I watched my son lose his virginity!
Saturday 14th July 2007
He was handsome with beautiful blue eyes, so why hadn't some lucky lady snapped him up?
OK, so maybe I was biased. After all, the man I'm describing is my son, James Riley. But I was realistic too.
It was true to say James didn't have the best fashion sense. He lived in an old black T-shirt and jeans, and his long hair could do with a restyle. At school, he'd been bullied because he talked slowly, and his confidence took a knock. As a teenager, he spent most nights in his bedroom, so there was no chance of him finding a girlfriend.
Now, at 26, he did a paper round to make money while he tried to make it as an actor. I worked as a lecturer at a further education college and all I'd ever wanted was for James to be happy. So now, as he stood in the kitchen, telling me about his latest plan, I couldn't help but feel proud.
'I'm going to be on telly, Mum,' he beamed. 'On a programme that will help to boost my confidence.'
He'd replied to an advert in our local paper, the News Shopper.
'That's great,' I said, giving him a hug. 'I can't wait to watch it.'
James was a lovely man. It was time the world got to see that. And if his confidence improved, perhaps he'd even get a girlfriend.
When filming started in November last year, James wanted me to be involved.
'How do you think James feels about being a virgin at 26?' the producer asked.
I gasped.
'Y-you'll have to ask him that,' I stuttered.
I knew James had never had a girlfriend, but whether he'd lost his virginity had never crossed my mind.
The camera crew became a familiar sight around James, and I saw him start to change. They gave him a new haircut and bought him trendy clothes. He started walking with his head held high.
'They're paying for me to go to Amsterdam,' he said.
Suddenly, alarm bells rang. Amsterdam? The city famous for drugs and prostitutes. What was James getting involved in? I was so concerned, I confided in my mum, June, 76.
'Leave him be,' she said. 'The programme's already done wonders for his confidence.'
Over the next five months, James was sent to Amsterdam several times. After his final trip in February, I met up with him for coffee. I could tell there was something on his mind.
'Spit it out,' I said.
'I slept with someone in front of the camera,' he blurted out.
'You did what?' I gasped.
'It was part of the programme,' he said. 'I was taught how to seduce a woman, then I had to try it out.'
What could I say to that?
'Are you happy?' I gulped.
'Yes,' he grinned. 'I went on dates with her first and even brought her flowers.'
Bless him.
'Are you mad, Mum?' he asked.
'No,' I said, giving him a hug.
I wasn't exactly jumping for joy, but if it helped James be more confident, then so be it.
But it didn't stop me being nervous about watching the show. A week before it was broadcast, a copy arrived in the post. That night, I lay awake, my mind in overdrive. Could I really face it? There was only one way to find out.
So I poured myself a glass of red wine and pushed the DVD into my laptop. Half an hour in, I liked it.James was getting advice about clothes and how to talk to women. But then… Amsterdam.
I watched as James met a 40-year-old female sex therapist. She undressed him, got him to undress her, then lay back on the bed and opened her legs. I cringed as James leaned in for
a closer look. But the worse was yet to come.
I could barely watch as James lost his virginity. Talk about explicit! It even showed his leg trembling as he reached orgasm. I was stunned. Mum wanted to see it, too.
'It's graphic,' I warned, handing her the DVD.
Next day, she shrugged.
'I always knew he was brave,' she smiled.
Since the programme was on telly, James has had thousands of letters and emails from women wanting to date him. It was a shock to see him lose his virginity but, in a strange way, I feel quite privileged. After all, how many mums have that sort of insight into their son's lives? And it obviously made lots of women warm to him. So perhaps I'm not so biased after all!
James says: 'The worst bit about doing the programme was telling my mum what it was really about. But I shouldn't have worried. She saw how happy I was and said
she was proud of me. I don't regret taking part, it's made me a more sociable, easy-going person.'
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