On Sunday’s episode of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here Jack Vidgen and Robert ‘Dipper’ DiPierdomenico had a heart-to-heart about being gay and toxic masculinity in Australia. We spoke to Jack about what that moment was like, and how the public have responded to it.
In case you missed it, Dipper approached the Australia’s Got Talent winner on the show asking about his sexuality. During the convo, Jack opened up about how he “probably would have been ready” to come out sooner if he wasn’t thrown into the spotlight so young. He also told Dipper how coming out was one of “the most incredible feelings of [his] life.”
We’re so glad you get to be your true self Jack – thanks for sharing your story #ImACelebrityAU pic.twitter.com/dpV74Fcnlo
— #ImACelebrityAU (@ImACelebrityAU) January 10, 2021
“I think it was an important message to get out there,” Jack told PEDESTRIAN.TV on Monday.
“The special part for me was that it was two different generations, two guys from completely different worlds: a straight guy and a gay guy.”
The pair also chatted about why AFL players might choose not to come out. Jack told Dipper that he actually knows about “10 or 12” footy players who are gay, but the public doesn’t know it.
“It’s a very masculine industry and you also have a really high profile so it would be extremely daunting not knowing, are you going to lose your career, lose your friends, lose your colleagues, what are people going to think of you,” Jack said on the show.
“When I came out, it wasn’t even a thing, it was so chill. There are people out there that really don’t get that [kind of treatment] and they know that’s the environment they are in,” he told P.TV.
Jack said he believes the conversation last night was “very positive” and to see Dipper be so “affirmative” and “interested in [his] life, really showed a lot.”
“I’m getting so many messages from young guys, girls and everything in between from people who haven’t come out. They’re saying things like ‘well now I feel like I can’ or ‘now I want to work up the courage to,’” he added.
It’s a big turnaround from last week when Dipper made very slut-shamey comments toward Abbie Chatfield for wearing a bikini. However, Jack said the two of them made up almost immediately and hugged it out.
“It was just beautiful to see how quickly it can turn back around,” he said.
We mean…… a point was made #ImACelebrityAU pic.twitter.com/hT7wxyoRP0
— #ImACelebrityAU (@ImACelebrityAU) January 6, 2021
In an upcoming episode, Jack speaks candidly to Jess Eva about his experience being in the spotlight and how it affected his relationship with his mum.
“The power dynamic really changed a lot when I won AGT. I became the breadwinner. It just went like that because she wanted to support me in any way she could, so she stopped working because she was travelling everywhere with me.”
Another major hurdle that came with the spotlight for Jack, was being body-shamed by the media.
“It was horrible to be honest. How does someone that age know how to process something like that?”
It’s taken Jack ten-years to work through his body image issues, but he said that he’s thankful he’s in a position where he can wear pink budgie smugglers with pride. He was even wearing them at the beach as I was speaking to him. Tony Abbott eat your heart out.
Jack reckons a major part of his confidence comes from having “hype people” who have “always got your back.”
But most importantly, don’t fucking “read the comments.”
Catch up on last night’s ep via TenPlay.
