Suzi Ruffell reveals Titanic sparked her lesbian awakening (EXCLUSIVE)
And it wasn’t Leonardo DiCaprio who caught her attention
By Callum Wells
Comedian Suzi Ruffell has revealed that watching Titanic as a 12-year-old sparked her lesbian awakening – and it wasn’t Leonardo DiCaprio who caught her attention.
Speaking to Attitude to mark the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards 2026, in partnership with M&S and electrified by Polestar, Ruffell opened up about the moment she realised she had a crush on Kate Winslet, as she prepares to receive this year’s Comedy Award.
Ruffell watched Titanic in January 1998 and became so obsessed with the film that she returned to the cinema six more times.
“I was horrified. I didn’t want to be different. I just wanted to fit in” – Suzi Ruffell on realising she was queer
But while millions of viewers were captivated by DiCaprio’s Jack Dawson, Ruffell had her eyes firmly on Winslet’s Rose DeWitt Bukater.
“I was horrified,” Ruffell told Attitude, reflecting on the moment she realised what her crush on Winslet meant. “I didn’t want to be different. I just wanted to fit in.”
The experience would eventually become part of Ruffell’s comedy, with the comedian going on to embrace her sexuality and become one of the UK’s most prominent openly lesbian comedians.
Ruffell has since built a career around being unapologetically herself
“Now, I love being a lesbian,” she said, crediting her wife and queer friends with helping her become comfortable with who she is. “Having queer friends who see you is nourishing.”
Ruffell has since built a career around being unapologetically herself, from sell-out stand-up shows and three appearances on Live at the Apollo to her bestselling 2025 memoir Am I Having Fun Now? and her Attitude Presents: Out with Suzi Ruffell podcast.
She initially tried to avoid talking about her sexuality on stage, but soon realised hiding it wasn’t going to work.
“I tried hiding who I was, but it never really worked,” Ruffell said. “I am loudly gay even when I try to be quiet.”
“Younger Suz would be over the moon” – Ruffell on receiving The Comedy Award
Her podcast has since seen her speak to a range of LGBTQ+ guests, including Munroe Bergdorf, Heartstopper star Bradley Riches and drag icon Jinkx Monsoon.
“However different we are, our stories have parallels,” Ruffell said of what she has learned through those conversations. “People who live their truth, are willing to learn, forgive, listen and love are happier and hotter!”
Now, as she receives The Comedy Award at the Attitude Awards, Ruffell says the recognition is a reminder of just how far she has come since that 12-year-old girl first fell for Rose DeWitt Bukater.
“I am so delighted,” she told Attitude. “Younger Suz would be over the moon. Mainly just to be in a room with so many queer people. I never thought I would be this comfortable in my own skin.”
The full interview appears in the Attitude Awards 2026 issue, available on digital platforms and in print. Print copy available for pre-order here.