Josh Cavallo made sporting history in 2021 when he became the first active top-flight male professional footballer to come out as gay. Five years on, the Adelaide United player, who currently plays for English side Stamford AFC, is still breaking boundaries - this time with disarming honesty, humour and unapologetic flirtiness.
Speaking on It Started With A Kiss, the brand-new queer dating podcast hosted by I Kissed A… fan favourites Amy Spalding and Gareth Valentino, Josh opens up about love, sex, self-acceptance and the realities of being openly gay in a global sport that isn’t always welcoming. The podcast, sponsored by Tinder, promises frank conversations about modern queer dating - and Josh delivers exactly that.
From his “perfect type” to why Zac Efron in Baywatch was his “gay awakening”, the footballer proves he’s just as candid off the pitch as he is courageous on it.
“I do have a type – older gentlemen, mature”
When it comes to attraction, Cavallo knows exactly what he likes. Asked to describe his dream date, he doesn’t hesitate.
“I do have a type,” he laughs. “I would say older gentlemen, mature.”
Pressed further, he adds: “He’s a rugby boy, so she can pick a boy up!”
That confidence extends to his idea of an ideal first date, which he cheerfully admits is refreshingly direct. “Straight to the bedroom, baby!” he says. “You’ve got to see if it’s working or not.”
Josh explains that sexual compatibility matters to him just as much as emotional connection. “I’m a very sexually driven person,” he says. “I need to enjoy my time in the bedroom as well as outside the bedroom. Everyone’s priorities are different – that’s just high up my pecking order.”
When it comes to celebrity crushes, Josh doesn’t sugar-coat it. “Basically my gay awakening was Zac Efron from Baywatch,” he admits. “That’s my type, ladies and gentlemen.”
He even jokes that the resemblance reminds him of his fiancé, Leighton, particularly when shirtless on a beach. “Getting him on a beach running with a top off – that’s Leighton,” Josh laughs, recalling an attempt to recreate the Baywatch fantasy during a trip to Bali.
That Bali holiday, however, wasn’t just eye candy – it was also their first ever date. After a month of FaceTiming from opposite ends of Australia, Josh spontaneously invited Leighton away.
“We were basically two strangers meeting at the airport,” he says. “It was spontaneous, scary, frightening – and magical.”
Ten days later, Josh had no doubts. “That was how long our holiday was for, and the last day I asked him to be my boyfriend.”
Beyond dating talk, Josh also reflects on the wider impact of his decision to come out publicly. He reveals that players across the footballing world still message him privately.
“Opposition players I’ve played against, teammates I’ve been in change rooms with – they message me and say, ‘This is who I am, thank you for the representation,’” he explains.
“Some people want to come out now. Some want to come out next week, in a month’s time, in five years. Some people don’t want to come out at all.”
Josh acknowledges the emotional toll of visibility, especially given football’s global reach into countries where LGBTQ+ people face severe persecution. “Some of the things I read were absolutely disgusting,” he says. “But I want to make the blueprint clearer for the next person.”
The decision to come out, Josh says, came at a huge personal cost. At one point, he was prepared to walk away from his career altogether.
“I was literally prepared to quit football,” he admits. “No matter how good or bad the reaction was, I did not care. I just wanted to be me.”
Despite winning Best Young Player at his club in 2021, he describes feeling deeply unhappy. “I was the saddest on the inside because I couldn’t share myself with these people. Everything they knew about me was a lie.”
That moment became the catalyst. “If I’m going to put my head on the pillow at night, I’m going to be happy,” he says. “Whether you like it or not.”
Josh eventually proposed to Leighton on the Adelaide United pitch – a deliberate choice. “That club is where I found my wings,” he says.
Disguised as a Pride photoshoot, the proposal very nearly went wrong when Leighton returned early with coffees – but the surprise stayed intact. “He had no idea,” Josh laughs. “Luckily, he didn’t see the ring.”
Quotes taken from It Started With A Kiss, hosted by Amy Spalding and Gareth Valentino. The podcast is available now.
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