Get your tissues ready, Heated Rivalry fans!
On 21 January, the social media channels for The Drew Barrymore Show shared a sneak peek into the titular host’s interview with Jesse Kortuem, the hockey player who was inspired to come out as gay after watching Heated Rivalry.
At the start of the brief clip, the Canada-based athlete revealed the scene from the hit gay hockey romance series that gave him the confidence to open up about his sexuality publicly.
“For me, episode five of watching Scott Hunter, he pulls Kip down on the ice, and the fans are cheering, the kiss, and the announcer says, ‘That’s great for Scott Hunter,” he explained.
“We finally have these magical moments in sports, and we finally have these magical moments and stories like this. It’s such a positive reflection of what our society can be, and I’m hoping to lend that voice to help those kids that are hurting to be themselves.”
After sharing his inspiring statement, Drew Barrymore surprised Kortuem with a heartwarming video message from Williams, who praised the hockey player for his “bravery.”
“Hi Jesse, it’s Hudson. I just wanted to say, thank you for watching our show and sharing your kind words you had for it. It really means a lot that our show could even play a little small part and a sort of positive thing about your life,” the 24-year-old earnestly said.
“And thank you for your bravery and just sounding like a really cool guy, and hi, Drew, as well. Hi everyone, actually. Really just thank you so much, Jesse, you’re amazing.”
Following the video, Barrymore revealed that it was “so easy” getting Williams to send the message, resulting in a visibly emotional Kortuem replying: “Wow, thank you. That’s incredible. I’m overwhelmed.”
Check out the full clip below.
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Kortuem’s recent appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show comes a week after he shared his heartfelt coming-out post on Facebook.
“In hockey, there is nothing like hitting the ice after the Zamboni leaves behind a fresh, smooth sheet of ice. For many hockey players, the sound of skates carving on that fresh ice is just a normal part of warm-ups before a game or practice. But for me, it is the sound of a place where I felt I had to hide,” he wrote.
“I am a private person. Those who know me best know that I don’t share much, if anything, publicly on social media, but lately, something has sparked in me (ok – yes credit to #HeatedRivalry). I realised it is finally time to share a journey I have kept close to the vest for a long time.”
Kortuem ended his statement by speaking directly to those in the closet or searching for their place in the sport: “This is my story. It is not everyone’s story, but for what it is worth, I thought I would share because I want to speak to the athletes out there who are still in the closet or struggling to find their way.”
Created by Jacob Tierney and adapted from Rachel Reid’s novel of the same name, Heated Rivalry premiered in November on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the U.S.
The series follows Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), two elite professional hockey players who form an intense rivalry on the ice while secretly pursuing a passionate love affair behind closed doors.
Over the last few months, Heated Rivalry has received widespread critical acclaim, with episodes five and six ranking among the highest-rated of all time on IMDb. Critics lauded the performances and chemistry of Storrie and Williams, as well as Tierney’s faithfulness to the source material and its steamy love scenes.
The series was renewed for a second season in December, with a possible third in the works!
On 14 January, Storrie teased that production on the new batch of episodes could possibly start this summer.
Heated Rivalry is now streaming in the UK on Sky TV and NOW TV.
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