has revealed he considered to play Ritchie Tozer in the drama It’s a Sin before eventually casting .

Sivan was considered as a possible choice for the role, but Alexander was cast before Davies and the production team approached the Australian singer.

Ritchie is one of the central characters in the celebrated Channel 4 drama, which follows a group of young gay men living in London during the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s.

Alexander played Ritchie, an aspiring actor whose life is transformed by the impact of the epidemic on his friends and community.

Russell T Davies on casting Ritchie in It’s a Sin

In his new television memoir, The Queerest of Folk: A Life in Television, Davies spoke about the casting process for the acclaimed series.

“We cast Olly Alexander way before everybody else. We saw him early because his schedule was likely to be booked up far in advance – a pop star might have Japan pencilled in for the autumn, so we had to make a move,” wrote the screenwriter.

“We were even wondering about approaching Troye Sivan” – Davies considered the Australian singer for the role

Davies said casting a gay man to play a gay role was “important” to him and the project as a whole. “We knew it would be hard to find a young star, because there still aren’t many out, gay, famous young actors,” he explained.

The actor playing Ritchie also needed to have an “aura of fame, because that attracts both finance and viewers”, Davies explained.

“That left [casting director] Andy Pryor with a list of about three people, and the other two were busy! We were even wondering about approaching Troye Sivan. But Olly came in first.”

The Queerest of Folk: A Life in Television by Russell T Davies is available to buy from today (8 October 2026).