Joel Creasey: 'It's shocking that I'm pretty much the only out gay man on commercial TV.'

Presenter, comedian, and self-proclaimed ‘selfie slut’ Joel Creasey has called for more diversity on commercial Australian TV.

The host of I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here Now! told News Corp, “It is shocking to me that I’m pretty much the only out gay man on commercial television in Australia that I know of.”

“We shouldn’t be having this conversation but there are so many gay and lesbian entertainers out there and it doesn’t translate to jobs on TV. A gay man is allowed to play a leading man on Broadway but you wouldn’t see him as a leading man on TV. It should be something that doesn’t need to be addressed but sadly this is the reality of the television industry in 2016,” he said.

Creasey, 25, also revealed that he was once told by a major radio station to “sound more straight” on air.

The comedian came to our attention last year, when he and Chrissie Swan quickly became our favourite duo in the South African jungle.

This is what true love looks like. Concocting plans and laughing like crazy with my favourite @chrissieswan. I’ve been awake since very early so apologies for my face. Christine Swan will be co-hosting @theprojecttv too which I just so happen to be a guest on this evening!

A photo posted by Joel Creasey (@joelcreasey) on Oct 6, 2015 at 6:07pm PDT

He has since hosted the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala, and hosts his behind-the-scenes I’m a Celebrity show with ex-Bachelor contestant, Heather Maltman.

In an interview with News Corp last week, Offspring writer Michael Lucas discussed what it was like growing up with no gay personalities on Australian TV. “The only time I can remember seeing a homosexual man on TV was in terrible British sitcoms, and they were ridiculously over-the-top effeminate or something,” he said. “After that, it was dark AIDS storylines. It took a long time to see any characters that weren’t total comic stereotypes or embodying tragic social issues. When I was a kid, I would’ve loved seeing someone like Joel on my screen.”

Despite being proud of his position as a ‘gay comedian’, Creasey is sometimes confused as to why his sexuality remains at the forefront of his career.

Real men rock pink. Thanks to @jacklondon_official and @carlosmangubat for this super cute outfit I wore on @studio10au this morning. Denise Drysedale said she found me irresistible. Feeing was mutual. I’m now going to have a nap and then do some stand up at the Opera House tonight. Hope everyone has a good Friday and disgraces themselves at work drinks this evening xxx A photo posted by Joel Creasey (@joelcreasey) on Oct 22, 2015 at 6:56pm PDT

“I don’t just joke about my sexuality,” he explained.

“When I joke about my ex or sex or dating, I’m often lumped with, ‘oh he makes gay jokes about his gay ex-boyfriend or his gay sex or gay dating’. People say it all the time on social media and critics have written it in their reviews. They’re not gay jokes. They’re just jokes about my life. No straight comedian qualifies their straight jokes as just being jokes nor should they have to.”

However, he commends Channel 10 for being wholly accepting of his on-screen persona, just as it is.

He concluded, “It would be great to see more gay men and women working in television. We can read the news, present the sport, evict a talent show contestant or play a character just the same as everyone else.”

Here here, Joel. We couldn’t agree with you more.