Fash: ITV announces new drama about first openly gay footballer Justin Fashanu – Virgin Radio UK

Virgin Radio

5 Dec 2022, 10:05

The life of the first professional footballer in England to come out as gay is set to be explored in an upcoming ITV drama, called Fash.

The series will tell the story of the life of Justin Fashanu and his relationship with his brother John, who was also a professional footballer.

Justin became Britain’s first £1 million Black footballer when Nottingham Forest signed him from Norwich City in 1981. In 1990, he was the first male footballer to publicly come out as gay. He tragically took his own life in 1998 at the age of 37.

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ITV states that Fash will chart the lives of the two brothers, from their childhoods spent in care homes, to the care of a white foster family, through to their “tragic and irreconcilable” estrangement, which played out in the media.

The narrative will also dramatise how Justin’s life became mired by “pitch-side rumour and front-page tabloid headlines”, while John superseded him as the “famous Fashanu”. The latter won the FA Cup with Wimbledon in 1988 and, later, was known as the presenter of TV show Gladiators.

Fash will be written and directed by BAFTA-nominee Kwame Kwei-Armah, with John and LGBT campaigner Peter Tatchell attached as consultants. The former footballer said in a statement: “Much has been said and written about the relationship Justin and I shared over the years, but drama of this type has an ability to delve right to the beating heart and truth of events in a way other media can’t.

“I feel privileged to play a part in bringing it to the screen.”

Tatchell said: “This is a powerful, moving life story that needs to be told. I am very honoured to act as a consultant to the production team, based on my friendship with Justin Fashanu in the 1980s.”

Meanwhile, director Kwei-Armah said: “I grew up watching the Fashanu brothers. I was fascinated by them. Inspired by them. As an adult, my heart breaks for them. ‘The past is a foreign land’, the saying goes, ‘they do things differently there’.

“In Fash, I wanted to dive into that past, particularly one that has so many resonances with today.”

Fash will air on ITV. A release date has yet to be announced.

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