I grew up in South Africa, and when I was nine I told my parents I was gay. I said, ‘I don’t like girls, I like boys,’ and they were fine. My mother was in her mid-40s when she had me, so I wasn’t expected. I have two brothers and one sister and there’s a 20 year age-gap, so I was quite a spoiled little brat. I still am, I suppose!
I left South Africa when I was 16 because I would have been conscripted into the army. We moved to Lancashire in the UK. I’ve been back to South Africa twice, but I don’t miss it really. It’s a beautiful country but it’s very poor in certain respects.