'Design Star's' First Gay Gal Leslie Ezelle - Exclusive Interview

A Mom of four, a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and breast cancer survivor Leslie Ezelle is making waves as the first out gay female contestant on HGTV’s Design Star. An interior designer who hails from Dallas, Ezelle's on-screen personality reflects a down-home sensibility with a big dash of modern chic. Passionate beyond belief about everything from design to her heyday as a professional cheerleader to her fundraising for the Susan G. Komen Foundation Ezelle's energy is infectious.

A Mom of four, a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and breast cancer survivor Leslie Ezelle is making waves as the first out gay female contestant on HGTV’s Design Star. An interior designer who hails from Dallas, Ezelle's on-screen personality reflects a down-home sensibility with a big dash of modern chic. Passionate beyond belief about everything from design to her heyday as a professional cheerleader to her fundraising for the Susan G. Komen Foundation Ezelle's energy is infectious.

While the second episode of Design Star aired this Monday, Ezelle has already proved she's a force to be reckoned with as a dynamic designer and an intriguing television personality – both are qualities needed to win the competition and land her own design show on HGTV.

Ezelle kickstarted her own design company, Leslie Christine Designs, two and a half years ago, coming to her business with a wide  range of design experience from remodels to home staging for real estate agents. She helps clients “tame their domain,” she says, and believes that the happiest, healthiest environments are stress-free, organized homes. Her design style is “simple, traditional elegance,” which bolsters a less-is-more philosophy that’s easy and inexpensive.

After her last breast cancer surgery on December 27, 2010, Ezelle realized her dream of having her own design show. She sent in her designs to HGTV, and in March of 2011 began filming Design Star.

SheWired caught up with Ezelle to talk about coming out and being out in Dallas, her time as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, surviving breast cancer and finally realizing what you want to be when you grow up, and what it’s like being a competitor on Design Star. 

Thanks so much for taking time to chat with me. You have been doing well on Design Star so far! Congratulations. It’s very refreshing to have you representing gay women on the show. It’s always expected that there will be a handful of gay men, but no one ever expects a lesbian – especially not one who was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader!

You know, I’m the first and only – that I know of – woman that’s gay out of all six seasons on HGTV’s Design Star. They’ve had plenty of men, but I’m the first gal! I actually didn’t know that, but one of the guys pretty high up in the network told me “You’re the first one that we’ve ever had!” I was like, “Alright, cool!”

With your background you really don’t fit the stereotype middle America might have of gay women.

I think I break America’s stereotype. I’ve got the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader card. Come on, let’s face it here. [laughs]

Now that Design Star is airing, and you’re rocking it, how is business going?

It has been like a whirlwind. It has just been so crazy. The press has been great, and I think a lot of it is because of what we just talked about - how I break the stereotype, and also the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading thing. The press is kind of fascinated with it.

It’s Texas, and anyone living in Texas knows it’s huge. Even though I’m an old has-been – it’s been 20-something years since I was out there shakin’ and bakin’ – but it is still a fascinating card.

I’m from Dallas and quite familiar with the Dallas dance scene, including Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC). It’s a tight-knit group.

That’s right! It’s like a sorority. Inside Edition just did a little special on us – on the “has-beens” [laughs] – and they happened to pick my year as having something like the best alumni of all time.

So, Inside Edition did this little re-cap story of “what they are doing now?” When we did the episode, I knew that I was going to be on Design Star  but I couldn’t say it yet. It was so brutal. He was asking what we do, what’s our story, and I blurted out, “I’m gay, I have my own design company, I want to have my own design show, and I went through breast cancer.” Sure enough, I got airtime, except they cut out the gay part. Isn’t that funny? Why wouldn’t they put in the gay part? I don’t know what going on with that.

That seems very odd. Was it due to your affiliation with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders?

You know what? It could have been. I mean, all of this is about to come out. But I know that they are completely fine with it. They have all been very sweet and never tried to censor me.

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