TV legend Vanessa Feltz has joked she may swing the opposite way after failing to find a man. The presenter was a guest at the star-studded Rainbow Honours 2026 in London, celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community.
Rather taken with her fellow attendees, Feltz quipped: “You may, or may not know, I’m reluctantly single. And so exquisite are the array of beauties of all proclivities this evening, I’m wondering - really seriously - do you think it’s worth my casting my net a little wider? I’ve been thinking of a pair of brilliant breasts, which I could use, maybe, as a pillow. Not a route I’ve gone down before…”
Another special guest was actress and Loose Women legend Denise Welch, who has been supporting the cause for decades. She took a moment to thank her famous son Matty Healy for doing his bit. In 2023, Healy sparked international controversy at the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur when he criticised Malaysia's anti-LGBT laws, drank alcohol on stage, and kissed male bandmate Ross MacDonald.
Denise told the event: “I am a proud ally. I’m also very proud that, because of my love of the community, my sons – both straight, disappointingly, but anyway – they have taken on the mantle. My eldest Matthew, who is the lead singer of The 1975, is such a supporter he has actually been banned from Dubai and Malaysia… he maybe shouldn’t have said, ‘Your president is a f***ing wanker!’ It’s probably the wrong thing to say, but I just want you to know that I’ve brought up two boys who really, really want to carry on [my advocacy]. And my husband, who used to work in Stringfellows, now goes to every gay event in the world!”
Rainbow winners this year included Dawn Airey CBE, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her decades-long contribution to LGBTQIA+ representation and visibility in media, business, and public life. Bradley Riches was named Celebrity LGBTQIA+ Champion of the Year, and Balvinder Sopal was named Celebrity Ally of the Year, recognising the EastEnders actress and her role in bringing LGBTQIA+ stories to mainstream audiences. Nathan Henry received the Media Moment of the Year award for his powerful documentary Geordie Stories: Nathan & Dad, exploring family, identity, and terminal illness.
