Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page praises Netflix hit for tackling gender issues: ‘So many problems would be solved if men could hug each other’

Bridgerton heartthrob Regé-Jean Page has praised the Netflix hit for including black actors in its ‘Cinderella fantasy’ — as he joked about his dirty laundry.

The 31-year-old Londoner has been surging in Hollywood after nailing his role as Duke of Hastings Simon Basset — who he describes as an ‘1813 f***boy’ — in the Regency drama.

He has even been given the honour of guest hosting America’s Saturday Night Live in the wake of his steamy scenes with co-star Phoebe Dynevor.

And explaining the power of small-screen representation, he said: ‘People of colour in Bridgerton do challenge the status quo but not necessarily as a form of calculated rebellion.

‘It’s important to include black people and not just black skin on screen because then you see what a black life is and sometimes that challenges the status quo.’

Posing in a jumper and all-white for Man About Town, Page added: ‘We’re just out here living our lives but the difference is now we’re starting to do it in the same light as everyone else.

‘It’s a beautiful, fun, Cinderella fantasy and the only difference is everyone gets to play.

‘When you no longer centre whiteness as the default of all stories of humanity, it’s incredibly simple to include everyone in your perspective because everyone has always existed and had an inner and an outer life that has been fascinating and worthy of stories.’ The drama doesn’t just tackle race, he insisted, but also gender issues.

‘So many of these problems would be solved so quickly if men could hug each other — that’s what Bridgerton says about masculinity,’ he added.

He may live the life of a lord on screen but, away from the show, Page says his main problem is balancing fame with doing his laundry.

The actor, who dates part-time footballer Emily Brown, said: ‘I’m terrible at timing my washing load. I haven’t quite got the hang of balancing any of this.’

Tim’s no longer hiding… but road to coming out was long

Coming out as gay turned into a ‘marathon, not a sprint’ for Tim Chadwick.

The breakout Irish singer, who has poured his struggles into new EP Timothy, said he worried about bringing his ‘new-found lease of life back home’ after a year of living as his true self in Austria. The Dubliner’s family was ‘nothing but loving and supporting’ — but then he faced the real challenge.

‘There was more to coming out than just saying the words to friends and family,’ Tim, 26, explained to Guilty Pleasures.

‘There was my own acceptance of it, which meant that there were multiple hurdles and stumbling blocks in following through with it. I was accepting my own sexuality but I was clueless as to how I could own it. How was I supposed to thrive when all I ever knew was how to hide?’

He added: ‘You never just come out once. I would admit it to certain people and then deny or avoid it with others — acceptance and self-love is a marathon, not a sprint.’

J Lo and A-Rod: We’re working through things

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have hit back at split claims. ‘We are working through some things,’ the pair told People magazine, following reports they called off their two-year engagement. And a source claimed they have ‘hit a rough patch’, but were never fully broken up.

I had to do thumb-thing about bad pics, says Jess

Jessie J has revealed she went Instagram official with new lover Max Pham Nguyen to combat bad pap shots of the couple. The Bang Bang singer, 32, said: ‘The pictures they ran of me and him were so bad! I look like (Shrek character) Lord Farquaad’s dad! I look like a thumb in a wig.’

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