While there have been queer-coded hints sprinkled here and there (that Grindr line, c’mon), Ted Lasso didn’t become a show for the gays until its third season. In episode three, the writers finally introduced queerness into the beloved Apple TV comedy when they confirmed the long-held theory that Billy Harris’ fan-favourite Richmond FC player Colin Hughes is gay; reflecting the harsh reality of homosexuality in professional football and its lack of openly out athletes in the process.
“It would be ridiculous for us to not do this storyline,” says Harris. The actor is speaking with GAY TIMES ahead of Ted Lasso’s sixth episode, which continues to sensitively explore Colin’s sexuality as he confides in Trent Crimm (James Lance), The Independent’s ethically-dubious former reporter who is writing a book about the club. “I've known from the get-go that, being a fan of football and knowing where Ted Lasso was going in terms of their storylines, it was only right for them to tackle the issue of a closeted gay footballer.”
As we await to see how the trailblazing storyline progresses across the course of the season, we had a chat with Billy about how he prepared to embody a closeted footballer, whether he thinks the Premier League is ready for their own Colin and what he’d say to so-called ‘fans’ that are
