Matthew Todd

Matthew Todd is a multi-award-winning writer, activist and sometime performer and broadcaster who was editor of the UKs best-selling gay magazine, Attitude, for 8 years.

His ground breaking work on LGBT mental health culminated with his book, the first British title about the issue, Straight Jacket (2016, Black Swan), which has been described as ‘utterly brilliant’ by Owen Jones in the Guardian, ‘an essential read for every gay person on the planet’ by Sir Elton John and as ‘game changing’ and ‘life saving’ by readers. It was shortlisted for the Polari Prize and was voted Boyz Best LGBT Book of the Year.

He appears regularly in the media on programmes such as Lorraine and BBC News, has presented two films for BBC Newsnight, writes for The Guardian and gives talks around the UK on LGBT and mental health issues. As editor of Attitude he interviewed countless celebrities including Madonna, Lady Gaga, Daniel Radcliffe and Prince William, who sat for the cover of Matthew’s last issue and made history as the first time a member of the Royal family had spoken out against homo, bi and transphobic bullying.

As a performer and actor, he has appeared on ITV’s Take The Mic, in the BBC Radio 4 play How Success Ruined Me, in Matthew Baldwins short film The Act and was a finalist in the Mardi Gras Comedy Competition and the Big, Big, Big New Act of the Year. Matthew’s play, Blowing Whistles, has been performed in the West End, the US and Australia. He is the recipient of the Stonewall Journalist of the Year and three British Society of Magazine Editors Editor of the Year Awards and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London for services to the LGBT community. His new book, Pride – The story of the LGBTQ Equality Movement (Carlton), is out now and his work can be found in This Is Not A Drill (Penguin Random House), Letters To The Earth (Harper Collins) and The Queer Bible (published by Harper Collins, 2020).