Duncan James: Liberty X’s Michelle Heaton hates me joking that she turned me gay

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Duncan James, of the boy band Blue, said he had joked to Michelle Heaton of Liberty X that she turned him gay, and she was upset that people might actually believe it was true.

The 35-year-old pop star came out as bisexual in 2009, and said that he had had relationships with both men and women in the past. He dated Heaton, 32 several years ago, and said she was upset that he joked she was the reason for his attraction to men.

He said: “[Michelle] said, ‘People are actually going to think that is the case’,” he said. “It was a joke! She’s over it now though.”

James recently opened up about his sexuality in TV documentary, The Big Reuinion and revealed that he previously dated a male dancer from the pop group.

He said he now wants to settle down, and that he was more interested in dating men than women.

“I’ve been looking more towards dudes than girls,” he continued. “I guess that’s because I’ve come out and accepted my sexuality.”

Speaking of his past personal issues with dating men, he said he thought he had worked through all of that.

“I was too paranoid to even converse with guys in the past and I just wasn’t ready to open that can of worms up… I think I could date a guy now and be proud to call him my man.”

In 2010, James revealed that he had previously struggled to come off anti-depressants after Blue split.