"Little Joe would’ve watched Heartstopper in secret!" Joe Locke: queer representation matters
About this episode
Joe Locke discusses his rise to fame, the importance of LGBTQ+ representation, and the challenges of growing up in the spotlight.
Joe Locke was doing his A levels on the Isle of Man when Heartstopper came out on Netflix. Two days later he had 3 million new Instagram followers. In this chat, Fearne and Joe both share their experiences of being thrust into the spotlight as teenagers, and how it’s affected them mentally. He explores his fear that his success might just be a fluke, and why he's so keen to prove he belongs in the industry. They also chat about how vital it is to have LGBTQ+ representation like Heartstopper on TV, and why Joe came out twice. Plus, what can we all learn from Joe’s experience of having to grow up fast about giving ourselves permission to be young and messy? You can watch Joe in Heartstopper Forever on Netflix now. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Olly Alexander Chris Appleton Julian Clary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Host: Fearne Cotton
Guest: Joe Locke
Topics covered
- queer representation
- mental health
- teen success
- LGBTQ+ visibility
- growing up
- media influence
Keywords
- Joe Locke
- Heartstopper
- LGBTQ+
- mental health
- teenagers
- representation
- growing up
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Netflix
Books & works: Heartstopper, Heartstopper Forever
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