Mathew Horne slams homophobia accusations

Mathew Horne has hit back at claims that his sketch show with James Corden was homophobic.

The actor, who recently played Jon Moss in Boy George biopic Worried About The Boy, insisted that gay characters in Horne & Corden were "stereotypes for a reason".

He told Gay Times magazine: "I don't care what they said, because largely it was nothing to do with the show, it was just to do with me and James being around too much and people starting to hate us, which I get, it's a bit of over-exposure and what have you."

Tim ­Teeman, the gay arts editor of The Times, had accused Horne of prejudice over his portrayal of camp war reporter Tim.

Teeman wrote at the time: "Imagine the justifiable outrage if blacks or Asians or women were treated so insultingly on TV now. But homophobia, gay stereotypes, anti-gay humour and backchat - unlike racism and sexism - has become acceptable. It isn't."

However, Horne protested: "But to accuse that character of being homophobic, that really got me, because it was annoying that that was the beginning of the backlash.

"And it was completely unfounded and untrue. He was such a warm and likeable character, I mean, there are gay stereotypes everywhere, they're stereotypes for a reason."