TV

Made in Chelsea’s Robbie Mullet praised for stigma-busting chat about HIV and PrEP

On the left: Robbie Mullet poses in a tuxedo. On the right: Robbie Mullet in a café saying: 'Have you heard of PrEP?'

Robbie Mullet (L) opened up about being on PrEP during a recent Made in Chelsea episode. (Instagram/Twitter)

Made in Chelsea‘s Robbie Mullet has been praised by viewers for educating viewers on the HIV prevention pill, PrEP.

Mullet, a first-year law student at University College London who is 50 per cent jawline, taught pals Olivia Bentley and Inga Valentiner about PrEP on Monday night’s (27 December) episode of the long-running reality TV series.

“I’m going to be starting the New Year with safety in mind,” Mullet said, over cappuccinos. “Have you heard of PrEP?”

Neither Bentley nor Valentiner had heard of the medication. “It’s this drug that we take,” Mullet explained, “and if you take it daily, it will stop the transmission of HIV by 99 per cent.”

A stunned Valentiner found this “insane”, prompting Mullet to ask if the pair had watched Channel 4’s It’s a Sin, which explored the haunting impact of the AIDS epidemic on the queer community.

 

“I annoyingly didn’t,” Valentiner said, “but everyone said it was so good.”

“I think it was the best depiction of that era and how awful it was with the AIDS epidemic,” Mullet said.

“My dad had a family member that died of AIDS, and so this, I think, means so much more on top of that, do you know what I mean?”

Tearing up, Mullet added: “And that’s obviously a family member that I never got to meet.”

“It’s obviously such a privilege for me to be able to take this.”

Viewers praise Made in Chelsea for raising spotlight on PrEP

Advocates and viewers praised Mullet for openly speaking about PrEP on Twitter, stressing how important it is for such clear conversations around HIV to be had without stigma or shame.

“Discussions on mainstream TV that help educate people on what PrEP is/does and how to access it are so vital in helping eradicate HIV and the stigma surrounding the virus,” wrote one user.

“Props to MiC and more of this, please!”

Robbie Mullet joined Made in Chelsea earlier ths year, coming out to his castmates with a vulnerability that has made him a favourite among fans.

“I’m definitely not a trailblazer,” Mullet told The Tab. “But I was so happy to receive the feedback on the moment that I shared with Ollie [Locke].

“I was quite blessed to have received a wonderful message on Instagram. It was from a viewer who came out to everyone but their father.

“Upon hearing my story about how well my father received the news and how accepting he was, this person said that they came out to their dad after 10 years of hiding, because of my scene.

“It was incredible to read that.”

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