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 straight individual, was consumed by intense homophobia due to his portrayal of a gay character in EastEnders. He faced repeated confrontations from the public, who confused reality with fiction, including being assaulted by a disapproving woman in a supermarket and strangled at a petrol station.