'I think I can be happy now that I have realized who I am - and I am feeling good about it,' the British singer says about his decision to come out as a gay.
- August 2, 2010
AceShowbiz - British singer Joe McElderry has 'come out' as gay following intense online speculation about his sexuality. Rumors about the teenager's sexual preference have been rife since he won Simon Cowell's TV talent show "The X Factor" in December 2009.
Earlier this year, the star's personal Twitter.com page was hacked into, with a fake post outing him as gay and stating: "It's been difficult living a lie for so many years." McElderry has now told his fans the truth about his sexuality, admitting the Twitter prank pushed him into revealing all.
He tells Britain's The Sun, "I was really angry at first - thinking, 'How dare they hack me?' But after a while I looked at the message and thought, 'Well, they're not that far from the truth'." He continues sharing, "I think the Twitter thing was the point when I realized I was gay. I just looked at it and thought, 'Should I be more bothered about this?' Because I wasn't, that's when it clicked and I thought maybe I was. It was a turning point, definitely."
The 19 year old admits he's happy with his choice to 'come out' publicly, adding, "I think I can be happy now that I have realized who I am - and I am feeling good about it."
