<\/span><\/p>\n At one time a household name with a large dedicated fanbase, you\u2019d be hard pressed these days to find many who recognise the name Noele Gordon.<\/p>\n Davies\u2019 new series<\/a> fictionalises the rise and fall of the forgotten British soap star who charmed UK audiences as Meg Richardson (later Mortimer) over the course of almost two decades and almost 1,000 episodes of ITV soap Crossroads.<\/em><\/p>\n And \u201calmost\u201d is perhaps the best word to describe her career, which was ruthlessly ended after ITV decided to axe her from the show in 1981 \u2013 although she made a short-lived return shortly before she died. <\/p>\n Gordon became synonymous with Crossroads<\/em>, and it seemed unfathomable to have one without the other. Her character was the matriarch of the series and a treasured extended family for millions around the country. <\/p>\n While the new drama explores how Gordon rose to be a legend in her own lifetime, there is still a lot more to be uncovered about this once-beloved and now forgotten national treasure \u2013 especially her relationship with the LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n \n[embedded content]\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n Born in 1919, Gordon began her career on the stage and starred in the West End musical extravaganza Brigadoon <\/em>in 1949. However, she soon left to spread her wings on the big and small screen.<\/p>\n The TV personality was the first woman the ever appear on colour TV, and was also the first woman to interview a British prime minister on air (Harold Macmillan). She also helped launch ATV Midlands which became home to hit series Crossroads<\/em>. <\/p>\n While the nation affectionally dubbed her with nicknames such as Nolly and The Queen of the Midlands, Gordon was also showing herself to be a fierce ally of the LGBTQ+ community. <\/p>\n The soap legend was famously close to English comedian Larry Grayson, whose sexuality as a gay man was only revealed in unpublished memoirs after his death. <\/p>\n The two were often romantically linked in the tabloids, and even encouraged the rumours when Grayson made a guest appearance on This Is Your Life<\/em> where they both joked about getting married.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose it was naughty of us both to have joked about getting married in the first place,\u201d Gordon reflected afterwards, \u201cbut it all seemed innocent enough at the time. Neither of us realised so many people would take it seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n Grayson is played by Mark Gatiss in the series, which starts on ITVX on Thursday (2 February).<\/p>\n Gordon had several gay friends in her lifetime, and frequented gay bars, becoming famous for an incident involving one in Nottingham.<\/p>\n Mike Garrett, the head of Crossroads<\/em> Appreciation Society, explains<\/a>: \u201cThere was a gay bar that didn\u2019t let women in until Noele rolled up and said, \u2018I want to come in\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cShe wouldn\u2019t go until they\u2019d let all women in and, after that, all women were allowed in. So she sort of trailblazed for the lesbians in Nottingham.<\/p>\n \u201cI think after all the disappointment of the men who didn\u2019t marry her, or left her, she always found with gay men that sense of security.\u201d<\/p>\n Garrett continues: \u201cThey weren\u2019t going to do anything that she didn\u2019t like, or leave her. So I think she always loved that community because they were loyal and she adored them.\u201d<\/p>\n Alongside her affinity with the LGBTQ+ community, she was also known for her high-camp energy when it came to her onscreen persona, from daring outfits to her dry sense of humour.<\/p>\n Take her final scene as a regular character in Crossroads<\/em>.<\/p>\n Is there anything more legendary than the matriarch of the show surviving a catastrophic fire and suddenly appearing on the QE2 in bright eyeshadow before dramatically sailing beyond the horizon? Not really.<\/p>\n Gordon never married in her lifetime or started a family, leading to several rumours that she might be a lesbian \u2013 especially given the company she kept. <\/p>\n The theories remain strong to this day and it is something Davies has acknowledged in the run-up to the show. <\/p>\nWho is Nolly<\/em>\u2018s Noele Gordon and how did she become a gay icon?<\/h2>\n
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Was Noele Gordon a lesbian?<\/h2>\n
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