The Welsh actor and singer, 45, shared that he knew his sexuality from a young age but feared his parents would disown him due to their religious beliefs.
Speaking on the GSN podcast, Luke revealed the trauma he endured growing up, bullied both for being gay and for being a Jehovah’s Witness. He explained, “If I was going to have any happy life, I had to leave, knowing I’d lose people and start over.”
Luke also recounted a pivotal moment at 14 when he sought help from the Samaritans. After finding a phone number in the yellow pages, he met a gay man who reassured him, saying, “You are not alone… you will have a good life.” This brief encounter gave Luke the strength to endure, knowing there were others like him.
When the time came to tell his mother, Luke was overwhelmed with emotion. In his memoir Boy From the Valleys: My Unexpected Journey, he wrote about the painful conversation. He explained, “To my mother, being gay meant I would die at Armageddon. She wasn’t upset by the fact I liked men, but because it meant losing me in the afterlife.”
Despite his fears, Luke’s mother embraced him with love and acceptance. Through tears, he recalled, “When we got back to the house, mam took me in her arms, and I felt so much love and acceptance in that hug.” That moment brought Luke relief, knowing that at least one of his parents understood the trauma he’d been through.
Luke’s childhood, however, was far from easy. He described it as “extremely painful,” recalling being bullied in school for both his faith and sexuality. He was often called “Jovy” by classmates and was isolated because of his differences. “I was the one who got bullied,” he said. “Nobody wanted to mix with me. The boys were horrible.”
Since 2019, Luke has been in a relationship with boyfriend Fran Tomas. They made their red carpet debut as a couple at the LuisaViaRoma for UNICEF winter gala in St. Barts in December 2022. Luke’s journey to self-acceptance has been long and difficult, but he is now living authentically, surrounded by love and support.