Sunday Magazine- September 24th 2000

I'll Never Do A Love Scene With A Woman!

He may have designs on being a movie star, but Stephen Gately knows where to draw the line. Maxine Creedy reports.

It's been an excellent 15 months for Boyzone's Stephen Gately. Since announcing he was gay in June last year, things have gone from great to fantastic.

But despite successfully launching his solo career, and finding personal happiness with partner Eloy de Jong, Stephen wants more!

"I really want to get into acting," reveals Stephen, 23. "I'd love to play a really bad villain, or a comedy goody two shoes. I couldn't be an action hero because I'm too small, but I'd love to be in the next Guy Ritchie movie."

But while many male movie stars are more than happy to shed their clothes for the right part, Stephen has his reservations.

"I wouldn't do love scenes with women," he says. "And I won't get naked- unless they paid me a s***load of money. The same goes with going full-frontal in a magazine. I'd do it, but for nothing less than a million!"

Then he adds with a laugh: "No one's asked me yet. I mean, who'd wanna see ME nude?"

A year ago, Stephen was the shy member of Boyzone who represented innocence personified in the pop industry.

But after seven years hiding his sexuality, he decided to burst the bubble. Not only did he reveal he was gay, but also that he had a long-term partner, Dutch pop singer Eloy.

"Some papers said I've been spending so much time in Amsterdam because we plan to get married there," he explains. "But gay couples can get married in lots of places these days- Amsterdam, Las Vegas, even in England- so it doesn't necessarily have to be in Holland.

"As for the adoption rumours, we haven't looked into it seriously. But I adore kids, I'd love to give a kid a chance.

"I come from an underprivileged background, so wouldn't think twice about adopting a Kosovan baby, or another child affected by war."

But while kids are a consideration for the future, Stephen admits he's not had too much experience as far as his Boyzone pals are concerned.

"I never babysit for Ronan Keating!" He chuckles. "He's never asked me! I'd take Jack to the pub and sneak a whiskey in the bottle!"

Apart from adoption, Stephen is open to other ways of having children.

"Anything's possible these days," he says. "On Oprah Winfrey the other day there was a man who had biological twins by two separate women after splitting the egg. So in theory, Eloy and I could impregnate the same woman with each of our sperm, and have one twin that was mine, and one that was his. It's mad isn't it?"

Although Stephen seems more content than he's ever been, he still has his insecurities.

"When Eloy's not there, I sleep with the light on because I'm scared of spirits," he reveals. "I saw a woman in a hotel room I stayed in, and a couple of years earlier- in the same hotel in London- I awoke hearing this scratching.

"I told the manager, and he said that a couple had a row in the room and the man locked his partner in a chest and she suffocated. That was the scratching!"

But as he gets up to leave, he reveals an even bigger secret. "Despite what they say, I'm not gay you know," he sniggers. "Print that!"

Stephen's new single, I Believe, is out tomorrow.