That’s a First podcast hosted by comedians Maisie Adam and Tom Lucy features Courtney Act in the latest episode.
Episode 4 with Courtney Act covers alternative COVID tests, Courtney’s first kiss at Stonewall in Sydney, presenting on CBBC and more.
The Australian drag queen, singer and television personality talks with Maisie and Tom from her dressing room at the West End’s Garrick Theatre where, Courtney says, performers are “nasally penetrated twice a week and get temperature checks every day”.
The podcast hears about Courtney’s first kiss, aged 18 on a trip to the Stonewall bar in Sydney, but was reluctant to go “because I had always grown up with such a negative idea about what gay was that I hadn’t really applied it to myself. But when I look back, I remember having crushes on boys and having posters of Leonardo DiCaprio on my wall,” adds Courtney.
“It’s funny because I’ve just been writing about this recently in my upcoming memoir,” says Courtney, “going back to the scenario and really putting myself there – what was always just this story that I told when talking about my first kiss, that was just a throwaway story, when sitting writing I just burst out in sobbing, uncontrollable tears. Whilst that was a really exciting celebratory moment, I’d never actually gone back as an adult and sat with the feelings of that time, where I realised that it was such a transition point…it was my own personal coming out, to myself.”
Twenty years ago Courtney lost a job hosting a children’s TV programme under his real name Shane, when photos of him in drag were published in a newspaper, so presenting on CBBC was important: “The more stories, the more different stories that we hear, whether it’s about queer identities or women’s stories, or people of colour, or men with different experiences, people with disabilities – the more that we see those on television, not only is it amazing for those people seeing themselves represented, but it also opens up everyone else’s minds to the full range of the human experience,” says Courtney.
Season 2, episode 4 of That’s a First is out now with guest Courtney Act available on Global Player or where you get your podcasts.
