Reviews

Book Review: I Am What I Am - John Barrowman

While John Barrowmans first biography, Anything Goes, was a fun adventure ... this second one, I Am What I Am is a work of art! John welcomes us into his beautiful new home in Sully, Wales, which he shares with his husband, Scott , (hottie Scottie) and their three dogs; Captain Jack (brilliant name for a Jack Russel Terrier!), Charlie and Harris. This house has a heavenly view that I am very envious of.

Having clearly learned from the response to his first book, John, again with the help of his sister Carole, shares with us everything from family stories through his Doctor Who and Torchwood journey to his latest on-stage antics. I did not even get past page 20 before breaking into a belly laugh that was akin to Santa Claus ... which was very appropriate as I was reading it on Christmas Day after receiving it as a present.

So for this latest offering I spent a wonderful evening at John and Scotts charming home in Sully, where we dined together and, as ever, John just could not shut up ... he told an engaging range of stories that kept us laughing, crying and groaning with total
embarrassment while Scott kept us wined and fed...

John has recently completed the first series of his night-time variety show Tonights The Night. It was a long and complex challenge to get this show on the air, the biggest challenge being to convince the people in power to give it a go ... Needless to say it was a big hit and a great variety show. The biggest hurdle came from what can be referred to as the Big Balls-up: John is well known for flashing his various bits at people and this topic was raised, with much hilarity, when he was on a BBC Radio show and when dared he quickly flashed his balls at the host ... what he did not realise is that the studio was being web-cast at the time ... so resulted his ball-gate affair. How ridiculous that an incident on a radio show should come to threaten his upcoming TV show! It proves that some people really need to grow up!

One of the sections that was a real highlight for me was pages 73 to 79 where he so succinctly defines his relationship with Scott that, for the first time, I could pinpoint so much about my own long term relationship that I have with my partner, David ... I used to think we were the exception or a bit odd, now I realise we are so very, very normal!

This is also not a book for everyone because it is so open and honest about John being gay. We have to remember that the character we so love, Captain Jack Harkness, is also gay and then some ... when kids watch some episodes of Doctor Who they will see that and understand it as just another alternative unless someone decides to instil in them a judgemental attitude against that. So much of Doctor Who over the decades has been about fighting and overcoming such injustices. I have never forgotten the first time, many years ago, that I attended a DWCV meeting ... we were sitting together watching an episode and there was a number of homophobic comments from the people behind me referring to things on the screen. The result of that
ignorant behaviour was that I never attended a DWCV meeting for another five years and as a result the club missed out on so much that I could have done for them in those years! This behaviour would NEVER be allowed to happen in our club today and I can assure all people that they will feel very welcome and unjudged!

Read this book, it is filled with great lessons, stories and humour ... and I did not forget to touch the full-size black Dalek at the front door on my way out ...
Rating: 10 out of 10!

Reviewed by Michael Young

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