Your tip
Your tip
RadarOnlineRadarOnline
or
Sign in with lockrMail

British Man: I Suffered A Stroke And It Turned Me Gay

//kris birch stroke bbc post

April 1 2012, Published 5:00 a.m. ET

RadarOnline CommentsLink to FacebookShare to XShare to FlipboardShare to Email

By RadarOnline.com Staff

In a story that has captivated the UK, a British man who claims to have “woken up gay” after an accident at the gym caused him to suffer a stroke is speaking out in his first television interview.

Birch’s unusual story first made big headlines last year when he told the Daily Mail and other news organizations that after he attempted a back flip while training, he broke his neck and suffered a stroke. Birch says when he came to after being rushed to the hospital, he found his personality had completely changed. "It sounds strange, but when I came round I immediately felt different," Birch said at the time.

Article continues below advertisement

Now, in his first television interview for BBC Three, Kris Birch, 26, describes his coming out process as a “weird experience” and calls it a “quite scary process.”

Director Elliot London: The Traumatic Teenage Experience Behind My New Film

Once a rugby-loving jock, Birch describes feeling isolation after realizing he was now attracted to men.

Most Surprising 3-Minute Wedding You’ll Ever See

"It was sort of a lonely time, it was a time where I was afraid to tell anybody because that wasn't who I used to be, so it shouldn't be who I am now," he said. "I suppose I doubted it...by having to realize who I was all over again."

Article continues below advertisement

Fran Drescher’s Gay Ex, Still Happily Divorced

After his accident, Birch immediately started to lose weight and to dramatically change his look. Although he returned to his old job at a bank, he then quit and retrained as a hairdresser.

Image of a woman with shocked expression

Never Miss an

Exclusive

Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox

By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

READ MORE ON Celebrity

Opt-out of personalized ads

© Copyright 2024 RADAR ONLINE™️. A DIVISION OF MYSTIFY ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK INC. RADAR ONLINE is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Cookies Policy. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Offers may be subject to change without notice.