Back in November, the pop culture sphere shifted with the release of Heated Rivalry. Based on Rachel Reid’s beloved MLM hockey romance novel of the same name, the Jacob Tierney-created series follows Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), two young professional hockey players from very different backgrounds. After being drafted into the MLH, the pair quickly become fierce on-ice rivals. Off the ice, however, their relationship takes an unexpected, passionate and deeply romantic turn, sparking a secret affair that spans years, countless hotel rooms and one fateful cottage.

Since its debut, Heated Rivalry has well and truly taken over the world – that's not even hyperbole – earning widespread acclaim from viewers and critics alike for its steamy sex scenes, angst-filled storylines and, of course, Williams and Storrie’s electric chemistry. In December, Crave and HBO Max confirmed the series would return for a second season, easing fans’ worries and dodging the one-season cancellation curse that so many LGBTQIA+ shows face. With Shane and Ilya set to return to the ice – and our hearts – for a second period, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about Heated Rivalry season two, from cast and plot details to sex scenes, potential new characters and more.

Words by JJ Croucher
Design by Yosef Phelan 

I am at a busy pub on Exmouth Market. It is Friday night and everyone is either wearing a gilet and a clean white shirt or the glad rags of the Central St Martins ilk. I wonder why the faces that surround me are so gorgeous: the men present as Patrick Bateman types, sans the suits, sans the ties – they’re the modern kings of the tech class. The grubbier, boho creatives also have a shocking vitality. It looks like everyone’s just got back from a holiday. I worry that they all might have been looksmaxing without me. 

Conrad Ricamora has shared a bittersweet update about his involvement in The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Back in June, it was announced that the Fire Island star would be appearing in the sequel alongside new cast members Simone Ashley (Bridgerton), Lucy Liu (Charlie's Angels), Pauline Chalamet (The Sex Lives of College Girls), B.J. Novak (The Office), Justin Theroux (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice), Caleb Hearon (I Used to Be Funny) and Helen J. Shen (Maybe Happy Ending).

Two days before The Devil Wears Prada 2's release, however, Ricamora revealed that his role was ultimately cut from the final version of the film.

TV heartthrobs, Real Housewives, pop culture icons and more have been confirmed for RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 11. 

On 29 April, World of Wonder and Paramount+ announced the stars joining RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Ts Madison, Ross Matthews and Carson Kressley on the panel to judge the charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent of the 18 returning queens. 

Photography by Danica Robinson

“I just want people to feel something, whether that’s sadness or wanting to shake your ass a little bit,” Lolo Zouaï says of her third studio album Reverie. Written in the aftermath of losing her best friend, it’s a project rooted in grief but one that refuses to be defined by it, drifting between haunting introspection and flashes of sun-soaked escapism (see: the inevitable gay favourite ‘Lemon Squeeze’). “It’s the kind of album you put on and get completely lost in thought,” she tells Gay Times. “Or sit in the back of a car at night, looking out the window. It’s a car album.”

Since releasing her debut single in 2016, Zouaï has fused her French background with the sounds and attitude of the West Coast, resulting in over 600 million streams, collaborations with Nike, Dior, Chanel and YSL, and supporting Dua Lipa on tour. Her songwriting credits stretch beyond her own catalogue too, including NewJeans’ dance banger ‘Right Now’ and H.E.R.’s self-titled Grammy-winning album. Along the way, she’s also built a fiercely loyal LGBTQIA+ fanbase – “If you have the girls and the gays [as fans], you’re set up for stardom,” she says. “I mean, that’s who the stans are!”

Here, Zouaï opens up about turning grief into Reverie, finding freedom in going independent and why she’s stopped chasing outside pressures in favour of something more honest. “Once there’s this expectation, it’s impossible to meet it,” she says. “So I’m just doing it at my own pace and trusting the music more.”

Lolo, this album… I’m obsessed with ‘Lemon Squeeze’ and – I’m very sorry for my pronunciation of this – ‘Toute seule à la plage’. 

Hey, you did a good job! That's my Basanova, 60s, French vibe.

It feels like summer. 

That was the goal. In the middle of a... It feels like a winter album to me, and then we just hit it with the summer banger.

The album feels simultaneously haunting, trippy, and summery. What sonic mood were you aiming to create with it?

I wanted you to feel heard and understood. To me, the album is very personal. It’s about grief and how it changed me, how I grew from it, and who I am after. I feel it’s the kind of album you put on and then get completely lost in thought, or where you sit in the back of a car at night, looking out the window. It’s a car album! So I just want people to feel something, whether that’s sadness or wanting to shake your ass a little bit — especially with ‘Lemon Squeeze.’

The video for ‘Holding On’ is, again, quite haunting. Can you talk about the storyline and what it represents?

The song, and a lot of the album, are about my best friend who passed away. It’s about the memories I have with her, but also realising she’s no longer there. That’s why I’m hugging her and then she disappears. There are all these actions where I’m alone, and they’re things you would usually be doing with someone. At the end of the video, you see the other side of those moments, where she was there while I was charging my portable battery. She was there on the beach when I was lighting the firecracker. It’s just a story of grief and girlhood.

How did working on this album lyrically, and creating visuals like the ‘Holding On’ video, help you process that grief?

It was very heavy working on it. It took me three years to really get this album together and to be able to process my emotions, because I was in the middle of a giant tour right after it happened and was never able to process those feelings. It allowed me to be alone with my thoughts and feelings, to write about it, cry about it, and make something beautiful and hopeful out of something that was very difficult.

How are you feeling about releasing something so personal into the world?

I feel good. I think that’s what people need. We need to hear these kinds of songs because so many of us are going through that. There’s so much hardship, and it’s definitely been a club era of music. We have so much of that already, and that’s amazing. I just wanted to be really honest and personal about what I’ve been going through because, in my experience, whenever I’m the most honest, those are the songs that connect the most.

You launched this era with ‘3AM in San Francisco,’ a nod to the city you grew up in and how it shaped your creativity. In what ways has San Francisco influenced the artist you are today?

It influenced me so much because it’s such an eclectic, fun city with so much history. It’s also such a diverse place, so I never felt out of place. My parents are immigrants – my dad is from Algeria, my mom is from France – and I never really felt out of place in San Francisco. That’s a beautiful thing; it’s like this beautiful melting pot of cultures. I was able to experience Bay Area music and Bay Area rap, as well as the music my dad plays – traditional Algerian rai music – and my mom’s love of the French classics. My love of R&B and pop really blended my musical taste and my personality as well. This album really represents all of those sides.

I've always wanted to go to San Francisco because two of my favourite shows are set there: Charmed and That’s So Raven. 

I was going to say That’s So Raven! And was Mrs Doubtfire in San Francisco?

I believe so because I remember the film having lots of hills? 

Robin Williams lived in San Francisco, and I remember I met – well, I don’t remember, I was a baby – but I met him one time at Toys “R” Us. We would always go to his house for Halloween because we’d go to the rich neighbourhoods to get the best candy. His house would always give out king-size candy. Thank you, Robin!

Did he answer the door?! 

I think he was there, but I don't remember. I was so young, but I remember it was always like, ‘We have to go to Robin Williams' house!’ 

Wow. I’ve always wanted to go to San Francisco because of the TV shows I mentioned and, of course… it’s so, so gay.

It's the gayest place ever. I mean, I would go to all the Prides in high school, and those were my best and most fun experiences. I didn't even realise that it was a thing. You know what I mean?

Your life sounds gayer than mine and I work at Gay Times. 

You're not wrong. You need to come to San Francisco, though. 

Did the queerness of San Francisco influence your creativity in any way?

Well, that's the thing. I feel like I didn't even realise that that was different? I just kind of grew up around a lot of queer people. I mean, I'm always surrounded by queer people. Now I live in New York, so a lot of my fans [are queer]. 

Which song on Reverie do you think will get the biggest reception from the gays? 

The biggest gag? Hmm, maybe either ‘100’ or ‘Lemon Squeeze,’ because I feel like those are the most club-ready. You said you like ‘Lemon Squeeze.’ Maybe ‘Baggy Jeans’ too. I don't know! 

What does your queer audience mean to you, and how has that connection shaped you as an artist?

It means everything to me, because it means that I've created a safe space for people to be themselves at my shows. I surround myself with a lot of queer people. I also think that if you have the girls and the gays, you're set up for stardom. I mean, that's who the stans are! 

You recently became an independent artist. How has that move shaped your creative freedom, workflow, and overall approach to making music?

I always felt like I was in control, but I think that subconsciously I was trying to be more of a pop star before. Now I’m like, ‘I just want to be me, an artist, take my time.’ I don’t want to put this expectation… once there’s this expectation, it’s impossible to meet it. So I’m doing it at my own pace and trusting the music more. I also think with major labels, if you don’t sell a certain amount of records or whatever, they’re not going to care anymore. They have so many big artists that are making them money that they don’t really care about the small artist – even if they signed you, because they supposedly believe in your art. It’s just like a bank.

Listening to this album, the first word that comes to mind is – overused as it is – authentic. Sometimes authenticity isn’t possible under a major label.

Maybe. Maybe not. When I was with RCA, they didn’t give me any feedback or anything. It was like, why am I even on a major? I do think that being independent allowed me to have more time to actually make something that feels authentic and not rush it. So, thank you for that, because the best thing a project can be is authentic. That’s always been the case – since the beginning, what I’ve tried to do is be myself. But of course, sometimes you grow and change and it’s hard to know what is authentic. Then you just realise, ‘Wait, no… dial it all back!’ It’s just me doing my thing.

To finish, what do you hope Reverie leaves people with, and how do you hope it resonates with them?

I want people to feel like they can do the same thing. Not necessarily musically, but that they can also be their authentic self no matter what. That vulnerability and confidence can coexist. You can be somewhat hurt and broken, but also be able to come out of it and flex on them a little bit. You know what I’m saying? It’s not just one thing. I want people to feel heard and seen, and for those who are going through grief, to be able to go through it and maybe hear something they’re feeling but don’t know how to express. Yeah. I think I want people to cry, too! I want people to let their emotions go and fall into a Reverie.

Reverie is out now.

Alexis Hall’s beloved enemies-to-lovers romance novel Boyfriend Material is heading from page to screen.

On 29 April, Deadline revealed that A24 UK has optioned the television rights to the BookTok sensation.

First published in 2020, the novel follows Luc O’Donnell, a 28-year-old working for a dung beetle charity who lives a semi-famous life thanks to his deadbeat rock star father.

Design by Yosef Phelan

If the thought of buying your first sapphic sex party ticket sends a quivering ripple of equal parts delight and terror through to your gut, I'm here to tell you there's nothing to fear and a lot of affirming, joyful, sexy-ness to get that pretty mouth around.

Sapphic sex parties are a haven for those looking to explore pleasure, form friendships and relationships, feel belonging, desire and ultimately explore what sex looks like without a heteronormative-informed male gaze leering over you. 

Jinkx Monsoon has announced plans to “conjure a protective charm through laughter” with her upcoming UK tour.

On 29 April, the two-time Drag Race champion, comedian and Broadway icon revealed she will bring her witchcraft across 11 UK cities this July with her comedy-concert show, Speaking of Witch.

Josh Cavallo has opened up about the positive impact his coming out has had on closeted athletes. 

Back in 2021, the former Adelaide United player made LGBTQIA+ history after he revealed that he was gay in an emotional open letter.

"It's been a journey to get to this point in my life, but I couldn't be happier with my decision to come out. I have been fighting my sexuality for six years now, and I'm glad I can put that to rest," he wrote at the time. 

Cavallo's landmark announcement made him the world's first openly gay male top-flight professional footballer.

Since that fateful day, the 26-year-old has continued to thrive in both his personal and professional life – even inspiring other professional athletes to consider coming out. 

More queer men living in New Zealand will finally be able to donate blood hassle-free thanks to a historic new policy. 

Under the current rules, men who have had anal sex with another man in the last three months are barred from donating blood in the country. 

However, from 4 May, all potential donors will be asked the same questions about their sexual history and partners in a gender-neutral manner.

“I did accomplish a few things,” says Myki Meeks. An understatement, really: on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18, the Orlando powerhouse snagged four maxi-challenges, became the third queen ever to hold a top placement streak for eight weeks, and served up more – Barrymore – of her Snatch Game impersonation in front of Drew Barrymore herself on The Drew Barrymore Show. (“Meta” has never been so meta.)

All of the aforementioned feats positioned Myki as the clear frontrunner heading into the finale, where she faced Darlene Mitchell and Nini Coco. Each finalist performed a custom-written track, with Myki’s showcasing her “Versatile” repertoire. She ultimately went head-to-head with Nini – one of the season’s most formidable lip-sync assassins – in the final showdown to Miley Cyrus’ 'Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved.' Emoting her way through the song and landing a fierce pirouette, Myki ultimately secured the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” (and a cash prize of $200,000…).

Here, Myki reflects on achieving “every gay’s dream” with her Drag Race victory, her intention to bring a renewed musical theatre energy into her reign, and why she won’t squabble the opportunity to compete alongside her “idols” on the franchise’s next winners’ season.

Heartstopper star Joe Locke is reportedly set to lead an upcoming body horror film.

Hudson Williams has added another project to his growing filmography. 

According to Deadline, the rising talent has joined the star-studded cast of Tyrant, an upcoming thriller from Amazon MGM set in "New York City's elite fine dining scene." 

Kieron Moore has opened up about his emotional audition for Blue Film.

Directed by Elliot Tuttle, the film follows Moore as LA-based fetish cam boy Aaron Eagle, who visits a client in exchange for $50,000 and discovers "a masked man (Reed Birney) with a camera and a series of increasingly probing questions."

Lady Gaga and Doechii have dropped the music video for ‘Runway’, and we’re thoroughly gagged.

Earlier this month, the two powerhouses treated fans to their epic collaboration, featured on the upcoming soundtrack for The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Backed by a pulsating dance-pop production, Gaga and Doechii ooze confidence as they sing and rap about serving sickening looks and dominating the runway.

Following the track’s release, fans began to wonder whether the duo would drop an accompanying music video – especially after Doechii teased that there was “more to come” at the 2026 Fashion Los Angeles Awards.