HAPPILY EVERS AFTER
AS DANCING ON ICE RETURNS TO BRITISH SCREENS, EVERYONE’S FAVOURITE PROFESSIONAL SKATER MATT EVERS SHARES HIS COMING OUT STORY WITH ATTITUDE, REVEALING A YOUTH MARRED BY BULLYING, A GAY UNCLE OSTRACISED BY THE FAMILY, AND A LATE REALISATION OF HIS OWN SEXUALITY
WORDS: TIM HEAP PHOTOGRAPHY: FRANCISCO GOMEZ DE VILLABOA FASHION: NICK BYAM
Matt wears cardigan by Gucci at Matches Fashion, vest by Sunspel
Matt wears t-shirt by French Connection
Given that it’s a cold November afternoon in East London, I feel slightly bad about dragging Matt Evers away from the studio, where he’s been photographed for the past few hours, into a draughty, bare office. But, in true American style, he’s peppy and charming about our interview location, so we sit down beneath the harsh strip-lighting, with him cradling a mug of coffee, and try to ignore the drilling from a nearby construction site.
The former US junior ice-skating champion is best known to British audiences for his nine-season — soon to be 10 — run on ITV’s Dancing on Ice. The popular show, which brought Olympic gold medallists Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean back to prime-time TV, reached an audience of more than 12 million at its peak, with Matt being one of two professionals to feature in every season. This month, it returns after a three-year hiatus, with original presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and a new format that aims to emulate Strictly Come Dancing’s success by building up the professionals’ characters as much as it does the cast of celebrities. Matt has been paired with 2016 Bake Off winner Candice Brown, and will be hoping to emulate his run of success which has seen him reach the final on three occasions, only twice being forced to exit in the first six weeks.
Ahead of the show’s return, the 41-year-old American from Fargo — yes that one — in North Dakota, has decided it’s finally time to come out of the closet publicly. And his story is possibly not what you’d expect.