Blue's Duncan James pretended to date famous friends like Geri so he could hide he was gay

ok.co.uk:

Pop sensation Duncan James has revealed that he used to pretend to date his celebrity pals in a bid to avoid people realising he was gay.

For years, the Blue singer was terrified of being outed and ridiculed so pretended to be straight by dating his friends such as Geri Halliwell and Martine McCutcheon.

However this year, the 44 year old will proudly stand as a gay man as he performs at Pride events around the country in make-up, lingerie and even a pair of suspenders. “It has taken me a long time to feel completely comfortable,” the star began. “I remember when I was in Blue the first time around, there were all these rumours I was dating my friends Geri, Martine and Tara [Palmer- Tomkinson] and I used to feel relieved.” Duncan told The Mirror that he finally feels comfortable in his own skin, and attributes this largely to supportive friends such as showbiz bestie Denise Van Outen and the love of his boyfriend, Rodrigo Reis.

During his time with Blue, the band went on to play at Pride events around the country, something that Duncan confessed to struggling with as he wasn’t out and proud himself yet. “I was playing Pride with Blue and feeling such a hypocrite because everyone was celebrating their sexuality and I was still in the closet,” he explained.