Amble man representing North East in final of Mr Gay Great Britain competition

Paul Carruthers, 41, has been chosen because of the work he does to support the LGBTQ+ community.

Now based in Leeds, he works as a paediatric nurse and also looks after members of LGBTQ+ members of staff at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

As part of the competition, they are tasked with fundraising for charity and Paul has taken on the challenge of cycling from London to Paris in 24 hours on July 27.

He is no stranger to the saddle, having raised over £4,000 by cycling over 400 miles from Leeds to Berwick and back in 2021. That was in aid of Bowel Research UK in memory of his mum, Kim Brierley, was passed away in April 2020, aged just 56.

"This time I’m raising funds for the Charlie and Carter Foundation, a charity was set up by parents who lost both their two sons at an early stage,” said Paul. “The charity provides grants to help with living expenses to families with terminally ill children. A typical grant is £3000 and I’m aiming for this much.

“The second charity is Northumberland Pride. For this, on July 20, I will be putting on a fundraising evening in Bobbys bar, Newcastle. A night of drag queens and cabaret with a £5 voluntary entry and then a raffle on the night with a top prize of £100 cash.”

The Mr Gay Great Britain competition returns to The Alnwick Garden, with the Duchess of Northumberland among the judges, on August 26.

“If I won it would mean so much to me as I pride myself in supporting the LGBTQ+ community both at work and in my own time,” explained Paul.

"I am also an advocate for same sex adoption having adopted my two sons.

"I would love to educate people more on the importance of adoption and the role same sex orders have. One in six adoptions is now by a same sex couple.”