell us how much they had fun.
One thing I’ve learned is that every event is an opportunity to build connections. I’ve made friends I would never have met otherwise. The diversity of our community brings
so many perspectives and stories together. We all have a unique story, and yet we’re united by our desire to make friendships.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to see how Out & Active NI will continue to grow. I’d love to see us explore even more activities. The possibilities are endless. What I’m most hopeful for is that we keep inspiring people to push themselves and try something new. I know our group already means a lot to many people, and I cannot wait to see the difference we will have made in a few years’ time.
It’s still astonishing to think we held our first event just last November. It’s been a fun and busy journey. On a personal level, I’ve never felt more grounded. I’m incredibly lucky to have a husband who constantly encourages me to try new things. Out & Active NI has been exactly what I needed to find that sense of belonging. If, like me, you’re looking to find your community and you’re free on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM (our usual day and time for events, though this may vary depending on the activity), I highly recommend giving it a go. Step outside your comfort zone, lace up your shoes, and arrive with an open mind! You won’t regret it, and you’ll thank yourself for trying something new. Everyone was a newcomer once, and we all understand what it’s like to feel a little nervous.
To see our upcoming events, check out our Instagram page (@outandactiveni) where you’ll find links to our Meetup page (Out & Active NI) for event signups and our WhatsApp group for practical information and friendly banter. By Alexis Montgomery-Bugel
ELLISE
SPRING INTO STRENGTH: A HEALTH & FITNESS GUIDE FOR THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY
As April arrives with its fresh energy, longer days, and warmer weather- (FINALLY), it’s the perfect time to focus on your health—both physical and mental. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, fitness can be a complicated journey. Gyms may not always feel welcoming, wellness spaces can sometimes lack inclusivity, and traditional fitness narratives often fail to embrace diverse bodies, identities, and needs.
GENUINELY: fitness and well-being are so important for everyone and every body. Whether you’re looking to get stronger, improve your mental health, or simply be able to move with ease, this guide will help you create a sustainable, affirming, and empowering approach to health this spring.
1. Moving for Strength—On Your Own Terms
LISTEN: Exercise is NOT only about changing your body to fit societal expectations. It can be about feeling strong, healthier, grounded, and in tune with yourself.
Queer Fitness: Find What Works for You
I’ll say it as an LGBTQ+ coach and for the people at the back. A lot of the fitness industry often promotes a narrow version of health!
YOUR wellness journey is personal to YOU. Ask yourself:
• What types of movement feel good for my body?
• How can I exercise in ways that affirm my identity?
• What spaces and communities make me feel safe and included?
Remember: There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to health and fitness. I’ll always preach the benefits of lifting weights and cardio, but include what feels more aligned with your needs. Maybe dance makes you feel free, or boxing gives you confidence. Choose what brings you joy because nothing is going to be a quick fix and it has to be something you enjoy to make it sustainable long term.
April’s Outdoor Fitness Reset
Spring is a great time to step outside and move in ways that feel natural and enjoyable. Here are some options:
Please note, this column is the opinion of the columinst and not that of GNI or Romeo & Julian Publiccations Ltd.
• Walking & Running: A solo jog or a walk with a friend can be a great way to reconnect with your body. If running feels a bit daunting but something you want to do. We’ve heard it everywhere but couch to 5K will be your best friend and the sensible way to build it up.
• Outdoor Strength Training: if you have a few bits at home kettlebells, dumbbells or resistance bands get out into the garden and follow a little plan.
• Group Fitness: Look for LGBTQ+ friendly running groups, outdoor yoga sessions, or inclusive gyms and small group PT coaches!
2. Food as Fuel—Not as Restriction
Many of us have complicated relationships with food, often shaped by societal pressures or past experiences. This spring, let’s shift the mindset: food is not about restriction—it’s about nourishment and care.
Spring’s Seasonal Superfoods
We all know by now we need to get our macros into our meals. Wherever we look we see protein, healthy fats and complex carbs but what can we add along with these to get the most out of our nutrition? Eating with the seasons means fresher, more nutrient-dense meals. Try incorporating:
• Asparagus: Great for digestion and gut health. Strawberries: Packed with antioxidants and vitamin C.
• Leafy Greens (Spinach, Kale): Full of iron and folate, essential for energy.
• Legumes (Chickpeas, Lentils): A plant-based protein.
• Avocado & Nuts: Healthy fats that support brain function and hormone balance.
Hydration is also key—especially as the weather warms up. I see you, Let’s Stop counting your cups of tea and morning coffee as hydration. Caffeine actually dehydrates us. Get the water in. 2-3 Litres daily. The more active you are the easier this will seem. Hydrate before you caffeinate.
3. Mental Well-Being: Strength from Within
Health isn’t just about the body—it’s about the mind, too. The LGBTQ+ community faces unique stressors, including discrimination, gender dysphoria, and the pressures of navigating identity in different spaces. A holistic fitness routine will help with mental well-being as much as physical.
Mindfulness & Movement
Physical activity is a great tool for mental health. It can reduce anxiety, improve mood, and help
with stress management. Consider adding mindfulness to your fitness routine:
• Try yoga or stretching outdoors to connect with your body in a gentle, affirming way.
• Practice deep breathing exercises to calm the nervous system.
• Use journaling as a self-care practice to track your progress and emotions.
Queer Joy as Resistance
Finding joy in movement, nourishing food, and self-care is a radical act. So much of mainstream fitness culture is about “fixing” yourself—but you are already whole. Celebrate your wins, embrace your identity, and surround yourself with supportive people who uplift you.
4. Creating Affirming Spaces for Fitness
Unfortunately, not all gyms or fitness spaces feel welcoming for LGBTQ+ individuals. If you’re looking for a space that respects your identity, consider:
• Seeking LGBTQ+ inclusive gyms or trainers who understand your needs. Don’t be afraid to reach out @ efr_coaching on instagram.
• Have a coach create a home workout plan if public spaces feel unsafe or dysphoric.
• Join small group training with other members of the community to feel empowered.
If you’re transgender, nonbinary, or gender non-conforming, fitness spaces can be especially tricky. Some individuals experience dysphoria around certain exercises or locker room environments. Work out in ways that feel right for you—there’s no “right” way to exercise.
5. Staying Motivated and Accountable
Don’t rely on ‘having the Motivation’ it comes and goes, here are some ways to stay on track:
• Set goals that feel achievable and good (not just about weight or appearance). Find your reason why. Why do you want
to do it, why is it so important to you? Your Why needs to outweigh relying on motivation alone.
• Find people to hold you accountable
• (Maybe a friend or group who share your goals).
• Celebrate progress (big wins, small wins, strength, energy levels, habit stacking, mental clarity, gaining back your confidence, doing something for the first time, stepping out of your comfort zone. All things that are equally as important as physical changes.
Final Thoughts: Your Health, Your Way
This April, commit to health on your own terms. Whether that means moving more, having
Fitness isn’t about fitting into a mold—it’s about feeling at home in your body and mind. You deserve to feel strong, safe, and celebrated in every step of your health and wellness journey.
Now go out there, embrace the spring energy, and that good weather (long may it last!) and move in ways that feel right and empowering for you!
If you need anymore fitness advice or are interested in working with a Personal Trainer you can find me on Instagram - efr_coaching
Ellise Richards x
MARTIN
TRIATHLON IRELANDSPORTING PRIDE
This summer Triathlon Ireland and Sporting Pride are proud to announce an exciting initiative with a 6 week Triathlon training programme. A Triathlon may seem like an unlikely goal for some, but it’s far more than just a physical challenge. For the LGBTQ+ community, Triathlon training offers unique mental, emotional, and social benefits. Running, swimming and cycling have always had the power to transform lives, and Triathlon training, in particular, can be an empowering journey that strengthens not just the body but also self-confidence, resilience, and community connections.
In a world where LGBTQ+ individuals often face discrimination, isolation, or internalized doubts, Running, swimming and cycling can be a powerful tool for reclaiming agency, building pride, and finding inner strength. Whether you’re an avid runner or someone who hasn’t run since gym class, here’s why LGBTQ+ people might find training not only rewarding but deeply affirming.
The LGBTQ+ community is statistically more likely to experience mental health challenges due to social stigma, discrimination, and higher rates of anxiety, depression, and trauma. Our training, however, can serve as a mental health lifeline. Regular Running, swimming and cycling has been scientifically proven to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression by boosting endorphins (the brain’s feel-good chemicals), improving sleep, and providing an outlet for stress.
Moreover, the long training can double as time for reflection, mindfulness, and mental clarity. Running, swimming and cycling teaches patience, goal-setting, and the ability to overcome discomfort—valuable tools for navigating not just a race but the ups and downs of life.
For LGBTQ+ individuals, simply existing authentically can feel like an act of defiance in a world that hasn’t fully embraced diversity. Training for and completing a marathon is another powerful expression of strength and endurance. Each mile is a reminder of your resilience.
Running, swimming and cycling also strengthens your connection to your body in positive ways. This can be especially important for LGBTQ+ people who may have struggled with body image or dysphoria. Training helps you focus on what your body can do, rather than how it looks. Watching your legs carry you farther and faster with each passing week can be an empowering, liberating experience.
One of the greatest joys of training is the sense of community that comes with it. Whether you join a local Running, swimming or cycling club, train with friends, or participate in LGBTQ+-friendly athletic groups, you’ll quickly discover that Running, swimming and cycling are rarely solo endeavours.
bonds that extend beyond the miles. For those who may feel disconnected from the traditional LGBTQ+ scenes, Running, swimming and cycling clubs offer an inclusive and healthy way to build friendships and find mentorship.
There are persistent stereotypes about LGBTQ+ people that suggest they don’t belong in certain spaces—sports, fitness, and endurance running included. Our training is a way to challenge those stereotypes head-on. It’s a powerful reminder that LGBTQ+ people are diverse, multifaceted, and capable of excelling in any field or pursuit, including athletics.
By getting involved you’re helping to change perceptions and expand what it means to be part of the LGBTQ+ community. You’re also creating visibility for queer athletes, which can inspire younger LGBTQ+ individuals to take up sports without fear of judgment.
Crossing the finish line is an emotional, life-changing moment. For many it represents not just the culmination of
Please note, this column is the opinion of the columinst and not that of GNI or Romeo & Julian Publiccations Ltd.
Many LGBTQ+ athletes have found camaraderie in organizations I have created like Belfast Frontrunners, a running club for LGBTQ+ people and allies. Training with others who share your values and experiences creates
celebration—just as you are.
Whether you’re running, swimming and cycling your first 5K or tackling the iconic 26.2 miles, each race is an opportunity to celebrate your pride, your resilience, and your place in the world. Imagine Running and cycling through the streets of your city, cheered on by spectators, knowing that your journey represents not just a personal victory, but a statement of LGBTQ+ visibility, courage, and strength.
Training can also serve as a platform for activism. I for example have used races to raise funds and awareness for causes I care about, including LGBTQ+ rights, Dementia and HIV/AIDS research. Running, swimming and cycling for a cause adds deeper meaning to your training and can amplify your voice in the fight for equality.
You don’t need to be an elite athlete to start training. All you need is a bit of courage, and a willingness to take that first step. Start small, set realistic goals, and remember that progress is more important than perfection and you can achieve your goals with our Triathlon Ireland Coach of the year 23’, Ciaran McGarrity.
Our training isn’t just about running, swimming and cycling —it’s about discovering what you’re capable of, building connections, and finding joy in the journey. For LGBTQ+
people, it can be a powerful path to pride, both on and off the racecourse. So let’s take your first step toward strength, visibility, and freedom.
Hot Hits & Celeb Bits Gary Campion
Hey everyone! I’m back in the editor’s seat just in time for the Easter break, and I can’t wait to share some amazing new tracks and timeless classics that definitely deserve a spot on your playlists! I’ll be diving into Self Esteem’s latest album and sharing my top picks from this year’s Record Store Day – I’m super excited about that!
Just like my experience with Texas last year, I’m putting it out there: I absolutely must see Self Esteem live in the next 12 months! I’ve been a huge fan ever since I saw them blow us away with “Fuckin Whizardry” on the Graham Norton Show back in 2022... so here’s to hoping! Fingers crossed!
Album Release...
Self-Esteem
- A
Complicated Woman - Released 25th April
Prepare to be captivated by this remarkable album that solidifies her as one of the most entrancing artists in today’s music scene! This eagerly awaited sequel to the acclaimed “Prioritise Pleasure” bursts with vibrant energy, celebrating empowerment, identity, and the beautiful complexities of modern womanhood.
Right from the opening notes of “I Do And I Don’t Care,” you’ll find yourself swept into a bold sonic adventure filled with infectious pop melodies and poignant lyrics. The standout single, “Focus Is Power,” is a rousing anthem for self-determination, featuring uplifting choruses that linger in your mind and are supported by an exhilarating choir of predominantly female voices. It’s a song that radiates joy and inspires!
Taylor’s unique ‘Trojan Horse’ style shines through, intertwining meaningful messages with catchy hooks, making deep themes relatable for everyone. This album also showcases stellar collaborations with artists like Nadine Shah and Moonchild Sanelly, creating a rich blend of experiences and emotions. The combination of personal narratives and collective voices fosters a deep sense of connection, beautifully capturing Taylor’s vision of solidarity among women.
Every track is a carefully crafted gem, revealing layers of complexity and emotion. From the introspective “Mother” to the empowering anthem “Cheers To Me,” featuring that unforgettable line, “the worst idea I ever had was you!”, this album promises an exhilarating and heartwarming journey. Don’t miss the a cappella highlight “What Now,” where stunning harmonies meet lush church organ chords.
Having evolved from her indie roots with Slow Club, Self Esteem has emerged as a true force in pop music. With “A Complicated Woman,” she shines a light on the beauty of taking control of your narrative amid life’s chaos. This album is an experience you won’t want to pass up!
top 5 gig tracks of 2025 (part two):
My
ALANIS MORISSETTE
CRAZY (JAMES MICHAEL MIX)
Reflect on 2006; this song was featured in The Devil Wears Prada movie and soundtrack. That is all!
TEXAS
SAY WHAT YOU WANT
In 1997, I was preparing for my GCSEs, and this song was everywhere. It has remained a favorite on my playlists ever since. Recently, they have once again topped my lists after a lovely interview with Sharleen.
DAVID GRAY
PLEASE FORGIVE ME
The Keys, the chords and the melody instantly recognisable ever now 20 years later, he is playing to a sold out Custom House Square this summer, I predict the full audience will sing back for this song at the gig.
NILE RODGERS
I WAS MADE FOR LOVIN’ YOU FT HOUSE GOSPEL CHOIR
A disco track reminiscent of Studio 54 featuring the incredible House Gospel Choir on vocals; I dare you not to sing along.
KATY PERRY SMALL TALK
Although it isn’t one of her biggest singles, I loved the thought-provoking break-up and friendship lyrics instantly. She knows how to put on a show, and I can’t wait for my nieces to experience it with me later this year.
top tracks from the last 5 gigs I am going to this year:
Vinyls of the moment...
Record Store Day UK - 12/04/25
Record Store Day is an incredible annual event that brings together over 270 independent record shops across the UK to celebrate the vibrant culture of vinyl music! As a passionate vinyl collector, this day holds a special place in my heart, the thrilling part: the limited copies fly off the shelves, so you really have to be on your toes! Some titles may have only one copy available in each store, making it all the more exhilarating. This year, I’m particularly eager to snag a few must-have releases:
Wicked: The Soundtrack
Not sure if I have mentioned it before but I am a MASSIVE Wicked fan! This stunning 2 LP edition features a glitter green and a glitter pink vinyl, along with an exclusive bonus track that’s previously been digital-only! Plus, it comes with a lovely poster and a numbered vinyl jacket, making it a fantastic collector’s item!
Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Kitchen Disco (Live at The London Palladium)
Experience the magic of Sophie’s unforgettable live performance with this exclusive Record Store Day release. This gorgeous gold vinyl set is in a gatefold sleeve, individually numbered, with only 2,000 copies available. Featuring hits like “Murder on the Dancefloor,” this 2LP set brilliantly captures the fun and electrifying spirit of Sophie’s Kitchen Disco shows, which turned countless living rooms into dance floors during the COVID lockdowns!
Jamiroquai: A Funk Odyssey!
This originally droopped in September 2001, this fifth studio gem got tons of love from fans and critics alike, mixing funk, disco, and electronica in a way that just works. It gave us unforgettable tracks like “Little L” and “You Give Me Something,” really putting Jamiroquai on the map everywhere. This special Record Store Day 2LP edition is coming out on eye-catching “Corner Of The Earth Blue Green splatter vinyl,” with proceeds going to the amazing War Child Charity.
Dannii Minogue: Neon Nights
Remixed Following the successful 20th Anniversary reissue of Neon Nights, my old chum Dannii is back with an exciting twist! Neon Nights Remixed features fantastic new remixes created for 2023, marking their vinyl debut. I can’t wait to discover the fresh takes from Initial Talk, AMYL, Luke Mornay, Project K, and a new remix of “Put The Needle on It” by Korpi & Blackcell that promises to get everyone moving!
This years Record Store Day is shaping up to be extraordinary, and I can’t wait to see what gems I can uncover! Happy digging, everyone! x
TOP five LATEST RELEASES ON REPEAT
SUGABABES
- JUNGLE
They have made their comeback and are now an independent artist. This house-pop synth track explores the theme of escaping the 9-to-5 routine, reminiscent of the sound they released at the beginning of their career— imagine “Overload” transformed into a house track.
GRACIE ABRAMS - THAT’S SO TRUE
With over 850 million streams on Spotify, we can’t all be wrong about this guitar-led hit. She’s a Taylor Swift-approved singer-songwriter worth a listen.
SAM FENDER - PEOPLE WATCHING
Considering Newcastle FC’s recent big win, how could I not include this Geordie’s latest hot release? He can do no wrong right now and is performing at Tennent’s Vital later this summer.
CMAT - RUNNING/ PLANNING
I can’t believe they have lost three times at the Brits, Mercury Music Prize, and the Ivors. This laid-back track is the first single from the upcoming album, EuroCountry..
LINKIN PARKUP FROM THE BOTTOM
The lead single from the “From Zero Deluxe Edition” album highlights the reasons why Emily Armstrong was brought on as the lead vocalist in September 2024, following the
JO O’Neill
Hi Everyone!
Absolutely delighted to be your new beauty & makeup columnist. To introduce myself properly, I am the owner of Lipstick and Lashes Beauty Salon, established in 2010. Over the last 15 years I have been fortunate enough to work as an educator for leading brands including High Definition Brows and Nouveau Lashes, working at beauty shows and training salons across the UK & Ireland. I have grown a successful, multi award- winning salon with an amazing team and created our very own range of makeup products – L&L Professional Makeup. I have had the absolute pleasure of providing treatments for celebrities including the Iconic Melanic C, The Saturdays and Zoe Burkett and am now thrilled to join the columnist team at GNI Magazine and offer my hints, tips and reviews on everything beauty and makeup.
Hope you enjoy! X
Please note, this column is the opinion of the columinst and not that of GNI or Romeo & Julian Publiccations Ltd.
In our last issue we explored makeup trends of 2025, now we will dive into the latest skincare treatments, loved by celebrities, set to give you that smooth glowing complexion you’ve always dreamed of. Not everyone wants to go straight for the injectables, and there are numerous non-invasive aesthetic treatments that can provide amazing results. At my skin clinic we provide our clients with medical-grade, top-end skin treatments from leading brands including Environ- world renowned skin care brand that is scientifically formulated to deliver the best results for your skin type and Dermalux – Global leader in LED Phototherapy, with innovative and ground-breaking technology – using the power of light therapy to stimulate the repair of skin damage.
Let’s look at a few non-invasive skin treatments, from these renowned names, and others that will work to plump, lift, tighten and refine, turning back the clock to give you a firmer, more youthful looking complexion.
First off, skin peels: A Glow Beneath the Fear
The word peel can send shivers down the spine – visions of redness, flaking and discomfort enter the mind. But here’s the truth: when carried out by a professional, skin peels are not the enemy. In fact, they’re one of the most effective ways to refresh your skin. Think of them as a deep cleanse for your complexion, whisking away dull, dead skin cells to reveal the radiant, babysoft glow beneath. With minimal to no downtime, they work behind the scenes to refine texture, even out tone, and kickstart new cell growth.
rejuvenating the skin without irritation. If you’re after smoother, healthier, and more radiant skin, this is definitely one to try
Brad Pitt, Megan Fox and Margot Robbie are all rumoured to be fans of skin peels.
So, should you fear the peel? Absolutely not. Should you embrace it? Your future glowing skin would say yes!
LED Phototherapy
Light therapy is stealing the spotlight, with at-home masks illuminating the beauty world—literally. Harnessing the power of blue, red, and near-infrared light, these high-tech treatments are revolutionizing skincare and even uplifting moods.
Leading the charge is Dermalux, an award-winning LED phototherapy system that delivers clinically proven wavelengths to awaken the skin’s natural healing and rejuvenation process—no pain, no downtime, just radiant results.
Like a symphony of light, the Dermalux trio of wavelengths work in harmony: Blue light battles blemishes, Red light ignites collagen production and restores glow, while NearInfrared light dives deep to calm, heal, and strengthen. And the magic doesn’t stop when the session ends—the skin continues to glow with newfound vitality long after the light fades. With each treatment lasting up to 20 minutes, this is undoubtedly one of the most relaxing skincare experiences.
Right now, my go-to peel is the Environ TCA Cool Peel, and I’ve seen amazing results! This non-invasive treatment uses low concentrations of lactic acid or TCA to gently exfoliate the skin, targeting fine lines, sun damage, rosacea, acne, and scarring—all with minimal redness and downtime.
Unlike harsh acid peels, this one takes a gentler yet highly effective approach, making it perfect for refining and
Loved by celebrities like Victoria Beckham, Jessica Alba, and Jennifer Lopez, LED light therapy has become a must-have for achieving that coveted red-carpet glow. With its skinrejuvenating and moodboosting benefits, this is one treatment you’ll want to add to your beauty routine
While at-home
LED masks offer convenience, professional-grade light therapy devices used in skin clinics take results to the next level. These advanced systems deliver higher intensity and precision, to stimulate collagen production, accelerate healing, and enhance overall skin health.
By integrating regular professional treatments into your skincare routine, you’ll achieve faster, longerlasting results, making it a must-have investment for anyone committed to skin rejuvenation.
Collagen Induction Therapy!
With many names including microneedling, collagen induction therapy and dermarolling, the use of tiny sterile needles to create microscopic puncture wounds in the skin has long been a way for skin experts to stimulate the skin’s own healing process.
This minimally invasive cosmetic procedure works by stimulating the body’s natural healing response and boosting collagen production, resulting in smoother, more radiant skin. A favourite in the salon, this treatment is best experienced as a course of 3–4 sessions, spaced 4–6 weeks apart, to achieve optimal, long-lasting results. Whether you’re targeting fine lines, uneven texture, or overall skin rejuvenation, this treatment is a winner for glowing, healthy skin.
Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Kim Kardashian have praised microneedling, calling it a “gamechanger” for its skin-tightening and rejuvenating effects. Even Brad Pitt is rumoured to be a fan! With its ability to boost collagen, refine skin texture, and enhance overall radiance, it’s no surprise this treatment has earned a spot in the beauty routines of Hollywood’s elite.
Radiofrequency (RF) Skin Tightening: The Secret to Firmer, Youthful Skin
Like me, anyone stepping into the 40+ club starts
noticing those subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) changes—fine lines, wrinkles, and a little
A long-lasting beauty boost with no downtime? Yes, please
less firmness than before. Suddenly, skin tightening becomes a bigger priority as we look for ways to maintain a youthful, lifted appearance.
Radiofrequency (RF) skin tightening is a non-invasive aesthetic treatment that harnesses radiofrequency energy to gently heat the skin’s deeper layers. This process stimulates collagen and elastin production, resulting in a firmer, tighter, and more youthful appearance.
Loved for its natural-looking results and minimal downtime, RF skin tightening is ideal for reducing fine lines, improving skin laxity, and enhancing overall tone and texture. Whether used as a preventative treatment or to restore lost firmness, RF is a go-to solution for those looking to lift and tighten without surgery.
One of the leading RF skin tightening treatments that I’m absolutely bursting to try is Thermage. Known for its ability to lift, firm, and contour the skin with zero downtime, this treatment has been a favourite among celebrities (including Demi Moore and Amanda Holden), and skincare enthusiasts alike. RF skin tightening isn’t just instant—it keeps improving over time! As collagen continues to rebuild and remodel, skin becomes firmer, smoother, and tighter for up to six months after just one treatment.
Thermage is available at medical led aesthetics clinic - ASC Belfast – aestheticsskinclinic Botanic Avenue.
As we wrap up - why not explore one of these remarkable treatments to elevate your skincare routine? I am eager to experience Thermage… I’ll be sure to keep you posted on my experience once I finally take the plunge!
If you have any questions you can reach me at: Facebook - lipstickandlashesofficial Instagram @lipstkandlashes Online - www.lipstickandlashes.me
Doop...
lidl’s new hair and skincare line
Ahead of its brand-new line of luxuryinspired beauty, hair and skincare products hitting Lidl stores across the region this week, Lidl Northern Ireland has revealed that 92% of Irish beauty consumers say they will ditch their usual beauty products in favour of Lidl’s new luxuryinspired collection.
This comes after the leading discount retailer held an official launch of its new beauty range at the exclusive ‘DOOP by Lidl’ pop-up salon in Dublin earlier this month. Designed to rival high-end names, this new range delivers premium quality at a fraction of the cost, with prices starting as low as £1.99.
Research carried out on customers who received treatments using the new products at the ‘DOOP by Lidl’ salon earlier this month revealed that 91% of consumers say Lidl’s new beauty range is the same or better quality as rival brands and 95% would recommend the new products to friends and family. According to salon-goers, quality (51%) and ingredients (25%) are the two most important considerations when choosing a beauty product.
When asked if high-quality beauty products are generally affordable for the average customer, the majority (68%) said ‘no’, yet over half (54%) of consumers agreed that Lidl’s range offers better value for money than their usual products.
Convenience also played a significant role, with 93% saying they would find it more convenient to pick up their beauty products while doing the weekly shop, rather than purchasing their beauty hauls online or in a pharmacy retailer.
Lidl’s new beauty line range of luxury-inspired, premium products hit shelves on Thursday, 20th March and will be available in Lidl’s 44 stores across Northern Ireland, ensuring every shopper can “Go Full Lidl” and shop without compromise.
Skincare expert Corinna Tolan, who demonstrated the new products at the ‘DOOP by Lidl’ pop-up salon, endorsed the line saying:
“Lidl’s new beauty range is a game changer. The new product range offers customers luxury beauty products but without the high-end price tags – I’ve tried them all and the products truly work! No matter what your budget is everyone deserves a bit of luxury in their daily routine. The products you can now get at your local Lidl stand side by side with the big names in the beauty industry quality-wise but priced with the everyday shopper in mind. It’s all about giving people a chance to indulge in premium beauty without any of the usual fuss or expenseand I’m all for that!
“Each product in this new range has been meticulously formulated to match the quality of luxury alternatives, proving that effective beauty solutions can be both high-performing and budgetfriendly. By leveraging extensive research and high-quality ingredients, Lidl aim that each product delivers visible results without the extravagant and sometimes overexaggerated price.”
The full collection includes:
Headshock - An everyday hair care line that rejuvenates and restores hair with peptide-infused formulas, including the Vitalising Hair Mask, Glossy Hair Oil, and Preserving Hair Serum, all starting at just €3.99. Top buys include the Headshock Vitalising Hair Mask - a powerful, peptide-infused treatment mask rejuvenates and restores hair, deeply hydrating, smoothing, and reducing frizz at just £3.99. Or get the A-list look with Una Healy’s favourite buy – the Headshock Peptide Restore Glossy Oil at £3.99 which the singer songwriter says, “leaves my hair so shiny - it looks like I’ve just been to the hairdresser!”
Face Facts - A skincare collection that preps, hydrates, and enhances your natural glow with treatments like the Perfect Prep Primer, One Step Mini Facial, Tinted Skincare Lip Oil and Bronzing Glow Drops. Products start from £1.99. ‘Doop by Lidl’ customer favourites include; Face Facts Bronzing Glow Drops - a hydrating, buildable bronzer enriched with antioxidant-rich papaya extract and hyaluronic acid, allowing customers to achieve a natural, sunkissed radiance that rivals luxury alternatives and Face Facts Tinted Skincare Lip Oil – a versatile lip
oil offering nourishing hydration with a subtle tint, available in enticing flavours such as Watermelon, Peach, and Grape, delivering a luxe finish without the extravagant price.
Deluxe D’Avignon – Lidl’s premium own brand hand and body soap and hand cream, focusing on hydration, fragrance and daily indulgence, ensuring a luxurious yet affordable experience. Products start from just £1.99. Salon favourite products include the Deluxe D’Avignon Hand Cream - inspired by French formulations and enriched with 20% Shea Butter, this hand cream offers deep hydration and protection, ensuring soft, nourished hands even in harsh weather.
In addition to the new line hitting stores, Lidl Northern Ireland also offers a range of everyday premium beauty at market-leading value, available all year round.
Lidl’s own-brand skincare range Ár Ocean is Irishmade, with products starting from just £3.49. The range harnesses nourishing benefits of sea minerals and Irish moss cultivated from the Atlantic Ocean for intensely hydrating and revitalising care. The range surged ahead in the satisfaction stakes, with a research study finding 94% would recommend Ár Ocean products and 96% said they were satisfied with the products.
For the ultimate glow up, Lidl’s Marbella Glow is an Irish-made, vegan, cruelty-free tanning range offering instant, buildable self-tans and essential accessories, with products starting from just £3.99. Consumer research found that 91% of found Lidl’s Vegan Self-Tanning Mousse was better value for money than their usual tan of choice.
Shoppers can now snap up Lidl’s new line of premium, luxury-inspired beauty products from all 44 Lidl stores across Northern Ireland.
A taste of elegance...
The ivy belfast
St. Patrick’s Day in Belfast is always a grand affair, and what better way to mark the occasion than with an indulgent meal at The Ivy?
Nestled in the heart of the city, this renowned establishment promises luxury, charm, and impeccable dining, and I can confidently say it delivers on all counts. Accompanied by my colleague Pauline, we stepped into the restaurant on March 17th, eager to experience what The Ivy had to offer—and from the moment we entered, we knew we were in for something special.
Ambience & Decor The Ivy Belfast boasts a décor that is nothing short of spectacular. The space is a visual feast, blending opulent art deco aesthetics with contemporary sophistication. Lush greenery drapes elegantly throughout the venue, accentuating the jewel-toned furnishings and dazzling chandeliers. Every detail, from the plush seating to the intricately patterned walls, exudes an air of refined luxury, creating an
atmosphere that feels both lively and intimate. The mood was further enhanced by the gentle hum of conversation, the clink of glasses, and the warm glow of soft lighting—perfect for a celebratory evening.
From the outset, the service at The Ivy was impeccable. The staff exuded professionalism and warmth, striking the perfect balance between attentiveness and discretion. Our server was knowledgeable, effortlessly guiding us through the menu and offering thoughtful recommendations. Despite the bustling St. Patrick’s Day crowd, we never felt rushed, and each dish arrived in perfect time. The overall experience was seamless, a testament to the restaurant’s dedication to providing top-tier hospitality.
Starters For my starter, I opted for the Classic Duck Salad, a dish that masterfully combined bold flavors and textures. The crispy duck was
beautifully tender, with just the right amount of richness, perfectly complemented by the fresh watermelon and hoisin dressing. It was a flawless start, setting the bar high for the rest of the meal.
Pauline chose the St Tola Goat’s Curd Salad, which was a delicate yet flavorful creation. The creamy, slightly tangy goat’s curd paired beautifully with the freshness of the Courgette ribbons. The addition of Hillsborough honey lent a touch of indulgence, making this an exceptional choice for a lighter but equally satisfying appetizer.
Mains Moving on to the main course, I indulged in the Rib-Eye Steak, cooked to absolute perfection. The steak was seared beautifully, boasting a crisp exterior while remaining juicy and flavorful inside. It was accompanied by a peppercorn sauce that added just the right amount of depth and heat. The sides—
Asparagus and Sprouting Broccoli—were simple yet expertly prepared, retaining their vibrant color and natural sweetness. Each bite was a reminder of why high-quality ingredients, when treated with respect, can create something truly special.
Pauline opted for The Ivy Classic Shepherd’s Pie, a dish that proved to be the epitome of comfort food with a sophisticated twist. The rich, slow-cooked lamb was layered beneath a silky, buttery mashed potato topping, with just a hint of crispness on the surface. Every spoonful delivered warmth and deep, satisfying flavors, making it a standout dish on the menu.
Desserts To round off my meal, I selected the Bushmills Whiskey Crème Brûlée. The flavor was exceptional, with the rich, caramelized
top giving way to a beautifully smooth and creamy custard infused with the warm depth of Bushmills whiskey. However, while the taste was impeccable, the texture wasn’t quite to my preference. It’s purely a personal preference, but next time I dine at The Ivy, I’ll be tempted to try the Fine Apple Tart, which takes 14 minutes to prepare, or the Dark Chocolate Orange Cheesecake, both of which sound like equally decadent ways to end a meal.
Pauline’s choice of Salted Caramel Chocolate Truffles, however, was a complete triumph. These decadent bites delivered an indulgent balance of rich chocolate and buttery caramel, with a delicate dusting of cocoa providing a bittersweet finish. It was an absolute delight to sample one (or maybe two!), and Pauline confirmed they were the perfect way to end her meal.
Additional Dining Options Beyond its exquisite à la carte menu, The Ivy Belfast offers a variety of dining experiences to suit all tastes and occasions. Their Two-Course Heritage Menu, priced at an incredible £19.95, is perfect for those looking for a refined yet affordable meal. The restaurant also boasts an impressive brunch menu, ideal for a leisurely weekend treat, and a luxurious Afternoon Tea experience that is as visually stunning as it is delicious. Additionally, The Ivy caters to all dietary requirements, ensuring that everyone, regardless of preference or restriction, can enjoy a meal tailored to their needs without compromise.
Final Thoughts Dining at The Ivy Belfast was a truly wonderful experience, offering a perfect blend of ambiance, top-quality food, and outstanding service. The menu expertly balances classic dishes with modern flair, ensuring that there is something to satisfy every palate. While my dessert didn’t quite hit the mark for me, that’s purely a matter of personal taste rather than execution. For anyone looking to celebrate a special occasion or simply enjoy an exceptional meal in a stunning setting, The Ivy Belfast is an absolute must-visit. Whether you’re after a cozy dinner, a lively lunch, or a festive gathering, this venue delivers an experience that lingers long after the last bite. A truly refined gem in the heart of Belfast.
A Personal Note: I would like to say a
heartfelt thank you to The Ivy Belfast for a truly memorable evening. Your commitment to excellence in food, service, and ambiance does not go unnoticed, and I look forward to returning soon.
Review by Daniel May
Molly & Tommy...
spoil yourself
Molly & Tommy is a vibrant, premium-quality brand, proudly serving the LGBTQIA+ community. Established in September 2019, the brand has quickly gained recognition for its bold designs and commitment to inclusivity. Beyond clothing, Molly & Tommy has expanded its product line to include lifestyle items that embody the brand’s ethos of pride and self-expression.
This issue I bring you a review of their amazing giftset which I can honestly say will appeal to anyone due to its variety, lets break down each item.
Eau de Parfum
The Molly & Tommy Eau de Parfum is a testament to the brand’s dedication to quality and individuality. Upon application, the fragrance unveils a harmonious blend of notes that are both refreshing and enduring. The top notes offer a crisp and invigorating introduction, seamlessly transitioning into a heart of subtle floral undertones. The base notes provide a warm and lasting finish, ensuring the scent lingers pleasantly throughout the day. The fragrance strikes a balance between boldness and subtlety, making it suitable for various occasions, from daytime wear to evening events. The sleek design of the bottle reflects the brand’s modern aesthetic, adding a touch of elegance to any dresser. For those seeking a signature scent that exudes confidence and sophistication, the Molly & Tommy Eau de Parfum is a commendable choice.
Hand & Body Wash
The Hand & Body Wash from Molly & Tommy offers a luxurious cleansing experience. Formulated with gentle ingredients, it effectively cleanses the skin without stripping it of its natural moisture. The lather is rich yet easy to rinse off, leaving the skin feeling refreshed and supple. The subtle fragrance complements the Eau de Parfum, allowing for layering without being overpowering. Regular use results in skin that feels nourished and soft to the touch. The packaging is both functional and stylish, featuring a pump dispenser that ensures convenience and hygiene. This product is ideal for those who appreciate a daily cleansing routine that combines efficacy with a touch of indulgence.
Soy Candle
The Molly & Tommy Soy Candle enhances any space with its inviting aroma and ambient glow. Made from natural soy wax, the candle burns cleanly and evenly, minimizing soot and extending burn time. The fragrance is well-balanced, filling the room with a scent that is both calming and invigorating. Whether used during a relaxing bath or to create a cozy atmosphere in the living room, the candle delivers consistent performance. The minimalist design of the container aligns with contemporary decor styles, making it a versatile addition to any home setting. For those who value eco-friendly products that do not compromise on quality or aesthetics, this soy candle is a worthy consideration.
Molly & Tommy’s Silicone Lube is a high-quality personal lubricant designed to enhance comfort and pleasure. Its silky-smooth texture provides long-lasting lubrication without becoming sticky or drying out. The formula is compatible with latex condoms and is suitable for use in water-based environments, such as showers or baths. A little goes a long way, making it both economical and effective. The discreet packaging ensures privacy, and the flip-top cap allows for easy, one-handed application. This product is ideal for individuals and couples seeking a reliable lubricant that maintains its performance throughout use.
In conclusion, Molly & Tommy has curated a selection of products that reflect their commitment to quality, style, and inclusivity. Each item in the gift box offers a unique experience, catering to various aspects of daily life and personal care.
We extend our sincere gratitude to Molly & Tommy for this collaboration and look forward to seeing their continued impact within the community.
Review by Daniel May
For more information on these products or to explore their full range, visit their official website at https:// mollyandtommy.com.
Silicone Lube
Gourmet
FIVE TERRIFIC TABLES FOR TWO
Although we love a lively get-together with friends and family, enjoying an informal bite to eat and a few glasses of wine, sometimes a quiet table in a sophisticated spot, with a cosy ambiance or intimate atmosphere, is just the ticket. So here are five of our favourite eateries for foodies looking for the perfect table for two.
HOLOHAN’S PANTRY
Holohan’s on University Road, Belfast’s only Irish restaurant, has a brilliant Monday Night Menu in collaboration with the Taste Atelier, Artur Fron, and we couldn’t think of anywhere more splendid to enjoy some delicious Irish food and drink.
The menu features homely dishes championing incredible local produce; to start, Pea Soup with crispy bacon lardons served with Guinness wheaten bread, Smoked Mackerel Torte with horseradish gel & dill, and Whipped Goat’s Cheese Mousse with a black pepper pastry crisp, hazelnut praline, and pickled shallots.
The appetisers were followed by a Handmade Vegan Mushroom & Truffle pie with mash and gravy, and a Holohan’s classic, Pan Boxty stuffed with a fresh seafood & dill velouté, both served with seasonal veg: comfort food at its best.
And to finish, a rich Chocolate Mousse with hazelnut & raspberry gel, and a Cheeseboard with grapes, crackers, and apple & plum chutney.
Every dish showcased the very best of Holohan’s Irish culinary fare.
LUNA, CARRICKFERGUS
Carrickfergus has incredible views across Belfast Lough, an iconic Norman Castle overlooking a marina and a fascinating history, yet it has never really been viewed as a foodie destination. However, Luna on North Street is a revelation, and is set to change people’s perceptions of Carrick, and turn it into a culinary hot spot.
This pretty little bistro, decorated in neutral tones with blue features, seascapes and nautical themes creates a relaxed atmosphere in which to enjoy dishes from a menu celebrating local ingredients and producers.
Owner Neil made some fantastic suggestions and we loved the incredible seafood dishes which he recommended; Pan Roasted Scallops with a dulse butter emulsion, samphire, & white wine cream, and Salt & Chilli Squid with a Kerala curry mayo, rocket leaves, and a drizzle of charred lime to start our meal.
The starters were accompanied by Luna Focaccia, from superb local artisanal
LUNA
bakery Benchmark, served with a flavourful smoked curry butter, and a fantastic homemade tomato & chilli chutney.
We continued the pescatarian theme with a stunning Fish of the Day; beautifully cooked Hake with Comber potatoes, cavolo nero, mussels, and gorgeously tangy heritage tomatoes, and a Pan Roast Salmon with potatoes, samphire, & tender stem broccoli, topped with flakes of spiced crab and a wonderful citrus & caper butter. And what a different it makes when salmon is cooked on the bone: pink,
moist and delicious!
Desserts were also terrific; a decadent Coconut and Toffee Tart with honeycomb and caramel, this treacle tart-style treat is a must for Bounty & Crunchie lovers everywhere!
And now we come to the cheese course: Manchego, Honey, Apple, Crackers and……Ground Coffee!? Yes, you read that correctly, and this was a unique and utterly addictive way to enjoy this Spanish sheep’s milk cheese. The sweetness of the honey and the bitterness of the coffee beans somehow paired perfectly with the slightly salty cheese. We’re sold!
To finish, creamy, dreamy Iced Irish Coffee with Draynes Farm ice cream!
THE GREAT ROOM
RESTAURANT
Lunch at The Great Room Restaurant, right at the heart of The Merchant Hotel in Belfast, is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon enjoying fine-dining culinary excellence, innovative menus using local, seasonal ingredients, an extensive, top quality wine list, and knowledgeable, attentive service.
With its original Victorian interior, glass cupola and truly remarkable chandelier, The Great Room creates a luxurious atmosphere to enjoy the
outstanding dishes.
We started with some incredible drinks from Volume VII-the stunning new cocktail list. The Almond & The Chocolate were perfect aperitifs.
(We also couldn’t resist trying one or two more from the menu-they’re that good!)
To begin our lunch, we had the elegantly plated Dressed Kilkeel Crab with taramasalata, kohlrabi, & lovage emulsion, topped with rye melba toast, and the Twice Baked Coolattin Cheddar Soufflé with quince and toasted hazelnut.
Our Main Courses included John Dory on toasted fregola, with glazed fennel and smoked mussels, and from the PlantBased Menu, a golden Root Vegetable Wellington with olive oil mash & pommery mustard jus.
And of course, desserts are not to be missed; the Valrhona Chocolate Crunch with Amatika ganache & hazelnut praline was a celebration of textures and cocoa-rich flavours, and the selection of Irish & French cheeses served with seasonal chutney and crackers was the perfect way to finish a delightful lunch in The Great Room.
MILLAR’S BRASSERIE
Having recently opened its doors on University Road in Belfast, Millar’s Brasserie is another brilliant addition to the Queen’s Quarter’s food scene, and it was the perfect spot to enjoy a quiet evening meal.
With its dramatically dark interior and statement artwork, Millar’s has created
MILLAR’S BRASSERIE
Wasabi Mayo, and Millar’s Bread Selection with Tapenade.
To follow, we loved the crispy-skinned Pan Fried Salmon in a Herb Beurre Blanc with Salt Cod Beignets, Hazelnuts, Salsify, and Fennel, and the Tuna Steak, which was cooked perfectly pink to order, drizzled with Hoisin Sauce, and accompanied by Honey Roast Root Vegetables and Chilli & Garlic Broccoli.
sophisticated space reflecting its delicious dishes.
We started with Prawn & Smoked Salmon Cocktail smothered in Marie Rose sauce with perfectly Soft Boiled Eggs, creamy Goat’s Cheese with Beetroot, Liquorice & Sorrel Salad, beautifully fresh Tuna Tataki with Pickled Daikon, Carrot &
There’s also a great value Sunday Set Menu, and the Slow Cooked Beef Brisket with Mash, Duck Fat Roasties, and Seasonal Veg was topped with an enormous Yorkshire Pudding and lashings of Red Wine Gravy.
And for dessert, the Spiced Apple Tacos with Calvados Mousse and White Chocolate Diplomat was a light, refreshing way to finish an excellent meal.
WATERMAN
Waterman, from award-winning chef Niall McKenna, is an elegant Belfast Cathedral Quarter restaurant at Waterman House in Hill Street, which is also home to the fantastic Waterman House Cookery School.
With its cool, contemporary feel, Waterman serves classic European-style dishes championing quality local produce.
To start, we enjoyed some delicious house focaccia with whipped onion butter, golden parmesan arancini with truffle mayo, and fresh local cured mackerel, with beetroot &
granny smith apple.
Our main courses were also outstanding; a comforting, earthy bowl of artichoke risotto with pickled mushrooms, and a beautifully cooked fillet of stone bass, with tangy romesco & cauliflower, served with a side of charred cabbage sprinkled with onion crumb.
And we couldn’t resist ordering the dessert special to share, a gorgeously moist blood orange and almond tart with creamy mascarpone, which brought to an end a wonderful evening of superb food, drink and service at Waterman.
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Email – hello@thegourmetboys.com
If you have any requests for restaurant recommendations send us a message and we’ll get right back to you.
Please note, this column is the opinion of the columinst and not that of GNI or Romeo & Julian Publiccations Ltd.
WATERMAN
PETER
Hello everyone!
Since the last issue i feel like we’ve crossed the line of bad weather to good weather, don’t you? and with that brings a new season of interior shopping habits!
I was lucky enough to attend the opening of world’s first stand alone Primark Home store in Belfast city centre. It has brand new features
like the Primark Edit with a range of products that feature a more elevated and luxurious quality. While browsing I had a guess that a cushion from the new range was made from Wool and was incredibly shocked to find it was made from a totally synthetic fabric, it was just such a great quality. On the night I bought a few pieces and I have to say I’m now addicted to spraying their Sundried Linen fabric spray all over our home. For just £4 you can have that real ‘Outdoor air’ feeling. Scent can play a huge role in the seasonal feeling of your home. We all know that in Winter the shops are filled with Cinnamon & Mandarin scents but with Spring/Summer scents can be less rigid. If you’re someone who doesn’t like anything too floral for Spring (groundbreaking)
Evermore
London have a beautiful ‘Sun & Wild Citrus’ fragranced candle that strays from normal high street staple scents, whilst on the pricey side, it could be a lovely gift item to someone who’s hard to buy for. Closer to home a great local brand to Northern Ireland is The Bearded Candle Makers, they have candles with scents like ‘Irish Gorse’ & ‘Donegal Wild Flowers’. Locally made in Castlewellan and part of a range of nostalgic outdoor scents, they can make you feel like you have the windows openeven if the weather won’t allow it!
On the topic of good weather, it will soon be time for us to start thinking about outdoor dining (one can dream!). An item that is having a massive surge in design is the rechargeable lamp. Gone are the days when it looked like a clunky thing you’d take camping, finally lighting up
have to sacrifice in style. From loud checkerboard lamps to minimal metal, a personal favourite and one I might have to buy for myself is this wicker shade table lamp from M&S. Who would think a design so elegant could be moved around the garden or home- because yes, there’s also a rise in the rechargeable lamp being an item we use inside too. Try placing your lamp on your kitchen countertops to add style and consideration to an ever practical area of the home (that is, if it’s clutter free!) it’s a great option for mood lighting in the evenings when overhead lighting is doing nothing for the daily wind down, great for areas where you don’t have electrical sockets and for the worriers of the world they’re great for a power cut too.
Last issue I mentioned the latest television project I’ve been working on, The Salvage Squad (on Virgin Media One) and I’ve recently started to meet the families of season 2 which is really exciting! It’s always a joy to help families with a room in need of a refresh, maybe the
family has zero design ideas, maybe they are strapped for cash or maybe they need practical solutions to make their home function better for them. My mission as a designer in the show is to redecorate the space with their help using only salvaged, skip, charity shop or eco conscious finds. It can be quite tricky, especially finding building materials, but it gives viewers tips and tricks on how to view things differently. Last season I used a kitchen splashback to create box beams on a living room ceiling and used a concrete garden pillar to make a side table. It’s all about trust! It was the same in our own home when I asked my partner to use a stone garden planter as our kitchen sink- he definitely wasn’t sold right away! So I’ve met a few families and
spending the coming months hunting every charity shop I know for interesting items to use, but who doesn’t love trawling through charity shops?! I can’t believe as an adult shopping is now part of my job- little Peter is so proud of grown up Peter right now haha.
Speaking of jobs, as an Interior Designer & Instagram content creator I was fortunate to be asked to be a part of an upcoming docuseries for UTV (Northern Ireland) that comes out in May. It’s focused around the daily life of content creators. While there are other people featured for their skill sets: UGC (user generated content, call it a new form of brand advertising), Food blogging & Beauty… I have been taking the film crew around several Interior Design events i’ve been attending. Events like: HouseProud influencer evenings for seasonal promotions, the Primark new store launch and even the journey of becoming an interiors columnist for GNI mag. It’s not so much to show an interior designer with a paintbrush in hand, but the process of capturing content and for the audience to see how a skillset can branch you off in a direction like content creation. Without social media I wouldn’t be writing here now. So if you have access to the UTV channel and want to see more about the daily life of an Interior Designer/Content creator that’s definitely one to check out.
Peter Irvine Instagram: @thewhitehome
Please note, this column is the opinion of the columinst and not that of GNI or Romeo & Julian Publiccations Ltd.
A Gran Canaria Gay couples holiday review
s we enter April many of you will be thinking about Summer Holidays and maybe some like myself have already been away for a week or two trying to get some warm sunshine. My partner and I recently returned to the Gay Mecca Island that is Gran Canaria. Initially we had planned to go in March because it was my partners Birthday and BEAR week was going to be taking place at the same time. (Fun we thought lots of Bears to Play with from around the globe).
Sadly plans sometimes don’t go as planned and this holiday changed from the start because the Bear event was changed into April as another event called Carnival was going to be taking place on the island at the same time. This didn’t put us off and we both needed the break so put that aside and looked forward to the Easyjet Holiday package to the island.
On the lead up to the holiday we had noticed via social media that Spain mainland and the Canary Islands had been hit by unusual bad weather and severe flooding which to be frank wasn’t the best news just before we was due to fly but always the optimist I said it would be grand and to pack as light as we could so think Jocks, muscle vests and odd pair speedos not forgetting the shorts obviously.
Departure day arrived and Belfast International airport EasyJet check in was rammed with no separate queues for the individual flights and instead just a massive line for everyone going anywhere with the airline that morning. The Bright Orange airline is the Biggest airline at the airport and so we waited and eventually dropped are bags off having been in the queue for over an hour.
You might be in shock when I say this but
I have to congratulate Belfast International Airport on its massive improvement for passing through the security it was fast and efficient and you leave everything now in your bag and no silly little less than 100ml bags for any liquids.(Perfect).
So if you follow my travel writing you will know that I did venture back to Gran Canaria back in 2023 after a 20 year Gap and that visit went very well, This time around we are staying at the Servatur Don Miguel under a package with Easyjet Holidays on a Half Board basis costing around £1300 for both if us. Package included 7 nights , Flights, Bags 23kg hold and 10kg cabin, private Limo transfer and Half Board so breakfast and dinner in the hotels main restaurants.
The Don Miguel is a large 3 Star complex which has been a popular accommodation choice for many gay’s over the years and the property has had a few upgrades and facelifts over the years but on. Personal note the bedrooms do need a major refurb as they don’t match the quality and or standard of the rest of the hotels facilities.
You will find the hotel has a lovely modern outdoors pool and large terrace area which runs alongside the evening outdoor entertainment stage and seating area called Devine. During our stay the hotel offered evening light entertainment such as. Singers, live bands and a regular DJ which was always a good place to start after dinner and have a few drinks or chat with others in the property before heading across the street down into the Yumbo entertainment complex.
The Yumbo complex itself has not changed drastically over the 20-30 years since I first visited but its basically a 3 tiered squared complex which has shops, bars, restaurants, Cafes, themed bars like Drag, Bear, leather pup and obviously the Sex venues. The
centre also has a large grass area which is often used as a stage area for larger events such as GAY Pride and Carnival as it allows for a central hub and large seated entertainment space for tourists to watch and enjoy stage events and or outdoor DJ sets. Those events tend to have limited space and can be charged for events but the usual complex bars and clubs surrounding the venue will be free entry as usual.
As a couple during this vacation we eat both breakfast and dinner in the hotel restaurant which we found offered a good choice from local to international dishes. The main issue I didn’t really like was being restricted to eat when they wanted you too but we just went down early enjoyed what we wanted and then left and headed out into the night. We did have two days where we decided to go out and try some restaurants in the the Yumbo one for my partners Birthday evening where we headed to El Torre Steak House on the centres Top floor. Food wise we ordered T Bone steaks which where huge and a Bottle of Red Wine. Overall the meal was nice, if pricy for what you got overall and I personally thought it was a bit of hassle to cut the steak up on the hot plate It came on which starts off as medium rare.
I think for Gay individuals, Groups, Friends and couples the island offers pretty much everything you could wish for. You will find a huge array of day trips from cultural visits to Las Palmas city, Wine Tasting, Fishing, Boat Trips both peaceful and Naked Gay day cruises. The island offers allot of attractions including Camal Trekking, Karting off road adventures as-well. We didn’t try any of these specific tours but noticed a good amount of tourists each day heading off to see more than just the Yumbo which for me it brilliant to see.
As a couple this holiday was about chilling out after a difficult year and so each day we headed from the hotel straight down to Las Dunas Maspalomas Beach for around 1030am . Now for all the drinkers your might be shouting WTF and I know its very early for some but I am not personally a huge drinker and actually enjoyed the walk to the Gay Beach the other half did struggle on a few days and they ended up coming down to the beach much later one day due to suffering from a bad hangover.
The Dunnes are lovely and you can venture to them in many ways some even get taxis to the Lighthouse in Meloneras rather than walking it through the sandy dunes like us. Once you make it to the beach which has a number of Breach Huts helping you see which part of the beach your at you can then settle yourself either on the sand itself which many do or we opted to pay for two sun-beds and umbrella right beside the Gay Beach hut which cost about 7euros per day from 11ish am onward. The beach is a hive of activity and you will see many people come and go. Anything pretty much goes here so you will see it all from the young to the old and bold living the best life which is amazing to see and how life should be. Nudity is often part of Gay Beach life and also they have a separate area for all Nudist along the miles of Beach so don’t be afraid to let it all hangout but do be careful in the sun as its even stronger than you think due to the often brisk on shore breeze.
As a couple we found a huge number of similar couples down at the beach each day often via the power of Gay Apps like Grinder and Scuff going off every few seconds. The beach is a very social spot even if your alone you will end up speaking to someone. (recommend you take plenty of sun-screen, water and a mobile power bank to keep you chatting).
DANNY
A NEW CHAPTER: EMBRACING INDEPENDENCE AS A HAIRSTYLIST
After years of honing my craft and building a reputation as an award-winning hairstylist, I’ve made the exhilarating decision to embark on a new journey: going self-employed. This leap into independence is not just a career move; it’s a personal evolution, a chance to redefine my artistry and connect with clients in a more meaningful way. I am thrilled to announce that I will be renting a chair at Michelle International, a newly furnished salon that exudes a vibrant New York vibe, located right in the heart of Queens Street, Belfast.
The decision to go solo was not made lightly. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the most talented professionals in the industry. Each experience has shaped my skills and deepened my passion for hairstyling. However, the desire to create my own space, to curate my own environment, and to express my unique vision has been a constant whisper in my heart. Now, with the opportunity to work at Michelle International, that whisper has transformed into a resounding call to action.
Michelle International is more than just a salon; it’s a creative hub where artistry meets innovation. The moment I stepped inside, I was captivated by the modern design, the chic decor, and the vibrant energy that fills the space. It’s a place where creativity thrives, and I can’t wait to contribute my own flair to this dynamic environment. The New York vibe of the salon is not just a design choice; it reflects a culture of boldness and individuality that resonates deeply with my own approach to hairstyling.
One of the most exciting aspects of this new venture is the opportunity to collaborate with a team of incredibly talented staff. Each stylist brings their own unique skills and perspectives, creating an atmosphere of inspiration and camaraderie. I believe that working alongside such passionate individuals will not only enhance my own craft but also foster a sense of community that is often missing in larger salons. Together, we will push each other to explore new techniques, share ideas, and elevate our artistry to new heights.
In addition to the vibrant environment and talented colleagues, I am thrilled to announce my partnership with Schwarzkopf Professional. As a brand that is synonymous with quality and innovation in the haircare industry, Schwarzkopf offers a range of exceptional products that I am excited to incorporate into my work. From vibrant hair colours to nourishing treatments, their products will allow me to provide my clients with the best possible results. I am particularly drawn to their commitment to sustainability and ethical practices, which aligns with my own values as a stylist. Using Schwarzkopf products means I can offer my clients not only beautiful hair but also peace of mind knowing that they are using products that are good for both their hair and the planet.
throughout my journey, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude. Your trust in my skills and your loyalty have been invaluable, and I am excited to continue our journey together in this new setting. For those who are new to my chair, I look forward to getting to know you and helping you discover your own unique style. Every client is a canvas, and I am eager to collaborate with you to create looks that reflect your personality and enhance your natural beauty.
In this new venture, I am committed to providing an exceptional experience for every client who walks through the door. From the moment you arrive at Michelle International, I want you to feel welcomed, valued, and inspired. Whether you’re looking for a bold transformation or a subtle refresh, my goal is to ensure that you leave the salon feeling confident and empowered.
As I take this leap into self-employment, I am reminded of the importance of following one’s passion and embracing change. This journey is not just about hairstyling. it’s about growth, creativity, and the pursuit of dreams. I am excited to see where this path leads and to share this experience with all of you. Here’s to new beginnings, fresh starts, and the beautiful journey ahead at Michelle International in Belfast.
To book an appointment contact me on 07471 815813 email theunderdogdm@outlook.com InstagramTheunderdogdm
Please
As I prepare to open this new chapter, I am filled with anticipation for the connections I will make with both old and new clients. To those who have supported me
