The other week I talked about how much I like Blackpool in
the autumn, how there's all the fun of the illuminations long
after other resorts have packed up for the winter.

This year is extra-special as the town plays host to the grand
final of Mr Gay UK, the male beauty competition that my
partner Michael and I have been organising with our business
team since the mid-1990s.

We've held finals in London, Leeds, Manchester, all the major
cities, but this Friday it's all happening in Blackpool. The new
Flamingo Club is the venue and the winners of 25 regional
heats will converge for their big chance.

Just imagine how much extra gym-going and fake-tanning
has been going on in the run up to this! I should have shares
in health clubs and beauty salons all over Britain!

Richard from Big Brother is the host for the night, and the lovely
Lea will take her seat on the judging panel - what a double
act! Other stars who'll help to choose the winner include Anita
Dobson, Su Pollard and Rowetta.

We've had some fun in the run-up of the competition - among
the finalists we've a journalist, a lifeguard, a town planner, a
sailor and a policeman, Huddersfield's own Pc Mark Carter.

There isn't a hairdresser or an air steward among them!

The competition has enjoyed a lot of good press so far, not
least in the Examiner, as well as nationally and on the web.
Mr Gay UK is a great talking point, a chance to put forward a
positive image of young, gay men enjoying their sexuality and
achieving their goals in life.

It's the male equivalent of Miss World, the chance for the
country's cutest boys-next-door to get on stage and show off.
Looking good, after all, is a big part of gay culture for many.

Inevitably, like Miss World, Mr Gay UK gets criticised. Some
people don't agree with any sort of beauty contest - there's
no getting away from it, contestants are rated on their
appearance as well as their personality.

And some people say that it's shallow, and not representative
of the gay community as a whole. It's light-hearted and sexy,
true, and it's also attention-grabbing. It shows gay men that
they can be out, loud and proud, and not live their life in the
shadows.

It sparks people's interest in a way that a heavyweight initiative might not.

We've never set out to present Mr Gay UK as anything other
than a fun, upbeat event. If it's serious campaigning that you
feel is the key part of gay identity, there are lots of organisations
out there that cover this area very, very well.

In fact, I have good links with them - Ben Summerskill, the chief
executive of Stonewall, and long-time gay rights champion
Peter Tatchell both write columns in the gay lifestyle magazine,
Bent, that I publish and distribute across the UK.

Being crowned Mr Gay UK is a great opportunity for the guy
who can win over the judges. He'll scoop a prize package
worth £5,000 and embark on a year in the limelight, with
interviews, photoshoots and personal appearances.

So, who will it be? On Friday, the waiting will be over!