Richard Gadd reveals truth behind Half Man’s Niall and Ruben’s relationship ahed of finale

Richard Gadd’s sophomore series Half Man is coming to an end this week, and he’s finally spoken explicitly about the nature of Ruben and Niall’s relationship.

Half Man follows the lives of stepbrothers Niall and Ruben as they navigate their personal lives and their intense and toxic relationship. But even though the two are raised as brothers from when they are teenagers, viewers have pointed out a weird, consistent homoerotic vibe between the two.

#halfman ruben talking about breaking the cycle meanwhile he keeps assaulting niall pic.twitter.com/ONlgXG0usA

— chilli | half man spoilers (@bluuuorca) May 22, 2026

This reached a peak in earlier episodes when Ruben “helped” Niall lose his virginity by taking him through a sexual experience with his future wife, Mona. Niall, who is in the closet at the time, is only able to get an erection when he locks eyes with Ruben, and accidentally finishes when he’s looking in his eyes.

Here’s what Richard Gadd and Mitchell Robertson have said about Niall’s feelings for Ruben in Half Man

Mitchell Robertson, who plays teenage Niall, claimed this sexual undertone was not something he planned for the series.

The 27-year old claimed the tension “wasn’t something that [he] played intentionally.”

Richard Gadd, who plays older Ruben and wrote the series, has acknowledged the complexities of their relationship, including the consistent romantic undertone.

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"a smile from me fills you with all the energy you need" not ruben kinda ACKNOWLEDGING niall's in love with him….. https://t.co/FoLcKZxgU5

— miaia (@isopodoll) May 15, 2026

“There’s two different types of Ruben,” he said in an interview with Variety. “There’s the calculated version of Ruben, and then there’s the explosive and in-the-moment version of Ruben as well.”

He continued: “I think their relationship is innately complicated. It’s idolatry mixed with love mixed with hatred mixed with adoration and need. I think they spent their whole life intrinsically bound and yet not fully knowing the depth of their feelings for one another, and that’s what I wanted to explore. I don’t think they even know just how much they love one another.”

And on the ending? Well, Richard isn’t promising that all the questions will be answered and the story will wrap up in a neat little bow.

“I don’t think happy endings, or even conclusive endings, are really true to life,” he hinted.

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Featured image via HBO