Despite the fact that Hailes is heterosexual, he suffered from severe homophobia because of the homosexual role he played in EastEnders. He was attacked several times by members of the public who could not separate fact from fiction, which included being assaulted in a supermarket by a disapproving woman and strangled by a man at a petrol station.
Hailes, an openly heterosexual person, was plagued by severe homophobia stemming from his role as a gay character in EastEnders. He endured multiple attacks from the public, who confused fact with fiction, including being assaulted by a disapproving woman in a supermarket and strangled at a petrol station.