STEPHEN GATELY

Builds on life after Boyzone

"Dank-oe-wel" [me: Thank You], "Wilt-oe-wat-drienken?" [me: what would you like to drink?"] Stephen Gately (24), member of the Irish boy band Boyzone and the first after 7 years to release a solo album, practises his Dutch. In June last year, the popular singer came out in the newspapers and revealed that he has been in a relationship for 2 years with the Dutch pop singer Eloy de Jong, ex boyfriend of Carlo Boszhard and one-time member of the group Caught In The Act.

"A security guard threatened to sell my story to the papers," he says. "I found this to be quite heartless to the fans and so I decided to tell the story myself and I am happy I did. I have received thousands of letters of support. I have also received letters from boys in the same situation, who wanted to come out. My sexual preference shouldn't matter anyway, but it is still a relief that people still like me. For years I was waiting for the story to break but now, for the first time in all these years, I am very happy. During interviews and press conferences I would always be tense and wait for the question. But for years I would just keep to myself and try not to let people find out about my background. I was afraid that people would find out and my career would be over. I had absolutely no idea how people would react and how to handle it all myself. And, as a seventeen/eighteen year old, I was very stressed. The boys in the band were always behind me though and very supportive. They were always saying that I would have to come out one day, and that I had nothing to be ashamed of."

He now divides his time between Holland and Ireland. He manages to split his time between working in England, spending time at the house in Amsterdam with Eloy, and spending time with his family in Dublin.

He is now releasing his debut album- a pop album with a mixture of ballads and more up tempo songs- and promoting it the world over. He is now visiting all the places he went to with Boyzone. The title of his solo debut is also appropriate: 'New Beginning'. "It is also about everyone who is starting a new beginning," says Stephen. "My life is now 100% different and the album portrays this. I don't have to prove myself. And I won't be bankrupt if it all fails, haha! And I don't want to go back to being like that; a poor family with 4 children."

Stephen also emphasises that Boyzone isn't in the past tense. "We're taking a year out, where I'll be doing my own work, Ronan is working on his solo album. We do speak to each other all the time, and we will be going back on tour next year. Why did it stop? We've had a fantastic time and have been very successful. But we needed some time away from each other. But I am very thankful to the group. Without them, I would never have come so far."