Sir Ian McKellen has sent a video message to organisers of Wigan Pride ahead of the event on Saturday, saying he wishes he could attend.
The 87-year-old actor, who grew up in Wigan, said in the message: "I just wanted to send my love and I wish I could be with you because it's an important event."
Organisers shared the video on their Facebook page and said they were "so excited and grateful" to receive the message.
"He can't join us in person, but this message shows he will be with us in spirit and it really means a lot to us," they added.
Wigan's connection to Pride
Wigan's first Pride festival, held ten years ago, was inspired by Sir Ian McKellen. He attended Wigan Pride in 2017 and has previously led the Manchester Pride parade.
In his video message, Sir Ian reflected on how Wigan has changed since he attended Wigan Grammar School in 1951. He noted that Pride did not exist in Wigan when he was a child.
"No Pride in Wigan when I was a kid, not in the sense that we celebrate it today," he said.
He added that gay people can now "just walk in the streets, proud to be themselves, proud to say that they're gay and they can be supported by their allies and friends and family and neighbours".
McKellen's Wigan roots
Sir Ian was born in Burnley in 1939 and moved to Wigan when his father started working for the council as an engineer. The family moved to Bolton when he was 12.
In 2015, when he was given a star on Wigan's own version of Hollywood's walk of fame, Sir Ian told the BBC: "The grounding for everything I've turned out to be really happened here [in Wigan]."
