Max Balegde shares emotional coming out story on I’m A Celeb

Max Baledge

While in the jungle, gay TikToker Max Balegde has spoken out about why he’s on I’m A Celeb and sharing his own coming out journey.

Balegde joined the cast of I’m A Celeb Australia earlier this month, previously going viral for his defence of pop star Chappell Roan for setting boundaries with fans.

Now, he has revealed that he is on the popular reality show in order support LGBTQ+ youth education charity Minus18.

He said: “I remember the exact moment that I realised that I was gay. I remember thinking I would just keep it to myself forever and I just thought: ‘That’s just what I’m going to do.'”

“It took a real big thing for me to [come out]. I don’t know if you remember, there was a terrorist attack in Manchester at a concert. I was there with my little sister, who I love very much. And I’m not a parent, obviously, but it was just me and her there. I remember in that moment feeling like I have the responsibility of someone’s life in my hands,” Balegde said.

The Manchester Arena bombing took place in 2017, following an Ariana Grande concert, and was perpetrated by Islamic extremists. 22 people were killed and over 1,000 injured in what is considered the deadliest act of terrorism since the 7/7 bombings 12 years earlier.

Luckily, both Balegde and his sister got out of the venue safely, but he was inspired to come out because he felt as if he was “robbing” his family of knowing who he really is.

“I just think that the work that Minus18 do, if I’d just learned in school that you can be gay and live a happy, healthy, normal life, from a young age I think it wouldn’t have taken something as dark as that to make me take that step to be myself,” Balegde added.

Baledge has over 3.5 million followers on TikTok and moved into red-carpet presenting and interviewing prior to entering the jungle.

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