Suzi Ruffell says Kate Winslet in Titanic sparked her lesbian awakening
Suzi Ruffell shares that ‘Titanic’ was her lesbian awakening (Getty Images)
Suzi Ruffell has said watching Titanic as a 12-year-old sparked her lesbian awakening, after realising it was Kate Winslet she fancied, not Leonardo DiCaprio.
In a new interview with Attitude, the comedian spoke ahead of the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards 2026, where she received the Comedy Award.
Ruffell said the realisation initially left her reeling. “I was horrified,” she said. “I didn’t want to be different. I just wanted to fit in.”
She also shared just how deep the obsession ran. Ruffell said she watched Titanic in January 1998, then returned to the cinema six more times.
Millions of theatre-goers were entranced by DiCaprio’s Jack Dawson, but Ruffell revealed her attention was firmly on Winslet’s Rose DeWitt Bukater.
She also said she initially tried to avoid talking about her sexuality on stage, but soon realised it was impossible to keep that part of herself out of her work. “I tried hiding who I was, but it never really worked,” she said. “I am loudly gay even when I try to be quiet.”
‘Now, I love being a lesbian’
Ruffell said she is now in a very different place from the 12-year-old who just wanted to blend in. “Now, I love being a lesbian,” she said, adding that her wife and queer friends helped her feel at ease with who she is. “Having queer friends who see you is nourishing.”
A British stand-up comedian, writer and broadcaster, Ruffell is known for confessional, story-led comedy about relationships, mental health and queer life, as well as warm crowd work and candid personal storytelling. In 2024, she spoke about homophobia she experienced early in her career and how it helped cement her friendship with Tom Allen.
While speaking with Attitude and looking ahead to the awards, Ruffell said the moment would have meant everything to her younger self: “Younger Suz would be over the moon. Mainly just to be in a room with so many queer people. I never thought I would be this comfortable in my own skin.”
