Sir Ian McKellen looks back on 1988 as he honours Pet Shop Boys

The acting titan presented the Legend Award to Pet Shop Boys and expressed his admiration for band members Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe.

McKellen, who appeared as a vampire in the music video for the duo's 1988 chart-topping hit Heart, said: "1988 – the best year of my life – that's the year I stopped hiding and came out. It's also the year I met the two boys in question. My agent called: do you fancy being in a music video?

"I wasn't sure what a pet shop was, but I knew about boys, so I said yes. And that's how I met Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant."