Explore every episode of the podcast Standing Out
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queera Lynn (Part 1): Fight me, darling | 28 Oct 2026 | 00:39:56 | |
This week I'm sitting down with Queera Lynn, the 1940s wartime drag queen and one of the funniest, most fearless voices taking on hate online. In part one we get into where Queera came from, why the character works so well, and why our existence is not up for debate. Follow Queera on Instagram: @queera_lynn See Apostle Queera Lynn's Deliverance on 5 November at the Two Brewers, Clapham: https://www.outsavvy.com/event/39096/apostle-queera-lynns-deliverance Follow me on TikTok and Instagram @christopherallenofficial, and subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday. Part two is out next week. References mentioned in this episode: - Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere (Netflix) — https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81920687 CONTENT WARNING: - HOMOPHOBIA, INCLUDING FROM WITHIN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY - INTERNALISED HOMOPHOBIA - CONVERSION PRACTICES ("PRAYING THE GAY AWAY") - MENTION OF DRUG USE - RELIGION - STRONG LANGUAGE Chapters: - 00:00:00 Introducing Queera Lynn - 00:01:05 Recognised out of drag in Wales - 00:05:48 Who is Queera Lynn? - 00:07:33 Why a 1940s drag queen - 00:09:38 Drag, real jobs and hard work - 00:18:37 From the stage to calling out hate - 00:20:35 The Straight Acting Brotherhood, exposed - 00:27:32 Why so many of us hated being gay - 00:29:10 Our existence is not up for debate - 00:31:57 Religion, rules and praying the gay away - 00:34:22 Being a Diet Coke Christian - 00:37:55 Street preachers and paying for healing - 00:39:07 Part two is next Wednesday | |||
| Jaime Tait (Part 2): Hurt people heal people | 21 Oct 2026 | 00:39:45 | |
In part two of my conversation with West End performer Jaime Tait, we talk about love, honesty and making up your own rules after almost 11 years with his partner James. Jaime opens up about colourism, in life and on stage, about what it costs to be the empath and the peacemaker, and how he protects his own energy. It's a conversation about authenticity, and about choosing to heal rather than hurt. Missed part one? Start there first. Follow Jaime on Instagram & TikTok at @jaaytait Follow along on TikTok and Instagram at @christopherallenofficial, and follow on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday. References mentioned in this episode: - Legally Blonde The Musical, UK and Ireland tour (Jaime's current show): https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/legally-blonde/ - Urdang, now part of City St George's, University of London (where we trained): https://www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/about/schools/communication-creativity/performing-arts - UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report 2026, Part 1: Theatrical (published March 2026): https://socialsciences.ucla.edu/hollywood-diversity-report-2026-part-1-theatrical/ CONTENT WARNINGS - RACISM AND RACIST LANGUAGE - OPEN RELATIONSHIPS AND SEX - STRONG LANGUAGE CHAPTERS - 00:00 Intro - 01:20 Almost 11 years with James, honesty and making up your own rules - 04:16 Jealousy, feeling secure, and every version of yourself - 08:29 Advice for talking to your partner about opening things up - 13:48 Colourism: being a lighter-skinned Black performer - 18:38 Representation on stage and screen, and why it still lags - 24:15 Being the empath and the peacemaker - 27:36 Filling your cup first, and stepping back from draining people - 31:52 What authenticity means to Jaime now - 33:52 Hurt people heal people, and looking inwards - 35:57 A surprise for Jaime - 38:19 Outro | |||
| Jaime Tait (Part 1): More to prove | 14 Oct 2026 | 00:42:52 | |
This week, West End performer Jaime Tait joins me for part one of a two-part conversation. Jaime and I went to drama school together when we were just 21 and so I thought I knew him. This conversation opened up a whole new side to jaime that I had never seen and I'm truly grateful for this honesty and wisdom. We go back to growing up in Birmingham as one of seven, what was expected of him as a Black boy, and the mindset that has kept him on stage for ten years and counting. It's a conversation about energy, self-belief, and feeling like you always have more to prove. A quick note: the first 10 minutes or so are audio only because of a camera problem. The video comes in at about 12 minutes. Follow Jaime on Instagram at @jaaytait Follow along on TikTok and Instagram at @christopherallenofficial, and follow on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday. Part two is out next Wednesday ✨ References mentioned in this episode: - Urdang, now part of City St George's, University of London (where Jaime and I trained): https://www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/about/schools/communication-creativity/performing-arts - Legally Blonde The Musical, UK and Ireland tour (Jaime's current show): https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/legally-blonde/ CONTENT WARNINGS - RACISM AND RACIST LANGUAGE - HOMOPHOBIA - A PARENT'S REACTION TO COMING OUT - AN UNSETTLED HOME LIFE IN CHILDHOOD - STRONG LANGUAGE CHAPTERS - 00:00 Intro - 01:29 Knowing someone at 21, and ten years in the West End - 03:15 Growing up in Birmingham as one of seven: what was expected - 04:53 Becoming the people pleaser, and the empath in the middle - 07:30 Knowing he was gay, and using comedy to change the subject - 10:30 Signs, labels and rules: "we're all very free beings" - 12:24 Keeping the love for performing, and why energy gets you hired - 16:58 Telling his dad he was gay the day before moving to London - 20:00 Dancing "like a boy" at Urdang, and embracing every side of himself - 24:12 More to prove: being Black and gay in the cast - 25:27 Minority stress, intention, and whether to correct people - 31:51 The most powerful skill: staying in a good mood - 32:40 Meeting James, self-belief and audition rituals - 39:17 "I know I'm going to be a lead role" | |||
| Yan Javeri (part 2): Defiance | 07 Oct 2026 | 00:41:47 | |
Part two of my conversation with talent agent Yan Javeri. We pick up in Switzerland and follow him through being outed to his family, a move to LA that arrived alongside profound loss, and building his own company from nothing. It's a story about grief, defiance, and what he'd say to the boy with the crocodile briefcase now. Follow Yan on Instagram at @yancameronj. Follow along on TikTok and Instagram at @christopherallenofficial, and subscribe on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday. References mentioned in this episode: - The Visionaries, the talent agency Yan founded: https://www.thevisionariesagency.com/ @thevisionariesagency CONTENT WARNINGS - BEING OUTED WITHOUT CONSENT - FAMILY ESTRANGEMENT - A PARENT'S AGGRESSIVE REACTION (IMPLIED THREAT, NOT ACTED ON) - TERMINAL ILLNESS AND THE SUDDEN DEATH OF A PARENT (TWICE) - GRIEF CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:24 Finding freedom in Switzerland 02:52 Outed to his family 07:20 What being outed cost him 11:47 Leaving Switzerland for Australia and London 14:04 Becoming a talent agent by accident 17:54 Social media and the move to LA 20:17 Losing his father weeks after landing 23:29 When grief finally catches up 25:31 Losing his mother, then his job 28:15 No job, no visa, starting anyway 31:32 Nine years single 37:09 Advice for your thirties | |||
| Yan Javeri (part 1): Camouflage | 30 Sep 2026 | 00:34:29 | |
This week, talent agent Yan Javeri joins me for part one of a two-part conversation. We go back to a childhood built on practicality rather than explanation, being sent to boarding school at eight while his brother stayed home, and the years he spent quietly studying other people to work out how to belong. It's a story about camouflage, and what it costs to build a version of yourself just to fit in. Follow Yan on Instagram at @yancameronj. Follow along on TikTok and Instagram at @christopherallenofficial, and subscribe on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday. References mentioned in this episode: - University of Westminster, Harrow campus (formerly Harrow School of Art, where Yan studied): https://arts.westminster.ac.uk/history CONTENT WARNINGS - FAMILY ESTRANGEMENT - BOARDING SCHOOL SEPARATION AT A YOUNG AGE - BULLYING - AN EMOTIONALLY UNHEALTHY EARLY RELATIONSHIP CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 03:08 Four pages of prep, and a year of therapy 07:32 Always structured: mapping things out to feel in control 08:24 A childhood of sensory overload and no explanations 09:38 Sent to boarding school at eight, while his brother stayed home 14:40 Negotiating his way back to state school 15:38 The crocodile briefcase: culture shock in Essex 19:59 Studying the popular kids, and building a version of himself 23:34 Art school, his first boyfriend, and getting in by fibbing 25:13 Fearless at Harrow: cleaning toilets at 4am for his freedom 31:48 An invitation to Geneva | |||
| Hayley Ladd: Finding Your Tribe | 16 Sep 2026 | 00:38:45 | |
This week Christopher sits down with Wales vice-captain and Crystal Palace midfielder Hayley Ladd - 111 caps for her country, a freshly completed MBA, and newly married to her university sweetheart. They talk about the version of herself Hayley tried to force at university (pink cardigan and all), meeting her now-wife on the football pitch, and what representation looked like growing up in a town not far from London where she still couldn't see anyone like herself. Follow Standing Out on TikTok and Instagram @christopherallenofficial, and subscribe on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday. References mentioned in this episode:
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| Eugene Lynch (Part 2): Full Circle | 09 Sep 2026 | 00:40:24 | |
In Part Two of this two-part conversation, Eugene Lynch continues his story — what happened after his HIV diagnosis, how shame and addiction quietly took hold, and the winding road back to honesty, healing, and a full circle career at the charity that once saved him.
Follow Standing Out on TikTok and Instagram @christopherallenofficial, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday.
References mentioned in this episode: - Terrence Higgins Trust — https://tht.org.uk/ - Terrence Higgins Trust on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/thtorguk/ - Donate to Terrence Higgins Trust — https://donate.tht.org.uk/ - Terrence Higgins Trust's Positive Voices speaker programme — https://tht.org.uk/about-us/community-projects/hiv-training-and-speakers
THIS EPISODE DISCUSSES: - HIV DIAGNOSIS - DRUG AND ALCOHOL ADDICTION - MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES, INCLUDING ANXIETY AND PANIC ATTACKS - SEXUAL ASSAULT (DISCLOSED IN DETAIL) - REHAB AND ADDICTION TREATMENT Listener discretion advised. Chapters:
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| Eugene Lynch (Part 1): Growing Up Other | 02 Sep 2026 | 01:24:41 | |
This week Christopher sits down with Eugene (@eugenelynch83) - a Dublin-born corporate professional turned TikTok HIV-awareness advocate followed by thousands. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Eugene traces the through-line from a two-bedroom house with no central heating in 1980s Dublin, through school years spent quietly hiding who he was, to meeting the love of his life at 4am in a Vauxhall nightclub - and the diagnosis that changed everything. This episode is only part 1, part 2 will follow next Wednesday. Follow Christopher on TikTok and Instagram @christopherallenofficial, and follow Eugene on TikTok @eugenelynch83 and Instagram @eugenelynch. Subscribe wherever you listen so you don't miss Part 2 - new episodes every Wednesday. References mentioned in this episode:
CONTENT WARNINGS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Chapters:
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| Jonathan Blake: Surviving the Impossible | 26 Aug 2026 | 00:59:35 | |
Jonathan Blake was one of the first people in the UK diagnosed with HIV, back in 1982 — and one of the real-life figures the film Pride is based on. In this episode, he joins Christopher to talk about coming out, surviving an HIV diagnosis he was never expected to outlive, decades of activism, and what it means to build an authentic life against the odds. Follow along on TikTok and Instagram @christopherallenofficial, and subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts — new episodes every Wednesday. References mentioned in this episode:
CONTENT WARNING — THIS EPISODE DISCUSSES: - SUICIDE ATTEMPT - HIV/AIDS DIAGNOSIS AND TERMINAL PROGNOSIS - DEATH AND GRIEF - FAMILY REJECTION - RECREATIONAL DRUG USE Chapters: - 00:01:38 Meet Jonathan Blake: Actor, Activist & Real-Life Pride Character - 00:05:30 Young Jonathan: Growing Up Queer in 1950s Birmingham - 00:08:18 Discovering Theatre & Deciding to Become an Actor - 00:12:06 Coming Out to His Family at 21 - 00:16:29 Close Calls Before Coming Out - 00:20:09 Choosing to Rejoin the World After an HIV Diagnosis - 00:22:16 The Symptoms: "I Was Walking Like a Gorilla" - 00:26:30 Getting Tested at the Clinic - 00:27:06 The Diagnosis: "You Have Three to Six Months to Live" - 00:29:25 Terrence Higgins & the Roots of the Terrence Higgins Trust - 00:33:02 Thatcher's Government, Norman Fowler & the Fight for HIV Funding - 00:35:08 How HIV Changed Nursing Care Forever - 00:36:24 "We Are Still Here," It's a Sin & the HIV/COVID Parallel - 00:40:11 A Suicide Attempt & the Turning Point - 00:41:17 Finding CND & the Ad in Capital Gay - 00:42:47 Meeting Nigel at the Demonstration - 00:43:46 The Greenham Common Human Chain - 00:45:13 Moving Into a Brixton Squat With Nigel - 00:47:15 "Displacement Activity" & Living With a Terminal Diagnosis - 00:48:14 Princess Diana, the Middlesex Hospital & the Fitzrovia Chapel - 00:49:55 "How Did You Survive It?" - 00:51:28 Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners: The Real Story Behind Pride - 00:54:41 39 Years With Nigel: Love, Friendship & Being "Good Mates" - 00:55:21 What Does Authentic Queer Life Look Like at 76? - 00:56:05 Growing Older as a Queer Person & the Need for Safe Spaces - 00:58:15 Jonathan's Advice to Queer People in Their 20s and 30s - 00:59:16 Closing Thoughts | |||
| Standing Out, Explained: My Theory & My Why | 19 Aug 2026 | 00:16:55 | |
Welcome to the very first episode of Standing Out. Before diving into guest conversations, host Christopher takes a moment to explain the theory and personal story behind the show — why it exists, why "queer" is the word he's chosen to reclaim, and the psychology that's shaped his own experience of otherness. Drawing on minority stress theory (developed by psychologist Ilan Meyer) and a concept Christopher calls "queer silo safety," this episode unpacks why queer people are statistically more likely to feel lonely, where that loneliness actually comes from, and what it took to move from feeling broken to building something for the community instead. Christopher also shares the story of meeting Richard and Graham — an older gay couple whose relationship reshaped how he thinks about queer visibility across generations — and lays out the four questions that will guide every future guest conversation on this show. Follow along on TikTok and Instagram @christopherallenofficial, and subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts — it's free, and it genuinely helps this reach more people who need it. Chapters: | |||