Alan Carr says lack of "labels" makes Changing Ends a "more interesting" show
"I didn't really know what was going on. I knew I just didn't fancy the people that everyone else was fancying."
Alan Carr's comedy series Changing Ends is returning for its second season this Saturday (13th July), with the new run continuing to follow a young version of Alan as he grows up in Northampton in the 1980s, as the son of a fourth division football manager.
In the new season, Alan is contending with impending puberty, and speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com, the real-life Carr has explained how his journey to discovering he is gay differs from some other screen depictions of LGBTQIA+ stories told in the modern era.
Carr said: "Now with LGBTQIA+, there's this thing with labels and everything. And in the '80s, you didn't... you sort of had to feel your way around. It wasn't there.
"And so, there's an innocence there, I think, and there's watching someone trying to find their identity.
"You know, I didn't really know what was going on. I knew I just didn't fancy the people that everyone else was fancying. And I was like, 'What?!'
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"But then, it's a more interesting story than going, 'I'm this, I'm that.'"
Carr also explained why he felt it was important for the show to be accessible to younger audiences, saying he hopes it will resonate with kids and teenagers.
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He said: "If they feel like maybe they're a little bit different or if they're getting bullied, you're not alone. And sometimes the things you get bullied for at school might, in the end, be your trademark, and might actually be why people do come to see you, or watch you on the telly, or at the theatre."
The official synopsis for Changing Ends says: "The second season picks up shortly after the first, as young Alan contends with impending puberty and feeling sidelined by his family.
"With Graham Carr distracted by Northampton Town FC, who are battling for promotion, can he be there for his son when he most needs him?"
Along with Carr, who plays himself, the series also stars Oliver Savell as Young Alan, Shaun Dooley as Graham Carr, Nancy Sullivan as Christine Carr, Taylor Fay as Gary Carr, Gabby Best as Angela Hudson, Harry Peacock as Nigel Hudson and Rourke Mooney as Charlie Hudson.
Changing Ends will air from 9pm on ITV1 on Saturday 13th July. It is also available to stream on ITVX.
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