This week thousands of teenage girls had their hearts broken and dreams of marriage shattered by the revelation that last years X Factor winner Joe McElderry is gay.
19-year-old Joe’s revelation came following his Twitter account being hacked into resulting in messages such as “It's been difficult living a lie for so many years...' being posted.
However as distressing as the hacking of his account may have been it allowed McElderry to realise, and in turn reveal, his true sexuality to not only his fans but his friends and family.
He said on his official website:
“There has been speculation about my sexuality in the past and I have always been honest at the time I have been asked. Over the past few weeks I have really had time to reflect and to realise who I am.
I spoke to my friends and family about this in the last few days and it was important to do the same for you all as you have been so supportive.I have had nothing but support from you and many of you have been very open in saying that you will continue to support me whatever my sexuality.
It is important to me to let you know first, so that you know the stories in the papers are true. I made the choice to speak openly about this. Everything is going well and I’m really happy to be able to move forward from here."
Later in the week sports presenter Clare Balding revealed that she has made an official complaint to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) over an article which mocked her sexuality in The Sunday Times.
Last week columnist and restaurant critic AA Gill reviewed her new show Britain By Bike by dubbing it ‘'dyke on a bike” a comment that Balding rightly took exception to and promptly wrote to The Sunday Times editor John Witherow only to receive from him what she saw as an unsatisfactory response:
"Some members of the gay community need to stop regarding themselves as having a special victim status and behave like any other sensible group that is accepted by society. Not having a privileged status means, of course, one must accept occasionally being the butt of jokes."
Balding took to her Twitter account to react to Gill's comments stating:
"Complaint now registered. I don't mind being referred to as a lesbian. I am, for God's sake, but don't use it as a stick to beat me with. RANT OVER."
It’s a crying shame that despite the advances in the acceptability of homosexuality in recent years there are still old fashioned prejudices out there and still too much emphasis is put on the opinions of others.
Granted ones sexual preference should not be the public business of anyone else but sadly for McElderry in the celebrity world he resides, with teenage girl making up the majority of his fans, sexuality is everything. You only have to look at Ricky Martin and Duncan James, who recently came out as gay and bisexual respectively, to see that unfortunately straight sells.
Sadly it appears that the sexuality of our famed celebrities will always make the front covers of the newspapers eclipsing any personal achievements but for McElderry and Balding; they have had the last word.