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Jessica Gunning, the 40-year-old Baby Reindeer star, reveals she’s never been in a relationship with anyone. In a stunning interview, the actress opened up about coming out as gay at 36 and how she spent 36 years celibate before her life-changing realization in November 2022.
🔥 Quick Facts
- Age at Coming Out: Gunning came out as gay at 36 years old in November 2022.
- The Epiphany: She had a lightbulb moment after chatting with a lesbian who referenced realizing her own sexuality.
- Never Been in a Relationship: Despite being 40, Gunning has never had a romantic partner of any kind.
- Currently Single: She remains single but describes herself as “a big believer in love.”
A Shocking Revelation at 36
Jessica Gunning never saw it coming. In November 2022, just before Baby Reindeer premiered on Netflix, the British actress had a stunning realization about her sexuality. While chatting with a lesbian acquaintance who casually mentioned recognizing her own sexuality, Gunning experienced an instant lightbulb moment. “And then I was, like,” she explains, “I’m gay!” According to The Times interview, Gunning realized she had been surrounded by gay friends and family members her entire life, yet somehow never considered the possibility for herself.
Her epiphany happened in a single conversation. She told The Times, “I think it’s because I’ve never been in a relationship before. With anyone.” What makes the revelation even more remarkable is how she processed it immediately afterward. She rushed to tell a friend, who opened their door, took one look at her, and asked, “What’s changed?” Gunning responded with directness. “I’m gay!” Her friend and family weren’t shocked at all.
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36 Years Without Ever Dating Anyone
Gunning’s celibacy isn’t unusual to her, she explains. The actress spent three-and-a-half decades without pursuing any romantic relationship whatsoever. When asked how she explained her relationship status to herself, she reflects thoughtfully. “Well, not to get too deep, but it was probably that I didn’t want to go out with guys and so I was finding a way to avoid it.” She never learned how to flirt and often found herself in the role of matchmaker instead. “I was always friends with guys and would set them up with other friends,” she tells The Times. “In a way it was, like, ‘Great, because I’m not interested.'”
Her work consumed her life completely. For years, Gunning’s passion was acting, not romance. “Because my job was my passion and my love,” she explains. “And the characters I got to play, I felt like I maybe lived vicariously through a lot of them.” She felt fulfilled through her craft, living with her best friend and finding joy in the creative process. She wasn’t lonely, she insists. She wasn’t lacking anything.
The Role of Body Image and Otherness
Gunning has been candid about how her size may have contributed to her avoiding romantic situations. “It might be connected to size. Maybe because I was bigger, I’ve always felt like, it’s an otherness,” she tells The Times. She emphasizes she doesn’t express this negatively. “I didn’t feel like an alien in a negative way, but it was like an otherness. And the otherness, I suppose, looking back, protects me from having to go, ‘I don’t fancy men.'” This protective mechanism allowed her to frame herself as simply not yet ready for relationships rather than facing the deeper truth about her sexuality.
In her drama school dissertation, titled “Does Size Matter?”, Gunning explored these precise questions. She interviewed casting directors and industry professionals about whether size shaped career opportunities. Now, cast as Mama Cass Elliot in an upcoming biopic, she’ll address these same themes on screen. She’s determined to bring nuance to the role, rejecting lazy characterizations.
| Detail | Information |
| Age Now | 40 years old |
| Came Out | November 2022 at age 36 |
| Years in Entertainment | 16 years as character actress |
| Current Status | Single, never been in a relationship |
“I’m confident in how I work, but my confidence doesn’t necessarily extend to myself as a person. Because my job was my passion and my love. And the characters I got to play, I felt like I maybe lived vicariously through a lot of them.”
— Jessica Gunning, The Times interview, March 21, 2026
A New Chapter of Stardom and Love
Since her Emmy, BAFTA, and Golden Globe wins for Baby Reindeer, Gunning’s life has transformed completely. Within days of the show’s April 2024 release, over 80 million people worldwide had watched it. She won awards previously unimaginable for a jobbing character actress. Yet she remains grounded about her personal prospects. Since coming out, everything happened with Baby Reindeer’s success. She admits she’s had some romantic interest. “I suppose I’ve just been focused on work,” she tells The Times. She hasn’t tried dating apps. “I just like the idea of meeting someone in real life. I’m a bit of an old-fashioned romantic at heart. I’m a bit of a believer in fate and chance.”
Gunning’s upcoming projects are staggering, including The Magic Faraway Tree alongside Michael Palin, Lenny Henry, Claire Foy, and Andrew Garfield, plus the Mama Cass biopic as the lead. Yet despite all this success, she still rents a flat in south London. “Materially, nothing’s changed,” she laughs to The Times. She’s never owned a home and seems unbothered about wealth. But here’s the question everyone wants to know: will this Emmy-winning actress finally open her heart to love?
