I’m A Celebrity 2022: Boy George on coming out as gay and his dad expecting him to get beaten up – Daily Mail
Boy George told how his father previously expected him to get ‘beat up’ for his fashion choices during I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! on Saturday.
The singer, 61, described how his father Jeremiah attempted to reveal he was gay to his siblings in his younger years but he was stumped as his brothers told their parent they already knew of his sexuality.
Pop star George said: ‘My mum would say [to my dad], “Look at what’s he’s wearing” and my dad used to get his paper [and drop it down to look] and go, “If he wants to get beat up let him go out” and that was it you know?’
Shock: Boy George, 61, told how his father previously expected him to get ‘beat up’ for his fashion choices during I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! on Saturday
His campmate, Loose Women anchor and ITV newsreader Charlene White, 42, asked: ‘Was it a surprise to anybody when you were dating boys?’
Boy George said: ‘No. My dad used to do this thing in the car, he’d turn down the music when he was going to make an announcement.
‘My brothers were all going to work, he was like radio down, he goes, “I need to tell you about your brother”. They said, “We know, turn the music up.”‘
Standing out from the crowd: Pop star Boy George is known for his unique sense of style (pictured in 1983)
Family affair: George (centre) is pictured with his father Jeremiah (left) and mother Dinah in 1985
Meanwhile, the performer discussed how Culture Club got its name before saying he threatened to walk away from the band if Karma Chameleon was not included on their record.
The song was featured on the group’s 1983 album Colour by Numbers and it became their second single to reach the top of the charts after their 1982 hit Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.
Karma Chameleon remained at number one for six weeks and became the UK’s biggest-selling single of the year. It also spent three weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1984.
Opening up: The singer described how his father attempted to reveal he was gay to his siblings in his younger years but he was stumped as his brothers told their parent they already knew of his sexuality
Discussion: Pop star George said: ‘My mum would say [to my dad], “Look at what’s he’s wearing” and my dad used to get his paper [and drop it down to look] and go, “If he wants to get beat up let him go out” and that was it you know?’
Wow! Sue Cleaver looked fascinated by what George was saying
Speaking of his bandmates Roy Hay, Jon Moss and Mikey Craig, George said: ‘Karma Chameleon they hated. They hated it.
‘They were like, “It’s the final nail in our coffin, it’s rubbish” and I had to fight to get it onto the record.
‘I had to say, “If you don’t put it on the record, I’m leaving the band.” I did that every week though. I was the queen “stormer outer”.
‘Every time I didn’t get my way I was like, “I’m leaving!”‘
Throwback: Culture Club are pictured on the set of the Karma Chameleon video in 1983 (L-R: Roy Hay, Jon Moss, Boy George and Mikey Craig Various)
Elsewhere, George – who took part in the infamous, gruesome eating Bushtucker Trial on Friday – revealed how the band decided on their name, revealing they had been through a for other options before settling on Culture Club.
He explained: ‘We were called Caravan Club, we were called Can’t Wait Club and then were like, “We’re a Culture Club, look at us. You’re Jewish, I’m Irish, you’re Jamaican, Roy’s an Anglosaxon!”‘
Watch the next live episode of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! on Sunday at 9pm on ITV and ITV Hub.