'I felt really scared and I felt alone' Wicked star Jonathan Bailey on growing up gay in school
Jonathan Bailey highlights mental health risks for LGBT+ pupils and warns that UK school budget cuts threaten arts and supportive programs, Just Like Us charity said.
- In a recent interview, Jonathan Bailey donated one of his For Good interview slots to highlight Just Like Us and said `I felt scared and I felt alone and I felt entirely limited at various points in my life`.
- Surveys of thousands of UK pupils show Just Like Us found LGBT participants aged 11 to 18 face twice the anxiety, depression, and bullying, while Bailey says education boosts safety and confidence in UK schools.
- Recalling his youth, Bailey described feeling unsafe and uncelebrated, fearing limits on roles due to sexuality, and noted career risks for being out and doubts about accessing Shakespeare and drama school.
- Facing tightening budgets, UK classrooms risk losing arts and key talks, so Just Like Us, LGBT+ youth charity, made its talks free due to teacher time and budget pressures.
- Amid a boycott call, One Million Moms urged people to boycott the sequel even if they saw Wicked: Part One, while Jonathan Bailey said, `I don't even acknowledge...
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Jonathan Bailey Reflects on Growing Up Gay, How It Affected His School Life: 'I Felt Really Scared and I Felt Alone'
PEOPLE's Sexist Man Alive is an ambassador for Just Like Us, which works to support LGBTQ+ youth in schoolsMax Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Jonathan Bailey at the Esquire Better Men dinner n Nov. 12, 2025 in London.NEED TO KNOWJonathan Bailey opened up about his experience growing up gay and how it affected his school life"I felt scared and I felt alone and I felt entirely limited at various points in my life," he said in an interviewBailey was nam…
'I felt really scared and I felt alone' - Wicked star Jonathan Bailey on growing up gay in school
While promoting Wicked: For Good, the actor donated one of his interview slots to talk about the charity he is a patron of: Just Like Us, which works with LGBT+ youth in schools.
Jonathan Bailey talked about problems when he was a gay teenager, and he felt like he was in a straitjacket, he says.
The "Wicked" star (37) opens up about what it was like growing up gay at school.
Jonathan Bailey opens up about growing up gay: “I felt really scared and alone”
Jonathan Bailey, star of Wicked and Bridgerton, has spoken candidly about the challenges he faced growing up gay in school, describing those years as marked by fear and isolation.In an exclusive conversation with Sky News, Bailey revealed: “I felt scared and I felt alone and I felt entirely limited at various points in my life.”The actor, now a patron of the LGBTQ+ charity Just Like Us, used his promotional slot for Wicked: For Good to highlight…
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