Monday 24 May 11.20-11.50pm BBC ONE

Rugby star Gareth Thomas has revealed he is gay, and a number of other sportspeople from around the world have “come out”, this has led some to argue that the professional sporting arena is now a place where homosexual men and women can participate and enjoy the same freedoms as everyone else.

But with the world’s most popular game, football, still outwardly 100 per cent heterosexual, journalist Mark Chapman investigates whether we really are seeing the smashing of sport’s Last Taboo.

Mark journeys across the UK and Ireland meeting gay and straight sporting figures including Gareth Thomas, Donal Cusack and Martina Navratilova, to find out why it is so difficult for gay athletes to be open about their sexuality, and the consequences if they are.

It’s a journey that leaves Mark with some surprising conclusions as to why gay professional sportspeople still prefer to keep their sexuality hidden.