Back in our issue #12 of LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS (1994) Carl DelVecchio managed to look up David Peel and had a short talk with him ( the article was called "I Met David Peel"). Peel talked a bit about the reaction to the film, some of the things he did, etc. There is a poor b/w version of an old color photo taken of Carl and Peel that day. A David Peel interview is the real holy grail of Hammer reporting -- the sad thing is, if someone had approached him during that time of the late 70s & early 80s, before he passed away, I suspect he would have talked gladly. He seemed to be proud of the film (there is a photo of Peel on page 9 of our current issue #16, of Peel performing in a radio play around 1952 - with his real dark hair).
As to his being gay? Well, the late Bill Kelley put that question to Peter Cushing in our BRIDES OF DRACULA issue back in 1999 (issue #14). Cushing, being the gentleman that he is, hemmed and hawed a bit, but pretty much admited Peel was. Certainly, according to some actors like Michael Ripper, there was a higher quotient of gay actors than in other walks of life in the UK during that period. Don't know exactly what that means except perhaps gay people find more satisfaction in acting than being a plumber or truck parts salesman?