Josh Cavallo gives a glimpse into upcoming gay football series, Armour, consulting with Jordan Luke Gage (EXCLUSIVE)
"I’m excited to help him bring authenticity to the role," says Cavallo
By Aaron Sugg
Former Attitude cover star Josh Cavallo has joined the production team of Armour, a new series starring Jordan Luke Gage exploring the fallout of a Premier League footballer coming out.
The UK short-form web series follows Gage as Harry Slade, an international footballer whose life spirals after a risky hook-up with another man results in his sexts landing in the hands of a tabloid.
The series synopsis continues: “He must make a decision: risk being outed by the press, or control the narrative and tell the world on his own terms.”
“I understand how challenging navigating that environment can be” – Josh Cavallo on his role in Armour
The programme draws similarities to the real-life story of Justin Fashanu, the first male Premier League player to come out as gay, who faced severe backlash and later died by suicide in 1998.
Cavallo, who is gay, is advising and guiding the production team, bringing his own experience as an LGBTQ+ footballer to the story’s narrative.
He spoke exclusively to Attitude about his role in the upcoming project: “There’s never been an openly gay footballer actively playing in the English Premier League, and I understand how challenging navigating that environment can be.”
“It places a gay footballer at the centre for the first time” – Cavallo on the Armour series spotlighting gay footballers
He added that through his role, he plans to share a glimpse of his life before coming out, “to help the writers keep the story authentic.”
“I was drawn to the project because it places a gay footballer at the centre for the first time and sends a powerful message to those watching and playing in silence,” he continued.
Cavallo is yet to meet Gage: “We haven’t met yet, but I’ll be connecting with Jordan during pre-production.”
“I’m excited to help him bring authenticity to the role” – Cavallo on consulting Jordan Luke Gage in Armour
On consulting with the actor, who is also gay, he explained: “We’ll talk about my experiences, his character, and the journey Harry takes. I’m excited to help him bring authenticity to the role.”
Cavallo gave a sneak peek into what we can expect from the story, admitting he resonates with the hard realities of being in the closet.
“The feeling of living two lives and slowly realising you can’t keep doing that forever. What I like is that the series doesn’t treat coming out as one big, tidy moment; it shows it as a process,” he said.
“I rarely saw myself reflected in it” – filmmaker Tim Reynard on growing up gay playing football
Created by Tim Reynard, the filmmaker told Deadline: “As a Yorkshireman, football has always been in my blood. Growing up as a closeted gay man with an obsession for the game, I rarely saw myself reflected in it.”
He added: “With Armour, we want to tell a story that’s raw, authentic, and filled with hope – not just for the queer fans craving an idol, but for the young players coming up the ranks who need a role model.”
Alexandra Burke also stars in the series. Writer Hannah Kumari, who co-developed the ‘Broken Heels’ singer’s character Lorna, describes her as “the first Black female manager of a men’s club.”
Currently, there is no official release date for the series, with filming expected to start next Spring.