An evening with James Sutton
Pride in Leadership is delighted to be hosting an intimate fireside conversation with actor, writer and speaker James Sutton, best known for his groundbreaking portrayal of John Paul McQueen in Hollyoaks.
Pride in Leadership is delighted to be hosting an intimate fireside conversation with actor, writer and speaker James Sutton, best known for his groundbreaking portrayal of John Paul McQueen in Hollyoaks.
Timings
- 5.30pm | Registration, with welcome drink and networking
- 6.10pm | Introduction from host and from Pride in Leadership.
- 6.15pm | Conversation with Speaker
- 7.15pm | Networking with food and drink
- 8.30pm | Event closes
Location
Brabners, 9th floor, 100 Barbirolli Square, Manchester, M2 3BD
Travel
Close to Oxford Road with lots of buses, nearest tram stop is St Peter’s Square, nearest train station is Oxford Road (note – this station is rated as a ‘Category B’ station meaning its only partially step-free).
Our conversation
When John Paul first appeared on screen in 2006, LGBTQ+ representation looked very different. For thousands of viewers, his coming out storyline and relationship with best friend Craig Dean was the first time they had seen their own experiences, fears and hopes reflected on mainstream television.
The storyline became a cultural moment, helping a generation of young LGBTQ+ people see themselves represented on screen. Almost 20 years later, James still receives messages from people who say watching John Paul helped them understand themselves, come out, or simply feel less alone. But John Paul’s impact went far beyond coming out. Over nearly two decades, James portrayed some of the most challenging issues affecting LGBTQ+ people and men more widely, including trauma, shame, addiction and sexual violence.
His groundbreaking male rape storyline challenged long-held stereotypes about masculinity, vulnerability and who can be a victim. At a time when conversations about male survivors were rarely seen in mainstream media, John Paul’s experience opened up important discussions about silence, stigma and the barriers that stop people asking for help.
In conversation with Pride in Leadership co-founder Claire Ebrey, James will reflect on the responsibility of bringing these stories into people’s living rooms, including:
- what it means to portray a character that became part of LGBTQ+ history
- the life-changing impact of visibility and representation
- the conversations with viewers who saw themselves in John Paul
- the reaction, controversy and responsibility that came with telling difficult stories
- experiencing homophobia as a straight actor playing a gay character
- what authentic allyship means in today’s changing climate
The conversation will also explore James’ own journey beyond acting.
After 20 years telling other people’s stories, James found himself asking new questions about his own identity, purpose and the next chapter of his life. Moving away from the security of a successful acting career, he has rebuilt himself as a writer and speaker, exploring many of the same themes that made John Paul’s story resonate so deeply: identity, honesty, vulnerability and the courage to be yourself.
James speaks openly about his own journey through personal change, including his experiences with alcohol, drugs, divorce and what he describes as a period of becoming “unreliable” to himself.
Through that experience, he became fascinated by the idea of self-trust and “internal credibility” – how we rebuild confidence not through external validation, but by keeping promises to ourselves and reconnecting with who we really are.
His work today explores some of the biggest questions many people face in modern life:
- Why do so many people who appear successful still feel unfulfilled?
- What happens when we spend our lives chasing achievements that do not make us happy?
- How do we move away from constantly measuring and comparing ourselves?
- What does healthy masculinity look like in a changing world?
- How do we create deeper conversations, stronger communities and more meaningful connections?
James is particularly passionate about helping men move beyond outdated expectations of masculinity. Through his writing and previous podcast Male Mind Matters, he has encouraged men to have more honest conversations, build deeper relationships and understand strength as something rooted in character, kindness and connection.
His latest work explores what he calls “anti-optimisation” – challenging the pressure to constantly improve, measure and perfect ourselves, and asking whether the answer lies instead in learning to trust ourselves.
From playing a character who helped thousands of LGBTQ+ people feel seen, to now helping people better understand themselves, this promises to be a powerful evening about representation, allyship, identity, masculinity and the stories that shape who we become.
