One of the finalists for this year's Mr Gay Great Britain competition is flying the flag for Newcastle - and raising money for two incredible North East charities in the process. Andrew Gardiner is one of nine finalists competing in this year's event, with the grand finale set to take place in the Alnwick Garden this August. Even for the 39-year-old actor and dancer, who has worked with some of the UK's leading dance companies touring nationally and internationally for the last 15 years, the prestigious contest is "out of his comfort zone" - but he has vowed to seize the opportunity of his debut to advocate for an important cause close to his heart.
Andrew hopes to use his Mr Gay GB platform to raise awareness of the need for better mental health understanding and care, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder himself in adulthood. " It's very close to me, my family and my work. The statistics of mental health related issues with the LGBTQIA+ community is staggering," he told Chronicle Live .
READ MORE: The Newcastle LGBTQ+ choir celebrating the queer community through song Keep up to date with all the latest breaking news and top stories from the North East with our free newsletter He added: "I am really interested in shining a light on this, raising awareness, reducing stigma and signposting towards support. Especially with young people, where the symptoms can be reversed so young people don't grow into adulthood with these struggles." Mr Gay GB was set up as "an antidot.