Years & Years Singer Olly Alexander Was Originally Told To Hide His Sexuality

Way back in October 2016, Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander revealed to ELLE UK he was imagining himself as a 'wanton sex goddess', with a very bad man between his thighs.

However, such openness about his sexuality (Alexander identifies as gay) - and subsequent statements in support of the LGBTQ community - might have been but a dream for the 27-year-old given the fact he was once told to keep quiet about his homosexuality for the sake of his band.

Speaking at a Stonewall event this week, the singer recalled a moment when his band were receiving media training in the early stages of their career during which he asked a trainer how to deal with questions about his sex life.

'She said, with very good intentions I'm sure: "Why does anybody need to know about your sexuality?".

"What business is it who you go to bed with? Do you really want to invite personal questions like that? Maybe it's better to not say anything about your sexuality at all",' she advised the budding singer.

However, the artist – who last year made a BBC documentary about his experiences of homosexuality growing up – said he ignored her advice.

'When a journalist did ask me about my sexuality, I said "Yes, I'm gay and this song is about a man".

'I needed to say that for my 15-year old self. I needed to say to him, "Look, we are not hiding any more".'

The singer also opened up about his struggles with anxiety and how the support of his fans has encouraged him to confront his mental health issues.

'I got so many messages from fans who wanted to share their story, who were struggling with their sexuality or gender identity, had problems at school or at home,' he said.

'I was honestly quite shocked at the extent of pain people were struggling with. I felt like I was hearing an alarm bell ringing. A cry for help that was largely going ignored.'

In response to his speech the crowd, including the likes of host June Sarpong, author and trans activist Juno Dawson, swimmer Mark Foster, and TV personalities Gok Wan and Gaby Roslin gave the singer a standing ovation, reports the BBC.

And it's not hard to see why, is it?

Katie O'Malley

Site Director

Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.