The Drag Race legend told Phillip Schofield he was “beating” himself up for no reason.
Earlier this year, This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield bravely came out as gay in a series of Instagram posts.
“This is something that has caused many heart-breaking conversations at home. My family have held me so close: they have tried to cheer me up, to smother me with kindness and love, despite their own confusion,” he wrote.
In the days after his coming out, the presenter was bombarded with supportive messages from friends, and speaking on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, he revealed that one of those messages came from Drag Race and Strictly Come Dancing icon Michelle Visage.
He revealed that before the lockdown came into place back in March, Michelle had invited him out for lunch. Phillip said: “She said, ‘Right, I’m going to take you out for coffee, we’ve got to talk and I want to make sure you’re okay.’ That’s what a lot of people have said. ‘Are you OK, are you sure you’re OK?'”
While on their lunch date, he confessed to her his fears about being in the LGBTQ+ community, saying he felt like he had “joined a club, but I don’t know whether I’ve got the right credentials.” And he questioned whether past comments he had made prevented him from putting on a rainbow.
Phillip said that Michelle helped assuage his fears, telling Fearne: “And she said, ‘Of course you can!’ I said: ‘I don’t know what I can and can’t do.'”
Recounting the story more, he said Michelle then told him: “You’re beating yourself up for no reason, welcome to the club. And what’s more, you have made a massive difference to people who also didn’t realise that they perhaps could have membership to that club.”
Phillip also admitted on the podcast that he’s still coming to terms with his sexuality, explaining: “I’m still learning what effects that has on my life and those around me. Do I know who I am? No. I think if I’m honest, looking you right in the eye now, I’d say I’m still pretty confused.”
Earlier this year, Dancing on Ice professional Matt Evers praised Phillip, saying the presenter had helped to “normalise” coming out. “There are a lot of people who are struggling with their identity and struggling with their sexuality, and just making it more normal helps people ease into that process,” he said.
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