30-11-2004
Kyle wins regional Mr Gay UK crown
With enough hot-cross buns to make you think Easter had come early, it was stiff competition at The Castle for the title of the eastern region's Mr Gay UK 2004, writes Martin Barber.
The region's finest hunks in trunks were keen to show off their admirable assets - chasing the dream of becoming East Anglia's best buffed boy in this year's Mr Gay UK competition.
Sexy boys and girls in figure hugging jeans, skimpy T-shirts and more glam than you'd find at an Ab-Fab party, yet this was just the audience!
The atmosphere was buzzing, the throbbing crowd were hungry for their men as the search for Mr Gay UK 2004 arrived in Norwich.
Thumping music, dry-ice billowing into the marquee and the Mr Gay UK overture signalled the start of the night's adventure into the world of the gay beauty pageant.
Competition hosts Lord David, Miss Josephine and Lady Lee welcomed the Scoobettes onto the stage to warm up the crowd with a raunchy dance routine - though it's not as if they weren't hot enough with expectation already!
The Scoobettes had pulses racing with their raunchy dance routines. See picture gallery from event
Eleven contestants then stepped into the limelight to the sound of roaring cheers (the content of which I daren't print), wolf-whistles and rising testosterone.
This was a beauty contest living life on the edge.
First a round of introductions and acerbic banter between the competition hosts. The crowd were starting to think about who was going to get their vote.
It was then time for the boys to strip down to their undies, to pout, to flirt, to do the bend and snap - almost anything to gain those all important text votes from the frenzied crowd.
Time to vote
A brief break in the competition to give the contestant a chance to freshen-up. Frank 'n Furter strutted the stage to reminded everyone he was a sweet transvestite (as if we could ever forget) and then it was time to show the power of the people.
The boys got more flirty as they urged the crowd to vote for them. Hundreds in the audience began to frantically text for their favourite, but who would walk away with the regional title?
And then we knew, 18-year-old Kyle-Cameron Risi from Norwich would be the eastern counties jewel in the Mr Gay UK crown for 2004, the grand final to be judged on Sunday 28 November.
Kyle-Cameron is stunned at having won the regional heat. Read interview with Kyle.
"When you put it like that, it's a bit scary! I didn't really think about it like that, it was just a laugh," he said.
"I kept saying no, no, no at the suggestion to enter - but this evening I was offered six pints if I entered and 10 if I won! It looks like I'll be getting bladdered tonight."
Semi-final place
Kyle-Cameron will now go into the semi-final which will be judged online at the Mr Gay UK website.
The 15 finalists will then go on to be the stars of the stage at the infamous GAY nightclub in London in September, where the results will be revealed.
Last year's show was judged by Denise Van Outen - and the organisers are expecting another big name to cast the deciding vote this autumn.
The overall winner will fly off to New York for a celebrity-style weekend. They will receive �2,000 and be interviewed for a US breakfast radio show and watch Ricki Lake being filmed.
Good turn out
Keyth Rickards from Mr Gay UK was delighted at the Castle turn out.
Contestants with competition host Lord David. See picture gallery from event
"I think it went really well tonight, a very big crowd," he said.
"With it being a small venue it had much more of a friendly, family atmosphere than when we run the heats at bigger venues.
"The competition is just good fun, which at the end of the day is what Mr Gay UK is all about."
But does Kyle-Cameron have what it takes to clinch the title of Mr Gay UK 2004? According to Keyth, he has a good chance.
"In the next part of the competition I think Kyle has got to shake off some of the nerves, but then again, that's maybe what won him tonight's heat - everyone loves a shy boy!
"Having spoken to him he's got a great personality, he's obviously got the looks, so I think he'll do really quite well."
The region's finest hunks in trunks were keen to show off their admirable assets - chasing the dream of becoming East Anglia's best buffed boy in this year's Mr Gay UK competition.
Sexy boys and girls in figure hugging jeans, skimpy T-shirts and more glam than you'd find at an Ab-Fab party, yet this was just the audience!
The atmosphere was buzzing, the throbbing crowd were hungry for their men as the search for Mr Gay UK 2004 arrived in Norwich.
Thumping music, dry-ice billowing into the marquee and the Mr Gay UK overture signalled the start of the night's adventure into the world of the gay beauty pageant.
Competition hosts Lord David, Miss Josephine and Lady Lee welcomed the Scoobettes onto the stage to warm up the crowd with a raunchy dance routine - though it's not as if they weren't hot enough with expectation already!
The Scoobettes had pulses racing with their raunchy dance routines. See picture gallery from event
Eleven contestants then stepped into the limelight to the sound of roaring cheers (the content of which I daren't print), wolf-whistles and rising testosterone.
This was a beauty contest living life on the edge.
First a round of introductions and acerbic banter between the competition hosts. The crowd were starting to think about who was going to get their vote.
It was then time for the boys to strip down to their undies, to pout, to flirt, to do the bend and snap - almost anything to gain those all important text votes from the frenzied crowd.
Time to vote
A brief break in the competition to give the contestant a chance to freshen-up. Frank 'n Furter strutted the stage to reminded everyone he was a sweet transvestite (as if we could ever forget) and then it was time to show the power of the people.
The boys got more flirty as they urged the crowd to vote for them. Hundreds in the audience began to frantically text for their favourite, but who would walk away with the regional title?
And then we knew, 18-year-old Kyle-Cameron Risi from Norwich would be the eastern counties jewel in the Mr Gay UK crown for 2004, the grand final to be judged on Sunday 28 November.
Kyle-Cameron is stunned at having won the regional heat. Read interview with Kyle.
"When you put it like that, it's a bit scary! I didn't really think about it like that, it was just a laugh," he said.
"I kept saying no, no, no at the suggestion to enter - but this evening I was offered six pints if I entered and 10 if I won! It looks like I'll be getting bladdered tonight."
Semi-final place
Kyle-Cameron will now go into the semi-final which will be judged online at the Mr Gay UK website.
The 15 finalists will then go on to be the stars of the stage at the infamous GAY nightclub in London in September, where the results will be revealed.
Last year's show was judged by Denise Van Outen - and the organisers are expecting another big name to cast the deciding vote this autumn.
The overall winner will fly off to New York for a celebrity-style weekend. They will receive �2,000 and be interviewed for a US breakfast radio show and watch Ricki Lake being filmed.
Good turn out
Keyth Rickards from Mr Gay UK was delighted at the Castle turn out.
Contestants with competition host Lord David. See picture gallery from event
"I think it went really well tonight, a very big crowd," he said.
"With it being a small venue it had much more of a friendly, family atmosphere than when we run the heats at bigger venues.
"The competition is just good fun, which at the end of the day is what Mr Gay UK is all about."
But does Kyle-Cameron have what it takes to clinch the title of Mr Gay UK 2004? According to Keyth, he has a good chance.
"In the next part of the competition I think Kyle has got to shake off some of the nerves, but then again, that's maybe what won him tonight's heat - everyone loves a shy boy!
"Having spoken to him he's got a great personality, he's obviously got the looks, so I think he'll do really quite well."