Heated Rivalry reality spin-off has five closeted athletes ready to come out, says creator Joel Relampagos (EXCLUSIVE)

Following the success of Jacob Tierney‘s Heated Rivalry, Emmy Award-winning executive producer Joel Relampagos is amplifying the hype.

By casting gay hockey players and their allies in a 2027 reality series, he sets his sights on creating the “gay Avengers of hockey”.

Relampagos, who came out to friends and family on MTV’s 2002 documentary True Life: I’m Coming Out, has already received hundreds of applications. Speaking exclusively to Attitude, he reveals that five closeted hockey players are interested in joining the production, and are ready to come out on screen.

Produced by North Star Content, the reality TV pioneer shares what viewers can expect from the Heated Rivalry spin-off, revealing its title, format and why allyship is central to the casting process.

Attitude: What was it about Heated Rivalry that convinced you it could translate into reality TV?

Relampagos: I have worked in unscripted television for years. I knew that there were more stories to tell. What we see in Heated Rivalry is beautiful, but when it comes to reality television, we have the opportunity to show the plethora of all types of men, specifically men in the LGBTQIA community. I was so eager to start casting and tell different types of stories that I find really inspiring.

Was the show itself that inspired the series, or was it the outpour of praise from athletes after the show?

I first got my job in television because I was studying pre-med in college, and then I wanted to come out of the closet. I found out MTV was doing a documentary about teens coming out. I wrote them my story, and they decided to film the documentary on me. I came out to my family on camera. I dropped out of college, pursued a career in television, and I’ve always had this passion for coming out stories and the shame and guilt that come with being in the closet.

So when I saw Heated Rivalry hit mainstream television, I thought, “perfect.” It just takes that one spark in mainstream to ignite a much bigger fire. I wanted to use that opportunity to expand stories of gay men in the closet, whether they’re out or not, especially in sports.

Why is now the right time for a series centred on openly queer hockey players?

I think that when there’s a big hit in scripted television, that’s a sign of audience interest. While we have that interest, it’s a natural step to expand on it.

Set the scene for us: where is it taking place, what’s the format, and what can viewers expect tone-wise?

I like to think of this as the gay Avengers of hockey, and their allies forming a team here in Los Angeles. That team can consist of openly gay players, some people who are in the closet and ready to come out, as well as straight allies, because I think it’s an important story to tell about solidarity. We would create this team to compete in men’s national hockey.

Truthfully, there was consideration of doing it in Canada, but as a US producer, it makes the most sense here. I’d still love to have international players come and join the gay Avengers of hockey.

Why has allyship become a key part of the casting process?

I feel like, as a queer community, we really need our allies to advance if we want to move forward in this movement. It takes our allies walking hand in hand with us to go even further, and that’s part of the symbolism of being part of the team.

If you had to compare this reality series to any other reality show, what would it be?

Okay, this is an old show, but it’s like The Real World, but for hockey. The Real World was an MTV show where everyday people live together in a house. I think this is going to be a 2027 version of that. The stories we’re sharing are less about what happens on the ice and more about what happens off it: how we handle conflict as gay men, how we stand up for friends who are gay men, the layers and layers of masculinity, whether it’s toxic masculinity or a healthy masculinity, there’s so many storylines that I cannot wait to share with the world.

The way you’re describing it, sounds a bit like America’s Next Top Model: Everyone living together in a house, competitions. Is that correct?

I wouldn’t say America’s Next Top Model, because that’s not exactly in the best light right now. It’s more of a docu-series following a cast who compete in tournaments. There’s no elimination… if there’s a loss, it’s the whole team losing.

With relatively few reality shows focused solely on gay men, do you feel any pressure or apprehension about representation?

The sole focus is to show that gay men are not a monolith. I really want to show as many types of gay men that I can fit into one hockey team. What is so special right now, is that we’re seeing women really fall in love with Heated Rivalry, because they’re seeing men, in this case, gay men, having amazing communication and being brave enough to be vulnerable and show their emotions. So I think when people see that, whether you are a male viewer or a female viewer or anyone in between, it’s going to be really powerful to see on an unscripted level. 

How has the response been so far – how many applicants have you received, and have any names stood out?

This is going to be really hard. There are a handful of people with coming out stories or who are in the closet, and dwindling them down from five players for the team is going to be really hard. But they’re really inspiring guys, they come from different walks of life and represent diverse backgrounds. That’s always the hardest part of casting.

But after receiving a ton of submissions, my goal is to bring it down to 20 or less. 

Whilst some LGBTQ+ athletes have praised Heated Rivalry, some have shown concern over accurate representation, how do you think that your reality TV series is going to be received by that audience? 

I think this is going to be eye-opening because people will watch real individuals and be surprised by how much they relate to them. It’s easy for ignorant people to hate someone just because they’re gay or because they disagree about this or that. But if people actually open their eyes and watch the show, they’ll see we have more in common than we don’t.

Have any hockey leagues or organisations expressed interest or concerns about the project?

Absolutely. We’re working with a lot of different hockey leagues that hold their own tournaments in their cities. And, for the most part, it’s interest, just because it’s not every day that there’s this massive magnifying glass on hockey So I think people are more excited than anything.

But there’s also concerns, where I can’t exactly go off and film a current hockey team because some people don’t want to be filmed truthfully. Some people are not out at that level, in terms of their lifestyle. And I fully respect that. That’s a big reason why I thought “let’s create our own awesome hockey team.”

Have you spoken to the creators or stars of Heated Rivalry about the spin-off – and should fans expect any cameos?

I haven’t, because I’m not affiliated with Heated Rivalry. This is different from the show, other than it’s about gay hockey players. Because I come from a world of unscripted television, there’s going to be different stories that we don’t see on the show [Heated Rivalry]. But it would be great if a Hudson Williams or a Connor Storrie made a camera. 

Do you have a title for the franchise?

Right now it’s tentative. I’m calling it Real Heated. Desperate Housewives was a big show, then we got Real Housewives. So, it makes sense. 

Do you have a confirmed broadcaster?

We do have broadcasters in mind, but I can’t disclose that just yet. But we are in talks, and it’s really, really exciting to see the amount of interest.

What is the end goal?

The end goal of the series, hopefully, will be a tease for the next season. We’ll continue to bring on new characters and we might see some of our favourite characters go, but the goal here is to see that stories of inspiration, bravery, and courage are endless. The show is really a metaphor of this world that we live in, how we need to come together and make a team to fight for something that we believe in.

I think we’re all playing this game in life, fighting for something that we believe in. Sometimes we lose and sometimes we win, but the important thing is getting back up.

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To apply, applicants are asked to email their submissions to casting@northstar-content.com with the subject line “HOCKEY”.

The email should include a headshot and video (no longer than two minutes) introducing themselves and their relationship with the sport.

The main body of the email should cover the following:

* Full name
* Age
* Email
* Phone number
* Recent photo or headshot
* Gender you identify as
* Sexual orientation
* Social media handles
* How long you have been playing hockey
* What position you play on the rink
* Why you would be perfect for this show
* How your friends would describe you
* What interesting aspects of your life would be entertaining to watch on TV