Let’s be honest — gay dating in 2025 is a lot like figure skating: dazzling from the outside, but there’s a lot of bruising, balance, and emotional spins going on underneath. Enter Colin Grafton: former US junior bronze medallist, Dancing on Ice finalist, and man navigating the slippery slopes of queer love with more grace than most of us can muster in a stable Wi-Fi zone.
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Fresh off his historic turn on Dancing on Ice with the late, great drag legend The Vivienne, Grafton is at a poignant crossroads — a time of healing, hope, and, yes, the horrors of trying to date in the age of voice notes and disappearing read receipts.
“It’s a huge weight lifted off of your shoulders,” he says of publicly coming out. “If I could help someone else on their journey by coming out publicly, then it makes me a very happy person.”
Spoiler: he did help someone. Possibly hundreds of someones. The 32-year-old skater’s decision to live openly has earned him love letters from all corners of the community. “I never expected to get beautiful messages from people of all different ages showing their support,” he beams.
And yet, despite the fanfare and fan love, the man’s still single. Dating? It’s a jungle gym.
Swipe Fatigue and Raya Realness
Gay dating — or as Colin cheekily dubs it, gayting — is, in his words, “tricky.”
“There [are] a lot of stereotypes around gay dating,” he says. “It’s hard in general to find someone who’s a real person down to the core. Sometimes the person will say they want something but in reality they want something else.”
Now that’s a truth bomb any queer person with a smartphone and a semi-healed situationship can testify to.
“Being upfront about what you want is really important, especially in 2025, so you’re not wasting anyone’s time.”
You won’t find Grafton trawling the usual thirst traps of Grindr — no endless “Hey” and torso pic purgatory for this man. He’s on Raya, the dating app for the semi-famous and fully fabulous, looking for “a team player” to “navigate this crazy world.”
His dream date?
“A picnic in the park, finger-food and a nice bottle of wine, and getting to know each other on a one-on-one basis. Something simple like that, where we could have a more intimate space. The restaurants can come after.”
Basically: rom-com energy, but make it indie.
Post-Show Pivot and Healing Through Glitter
While Dancing on Ice has been put “on ice” (ITV says it’s been “rested”), Grafton’s not slowing down. He’s staying in London — a Harry Potter-inspired childhood dream come true — and relishing the UK’s slightly calmer sociopolitical climate. Compared to the U.S., where Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies have made queer life feel like a dystopian reboot, the move offers relief.
“Because I’m not here all the time, you can feel there is a tension. It’s not an easy time for a lot of people but it’s important to stay positive and be compassionate and kind to everyone, and hopefully we’ll have better days.”
Kindness is King
What’s Colin looking for now? Not fame, not followers, and not just someone to share his almond butter.
“It also has to be very kind. Kindness is everything, and a good sense of humour.” Tall, dark and handsome wouldn’t hurt, he adds with a wink.
He may be off the rink for now, but Grafton’s still pirouetting forward, one honest moment at a time — out, proud, and hopefully not ghosted.
And to anyone struggling with coming out, finding love, or simply surviving the algorithmic hell of queer dating, he’s proof that you can do it with dignity — and maybe a little wine and finger food.
Colin Grafton’s story is one of resilience, sparkle, and not settling for anything less than a full-hearted connection. Because in the end, skating alone is fine — but finding someone to glide with? That’s gold.
Source: Pink News