Jonathan Bailey wants to have a child

Asked if he wants children, he told Britain's Vogue magazine: "Yes, it's such a privilege for a man. But I can't bring children into my lifestyle now.

"I want to make sure I'm going to be present.

"I'm reading books on adoption. I might co-parent with a woman, but I'm thinking it will be with a man."

The 36-year-old star came out to his close friends and family in his early 20s but admitted his sexuality had been a gradual realisation and he even dated a woman for two years in his 20s.

He said: "It's interesting with the binary, where you're perceived to be either this or that. That's how I saw it at the time, but there are so many nuances to it.

"My experience of that relationship was not that I was in the shadows. She remains one of my best friends.

"I think other people understood my sexuality before I was even aware of it."

But the 'Bridgerton' star recalled being in primary school and enjoying a sleepover with friends.

He asked: "Guys, guys, who else thinks they're gay? Do you? I do. I do."

He added: "It was a conversation I really, really wanted to have, to see if everyone else was on the same page. But everyone went quiet...

"[At school] I was having trouble with my work and [a teacher] said, 'Well, if you weren't so busy being a fairy you'd understand.' "

Jonathan has always been "confident" in public displays of affection but he admitted there have been occasions when he's been "heckled" as a result.

He said: "I've always been a confident hand-holder in relationships.

"I had a boyfriend who wasn't experienced at holding hands in public. We got heckled in London. But that kind of behaviour is now outweighed by the smiles you get."

Meanwhile, after becoming a household name thanks to 'Bridgerton', Jonathan admitted he initially "struggled" with the fame it brought.

He said: "It felt quite hard-hitting after 'Bridgerton' came out. I really struggled initially; I was overwhelmed by it. But the people in your life have to adapt too.

"That's the hardest thing: you see them struggling before you see it in yourself, someone pushing past your dear mum and dad to get a picture. I'm really good now at saying no to photos."