Heated Rivalry inspires Irish man to open up about secret gay romance: "I still love him"
"I think about him every single day since. And I still love him, even though we never said it to each other."
Get your tissues ready!
On 10 January, Heated Rivalry finally made its way to Ireland, airing on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
Created by Jacob Tierney and based on Rachel Reid's novel of the same name, the gay hockey romance follows Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), rival hockey players who embark on a secret nearly 10-year romance.
Since its premiere, Irish viewers have become enthralled with Heated Rivalry thanks to its heartfelt love story, intimate scenes, Tierney's creative direction, and, of course, Williams and Storrie's stellar chemistry.
The critically acclaimed show has even given some fans the confidence to come out about their own queer experiences in the sports world.
During a recent broadcast of his RTE Radio 1 show, host Brendan O'Connor shared a powerful letter from a married man. In the document, he credited Heated Rivalry for inspiring him to open up about the secret gay romance he had while playing Gaelic football.
