Gentleman Jack viewers have gushed they ‘couldn’t take their eyes off’ Suranne Jones’ ‘sexy’ portrayal of the ‘first modern lesbian’.
The period drama, which stars Suranne, is based on the extensive diaries of Anne Lister – a 19th century landowner from Halifax in West Yorkshire.
Her four-million-word journal, which was largely written in code, documented the details of her every day life, her travels and her passionate lesbian relationships.
Sexy: Gentleman Jack viewers have gushed they ‘couldn’t take their eyes off’ Suranne Jones’ ‘sexy’ portrayal of the ‘first modern lesbian’
The first episode, which aired on Sunday, kicked off the real-life tale in 1832, when Anne is 41 and working to manage her estate Shibden Hall.
But enamoured viewers have taken to Twitter to gush they want to ‘marry’ Anne after Suranne Jones’ passionate performance in an intimate scene with her character’s married lover.
One user said: ‘Oh jeez how sexy is Suranne Jones in #GentlemanJack’.
Another added: ‘Couldn’t take my eyes off Suranne Jones. She was immense. #GentlemanJack’.
Immense: Enamoured viewers have taken to Twitter to gush they want to ‘marry’ Anne after Suranne Jones’ ‘sexy performance’
‘That top hat is very sexy #GentlemanJack,’ said a third.
Ahead of the first episode, I Was Just Passing, Inbetweeners star Emily Atack joked she couldn’t wait to ‘want to get off with Suranne Jones’ after watching the show.
She said: ‘Cannot wait to want to get off with Suranne Jones after watching first ep of #GentlemanJack’.
In one scene in the episode, Anne was seen in a passionate display after spending the night with her married aristocrat lover, Marianna Lawton (Lydia Leonard).
But some viewers have already taken to Twitter to ask the BBC to ‘improve’ the lesbian sex scenes.
Taboo: Viewers have also taken to Twitter to ask the BBC to ‘improve’ the lesbian sex scenes after the ‘fabulous’ first episode
Plot: The period drama, which stars Suranne Jones, is based on the extensive diaries of Anne Lister – a 19th century landowner from Halifax in West Yorkshire
One user said: ‘I hope the sex scenes improve.. otherwise, loving it! #GentlemanJack #leftlandedlover #AnneLister’.
Another said: ‘Everything about #Gentleman Jack is excellent, give me all the lesbian period dramas please’.
‘Right, alright I’m in love with Anne Lister. #GentlemanJack,’ said a third.
Others praised the broadcaster for its ‘validating’ depiction of an LGBTQ+ character in a period drama.
One user said: ‘I hope the sex scenes improve.. otherwise, loving it! #GentlemanJack #leftlandedlover #AnneLister’
One said: ‘Thank you BBC for making a period drama including LGBTQ characters #GentlemanJack’.
Another commented: ‘I’m just so thankful for #GentlemanJack – I can’t even put into works how validating it feels to know that such a historic woman was so sure of herself and her sexuality and seeing it played out in such an inspiring story on prime time BBC is so special’.
Other new fans of the Sally Wainwright drama gushed they would ‘marry’ the 19th century diarist ‘in a heartbeat’.
‘I’d marry #GentlemanJack in a heartbeat,’ said one viewer.
Preparation: It comes after Suranne revealed she wore men’s underwear and grew out her armpit hair for eight months to get in character as ‘first modern lesbian’ Anne
New home: The actress explained she adopted a ‘quite method’ approach to the part, living in the prolific 19th century diarist’s real-life Yorkshire home for the duration of filming
And another said: ‘#GentlemanJack is as amazing as I hoped – so so so excited for what’s to come’.
It comes after Suranne revealed she wore men’s underwear and grew out her armpit hair for eight months to get in character as ‘first modern lesbian’ Anne.
The actress explained she adopted a ‘quite method’ approach to the part, living in the prolific 19th century diarist’s real-life Yorkshire home for the duration of filming and adopting her androgynous attire and appearance.
‘Validating’: Other users praised the BBC for its ‘validating’ depiction of an LGBTQ+ character in a period drama
She told the Radio Times she spent ‘a lot of time in her world’ and used to read Lister’s diary excerpts ‘the whole time’ they were filming.
Suranne added of her physical transformation: ‘I was literally walking in her footsteps… Anne played with gender her whole life and was gender non-conforming in so many different ways.
‘I wore men’s shoes, men’s gaiters, men’s underwear – and of course the top hat, which is very masculine. I couldn’t do my nails and I had to grow my armpit hair. I did go quite method with that, actually.
Can’t wait: Ahead of the first episode, I Was Just Passing, Inbetweeners star Emily Atack joked she couldn’t wait to ‘want to get off with Suranne Jones’ after watching the show
‘And then the b****r of it – there’s no shot of my armpit hair! You can see half a second of it – and so I’m like, ‘Right, I’m not doing that again’.’
Suranne went on to discuss her sex scenes in the drama, insisting the cast and crew were careful not to make them ‘gratuitous’.
She explained: ‘Anne was so many things, she just happened to be a lesbian. We didn’t feel that any of the love scenes needed to be gratuitous, because then it becomes a whole different show.
Romance: The show will follow the romance between Anne and heiress Ann Walker, who are believed to have met in 1832, in a time when homosexuality was both a crime and a taboo
Another viewer said: ‘Well #GentlemanJack was fabulous – can’t wait for the next episode!’
‘I think it would have taken away from everything else that she was and how ground-breaking she was in her business life if we’d have gone any more graphic with the sex scenes.’
The show will follow the romance between landowner Anne and heiress Ann Walker, who are believed to have met in 1832, in a time when homosexuality was both a crime and a taboo.
Suranne recently admitted that she developed an instant connection with screen lover Sophie Rundle, 31, who plays her love-interest, while filming lesbian sex scenes on the set of the new drama.
‘We used the camera to come in on us and find intimate moments, which was really great, because we were able to just play that between us like no one else was in the room,’ she told the Sun.
Gentleman Jack will continue on BBC One at 9pm on Sunday.
Next on: Gentleman Jack, starring Suranne Jones will continue on BBC One at 9pm on Sunday
