Channel 4 boss was concerned about public reaction to It’s A Sin – how wrong she was

The chief executive of Channel 4 has admitted she was anxious about the public reaction to It’s A Sin, widely hailed as one of the best television moments in recent memory.

The Russell T. Davies drama followed a circle of queer friends who moved to London and threw themselves at sex, dancing and love during the 1980s as gay culture was thriving.

However, they were unaware a deadly virus was tearing through the LGBT scene and killing thousands of gay men who were subject to abuse and further marginalisation from a Thatcher lead country.

It went on to become Channel 4’s most binged original drama of all time and All 4’s ‘biggest ever instant box set’.

But speaking at the VLV Spring Conference, Alex Mahon feared the last thing people would want to watch in a global pandemic is a series looking back at another pandemic.

Thankfully, she enthused the outcome was ‘exactly the best that we could possibly aim for’.

‘It’s popular, it’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s saddening, but it’s bang on remit,’ she said, adding that it was the programme she was proudest of from the last year.

Mahon said IT’s A Sin combined ‘hideousness’ and the ‘shame’ felt by those living with HIV/Aids and juxtaposed it with ‘what a joy it was to leave your provincial town and come to London, come out and have fun and live life to the full in the ’80s’.

‘And to find that we could bring people to that and explain the message in a beautifully written show and have an impact on society is just an absolutely exquisite joy to be associated with,’ she continued.

The impact of It’s A Sin has been immeasurable but within weeks of airing it inspired thousands of people to get tested for HIV/Aids, and educated millions more about living with the disease.

It’s A Sin is available to stream on All 4.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.