Shay Mitchell stopped by Ingrid Nilsen's, and the result was magical.
We all love Pretty Little Liars' Emily Fields, so this interview actress Shay Mitchell did with lesbian Youtuber Ingrid Nilsen is a must. In five minutes, the ladies tackle everything form Emily's character development to inclusion and representation on television, and what Shay has to say is smart, eye-opening, and adorable. Here are 5 times we fell in love all over again.
Sex, murder mystery, and plenty of camp all set at a men’s nude resort? Sounds about gay.
Laid Bare is the steamy and thrilling new series that stars a sexy cast of LGBTQ+ actors as they try to hunt down a cold-blooded killer in Palm Springs.
Robert Rice stars as the lead, Aaron, as he attempts to manage all of the sexy shenanigans and brutal murders happening under his nose at the hotel he works for.
The spicy show features plenty of full-frontal scenes and wild depictions of gay sex that will surely entice viewers to try to solve the wild murder mystery.
“I’ve actually never done full-frontal before, and I’ve never been asked to do it before, so it was an honor just to be nominated. Honestly, maybe because it did take place at a gay nude resort, it just felt very casual and easy. Come for the hot bodies, stay for the cold bodies,” Rice tells Out.
It's not surprising that Rice felt comfortable on set as his husband, Tim O’Leary, is the creator of Laid Bare. The gay show is the couple’s flagship project under their production company Murder & Gay Stuff.
“It was a very long casting couch situation! Robert was really planning this one out,” O’Leary sarcastically says. “We’ve been together 16 years, which is funny because we’re so young! Nothing stands between an actor and their job. A couple that gets naked together, stays together.”
Laid Bare is streaming now on OUTtv. To see the full interview with Robert Rice and Tim O'Leary, check out the video at the top of the page.
At long last, Bridgerton is officially back! This season, the love story focuses on the second eldest of the family, Benedict — one that queer fans have been awaiting with equal parts anticipation and trepidation. Why? Because of fears around bi erasure.
Last season, Benedict (Luke Thompson) had the queer breakthrough fans had been calling for since season one, when he witnessed men engaging sexually for the first time. At the time, he was shocked, confused, and, many suggested, curious. Benedict, after all, has always been the artist of the family — and who, alongside his sister Eloise (Claudia Jessie), another queer suspect since season one — is the most bohemian and progressive of the Bridgertons. At long last, in season three, Benedict acted on those burning, latent desires.
In the third season, he was swept up in a romance with Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New), a widow with a far more libertine attitude toward sex. Naturally, Benedict was instantly smitten, and it wasn’t long before he was in her bed. Through Lady Tilley, he met Paul Suarez (Lucas Aurelio), her bisexual lover, both of whom encouraged him to join them in a sexual throuple. After brief resistance, Benedict was ready to embrace his queer desire, and what followed were some of the show’s most notoriously steamy scenes between the three of them.
Luke Thompson and Lucas Aurelio kiss in Bridgerton season 3
Netflix
It also made good on showrunner Jess Brownell’s promise to PRIDE that the show was about to become more inclusive — something that felt even more true when we got the tease that Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) would have a sapphic love story of her own, and unlike Benedict, she would be the main event (this has been confirmed for season five).
However, when promotion for season four began, and it became clear that this season would center on Benedict and his love story with Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), fans naturally worried that this would erase the same-sex attraction element of his bisexuality.
So, does it? Let’s talk about the first half of season four of Bridgerton (part two drops on Netflix February 26). The answer is simple — but how we feel about it is… complicated.
*Spoilers for season four, part one follow.*
Bridgerton season 4
Netflix
Season four kicks off in media res with the social season in full swing. The staff of the Bridgerton's house hustle and bustle as they prepare to host the first season’s ball. The Queen is chomping at the bit for fresh gossip, and Benedict? He’s missing in action. His mother, Violet (Ruth Gemmell), hunts him down at his club, where he’s still in bed — with not one woman, but two — much to her horror.
Why this matters, beyond reminding us of Benedict’s rakish ways (before the love of his life inevitably transforms him — this isBridgerton, after all), is that his taste for ménage à trois is still intact. Benedict remains Benedict — though, if we’re honest, that’s not exactly the kind of queer sex we want to see him enjoying. More importantly, this scene works in tandem with one that follows shortly after.
After promising his mother he’ll behave and arrive on time for the ball, Benedict returns to his club, where bacchanalia surround him. As he cuts through the crowd, he catches the eye of a handsome, bearded man who approaches him with a very specific brand of familiarity. The man is Louis (Sachin K. Sharma), and it’s clear the two are lovers — proof that Benedict’s bisexuality was never a fluke. Louis propositions him, and Benedict initially resists, worried about being late, but when Louis reminds him that “much merriment can be had in a rather short time,” Benedict is convinced, and the two passionately kiss in full view of the room.
Luke Thompson and Sachin K. Sharma kiss in Bridgerton season 4
Netflix
Benedict isn’t just still bi — he’s out to his friends, or at least to those who share his sexually liberal tastes. Notably, all of this happens before the opening credits of season four even roll. The writers are making a statement: Benedict is still queer.
Which means, dear readers, that he can still be attracted to — and fall exclusively for — a woman, which he promptly does when he meets Sophie. What follows is yearning, social complications, chance encounters, and, yes, a very sexy stairwell scene. What doesn’t follow is Benedict having sex with another man — at least not in the first half of the season, and likely not in the second, though, admittedly, that remains to be seen.
So how do we feel about this? It’s complicated.
From the start of the season, the show has taken pains to show that Benedict’s attractions remain solidly queer. He is a bisexual man. There’s relief in knowing this remains intrinsic to who he is, regardless of who he ultimately falls in love with. And of course, bisexual people falling for opposite-sex partners is just as valid and just as true to the bisexual experience as falling for a same-sex or nonbinary partner.
Yet this depiction of his queerness, which began in the latter half of season three and effectively concludes in the season four premiere, feels brief. Thankfully, it’s free of shame or guilt on Benedict’s part — it’s clearly something he enjoys. However, aside from intimacy within the safety of the club, there’s no coming out. No reckoning. No celebration. At least not yet. Perhaps something like that will arrive alongside Francesca’s forthcoming romance with Michaela — we can hope. But as of now, it feels a bit too tidily tied up in a bow.
Luke Thompson and Sachin K. Sharma flirt in Bridgerton season 4
Netflix
Ultimately — selfishly, perhaps — we wanted to see more of Benedict’s queer journey. More insight into how he understands himself. Who he sees himself as. The casualness of his queerness is, in some ways, refreshing; we’re certainly not lacking in stories of queer men tortured by internalized shame. And to call his instant, mad love for Sophie bi erasure is simply factually incorrect.
Still, it leaves unanswered questions. Could Benedict’s attraction to his male lovers have blossomed into love? Into a profound emotional connection and yearning? Or was it always purely sexual? It seems unlikely we’ll ever get those answers — and honestly, that stings.
That’s not to say we didn’t enjoy the first half of season four. Benedict and Sophie’s Cinderella-inspired love story heats up nicely by the end of this arc. Add to that Violet’s blooming later-in-life romance with Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis), and most exciting of all, Francesca’s impending romance with her husband John’s beautiful cousin, Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza). While we’ve only seen a hint of that story so far — Michaela’s arrival and Francesca’s instant lesbian panic — the groundwork is being laid, and all signs point to truly steamy and emotionally resonant sapphic romance ahead. So, yes, there is still plenty for queer fans to swoon over.
Which is all to say, our love for Bridgerton and its libidinous citizens remains very much intact… even if Benedict likely won’t be kissing any more men.
Bridgerton season 4 , part 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
America's Next Top Model's Nigel Barker, Tyra Banks, Jay Alexander, and Jay Manuel
Netflix/YouTube
America's Next Top Model, the reality television show hosted by Tyra Banks, was known for it's outlandish challenges and problematic elements. All that and more is being scrutinized in a new Netflix documentary called Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model, coming to the streamer on February 16.
In the years since the show went off the air, it has been the subject of controversy as people look back at its more problematic elements. In 2022,Business Insiderpublished an exposé about the show's production, which former contestants called "psychological warfare."
Now, the show is being looked at with fresh eyes in a documentary that features the show's host, along with the judges: noted fashion photographer Nigel Barker, Jay Manuel, and Jay Alexander. Former contestants and winners — including Whitney Thompson, Giselle Samson, Shannon Stewart, Shandi Sullivan, Dani Evans, and Keenyah Hill — will also appear in the three-part docuseries.
According to the project's official logline, Reality Check "exposes the show’s complicated legacy and asks a provocative question: how far are we willing to go for entertainment?"
The docuseries' press release also includes a statement from one of the executive producers, Jon Adler of EverWonder Studio, who said, "America's Next Top Model was a groundbreaking force that forever shaped pop culture, but there's more to its complicated legacy than meets the eye. Whether you tuned in weekly or recently discovered the show, Reality Check will reveal fresh insights and intimate reflections on the drama, controversy, and personalities that defined this iconic series."
"We can't wait for Netflix's global audience to see what really happened behind the scenes of America's Next Top Model and the cultural moment it created," added executive producer Jason Beekman of Wise Child Studios. "Reality Check is a fun, fast-moving nostalgia trip that also examines real issues of gender, race, exploitation, and personal conflict. And Netflix is the ideal partner for our first documentary series, which reflects Wise Child's focus on telling character-driven stories that are both compelling and highly entertaining."
Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov on Heated Rivalry.
HBO Max/Crave Canada
Heated Rivalry might get an all-new bonus episode to be released in 2026, giving fans a bit more of Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov as they wait for a second season.
For context, Heated Rivalry season 2 was officially greenlit by Crave Canada (and parent company Bell Media), book author Rachel Reid, and showrunner Jacob Tierney. The latter was quick to manage expectations, however, telling fans that the upcoming season might not be released until 2027.
Nonetheless, Crave executives revealed that a bonus special episode is indeed being taken into consideration for 2026.
"We're going to see what's feasible," Justin Stockman, vice-president of content development and programming at Bell Media, told Toronto Star. "If (Jacob Tierney] can find a way to make the source material work in a way that gets us something sooner or something special, I'm sure he will. I would love to have this back for the holidays next year, but that likely is not going to happen. We can't rush the process. We won't be able to repeat the magic if we push him."
Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov on Heated Rivalry.HBO Max
The choice to do so would place the episode between seasons 1 and 2 of Heated Rivalry, which feels like the Euphoria specials "Trouble Don't Last Always" (focused on Zendaya's character, Rue) and "Fuck Anyone Who's Not a Sea Blob" (focused on Hunter Schafer's character, Jules).
Despite the excitement surrounding this possibility, nothing is set in stone yet. "This isn't what any of us expected and I'm endlessly grateful for it. But it's the kind of noise that I have to drown out to make the next two seasons," Tierney remarked in the same interview. "I have to keep trusting myself. I have to keep doing what I did in the first place. That's the way you're going to get a good season two. It's important for me to go back to what I love about this and remember the story I'm telling."
Cyd Zeigler, the reporter who exposed straight male hockey podcaster Dan Powers for praising Heated Rivalry on air and trashing the gay romance in private, is facing extreme backlash.
Dan and Chris Powers, brothers and co-hosts of the popular hockey podcast Empty Netters, went viral after they started reacting to episodes of Heated Rivalry on their show and became the face of straight hockey bros who were loving the queer love story.
Reporter and founder of Outsports, Zeigler, published leaked text messages in an exposé yesterday that show Dan Powers was highly critical of the show in private despite stating his emphatic love for the hit show on air, and selling Heated Rivalry merch.
Fans of the podcast questioned the validity of the text messages where Powers said the “losers who made this show are cowards” and that Heated Rivalry "is trash they make because it panders, it’s provocative, and it checks inclusivity boxes.”
Powers is also quoted by Outsports as complaining in texts that the show was “making blue haired twitter happy” and that he refused to give it “the time of day” simply “out of principle.”
But Zeigler had multiple anonymous sources confirm the facts in his article and told PRIDE, “I stand by my reporting.”
After the exposé went viral online, Zeigler started receiving messages from fans lashing out in their attempts to defend the Empty Netters host.
“As journalists, people question our work all the time,” he says. “It sucks when people include hate and venom in that, and that’s what I’m getting.”
Powers has since responded to the leaked text messages in a nearly 18-minute-long video where he said the timeline put forward by Outsports is “completely false and inaccurate,” explaining that the “messages were sent over a week before we had ever watched the show and before we had ever posted a review.”
Powers claimed the text messages were “totally taken out of context” and reminded fans that he was truthful about his love for the show. “Anyone who knows me or has interacted with me will show you that what you saw and what we experienced together was just the truth,” he said. “It was so honest and authentic, I loved every second of it.”
Many LGBTQ+ fans of Heated Rivalry were excited about straight hockey bros connecting with a show that put gay sex front and center, and showed moments of domesticity and tenderness between queer men. Experiencing straight jocks being open-minded enough to embrace the show was cathartic for many queer viewers.
The comment section for the Empty Netters response video is full of LGBTQ+ people who started watching the podcast for their Heated Rivalry reactions and are now worried their allyship was just a shallow cash grab — the podcast used to regularly get under 10,000 views, but their commentary videos on the show racked up over 500,000 views each.
One person commented that even if the text messages were meant to be private, they highlight “how people talk behind the backs of queer people and women all the time.”
Another fan explained that “watching three ‘hockey bros,’ three seemingly masculine individuals, who somewhat resemble the individuals that bullied me throughout my life for being gay, embrace a queer romance show with love, emotions, sensitivity and care was so healing to me,” and that it was disappointing to find out that Powers acted “one way in front of the LGBTQIA+ community and then silently bashing individuals of that community behind their back.”
Other people pointed out that it seemed like Powers’ love of the show grew over time, but that his language choices were still harmful. “I’m glad the timeline was clarified, it’s clear you guys genuinely grew to enjoy the show but idk, that one text feels like Dan’s first instinct was to essentially call it DEI trash, which is language always used specifically for queer media, and I hoped that would be addressed.”
PRIDE contacted Dan Powers, but he did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov on Heated Rivalry.HBO Max