Noughties pop star opens up about ‘damaging experience' in band after he was ‘forced to hide' his sexuality
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Noel Sullivan has opened up about his time in the band Hear'Say
Credit: Rex
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The band released two albums and four singles before parting ways
Credit: Dave Hogan
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Noel said it was a "damaging experience" to be "chucked back in the closet"
Credit: Andrew Barr - The Sun Glasgow
The singer has now opened up about his experience in the band and said the experience damaged him because he wasn't allowed to discuss his sexuality.
He told
'I was 19, 20 years old at the time, so at an age when I should be exploring who I am.
'To be boxed back up and chucked back in the closet was a damaging experience for me, it took a lot of time to find some resolution to that and not feel guilty or shameful because of it.'
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Noel is now happily married to his husband James after coming out in 2017 and regularly shares pictures of the pair together on social media.
This isn't the first time Noel has opened up about his sexuality being a point of contention when he was in the band.
In 2017, he took to Instagram to share a picture of himself on his birthday and took the opportunity to get some things off of his chest.
He penned: 'As a 19 year old, I was told to shut up about my sexuality. If I wanted a career, I had to be something else. Silent. It ruined me.
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'No one was held accountable for the years of depression and self abuse that followed. It got to the point where I felt like I couldn't speak out anymore because my time in the spotlight had passed and I assumed no one would care.
'It was a turbulent time but I took solace in my family and in theatre. Without the crazy, beautiful, supportive and talented people I worked with, lived with and performed for, I could never have found myself.
The noughties pop group Hear'say perform their hit song Pure and Simple
'After years of self doubt I finally feel free to say what I need to. Free to let go of the past, free to love myself. But most importantly, free to love. Thank you.'
Hear'Say released two albums in their short-lived career, with their debut album Popstars charting at number one in the UK, Scotland and New Zealand.
They followed this up with their second outing, in the form of Everybody, which released just nine months after their first, but it failed to have the same momentum, charting at number 24 in the UK.
The band had four top ten singles, with hits Pure and Simple and The Way To Your Love bagging the top honours.
After the band members went their own separate ways, Noel opted for a quieter life but didn't give up on the entertainment industry all together.
He has appeared in several musical theatre productions, including Fame, Love Shack, What A Feeling and acted as Danny Zuko in Grease.
Noel has also shown off his acting chops on the small screen, with appearances in
Christmas
special in 2021.
Where are Hear'Say now?
Danny
Foster
Danny, 45, stepped out of the spotlight after Hear'Say split.
He is married to Victoria Goddard, who he has been with for nearly two decades.
Danny popped up on The Voice in 2013 singing Spice Girls hit Wannabe but none of the judges turned for him.
Two year later he suffered a terrifying car accident where he was forced to flee a burning vehicle.
These days he runs a retro soul act called Danny Foster & The
Kym Marsh
Kym, 47, was the first member of Hear'Say to leave the band, later saying she'd had huge bust-ups with Myleene.
She was replaced by
The star went on to marry EastEnders favourite
Kym, who appeared on Coronation Street as Michelle Connor and starred on Strictly, has three children - David, Emily, and Polly.
She and Jamie had a son called Archie who tragically died soon after being born in 2009.
These days the actor and singer is wowing audiences in a stage version of 101 Dalmatians.
Suzanne Shaw
Hear'Say split just after Suzanne's 21st birthday with the star, now 42, launching a career in musical theatre.
She also appeared in both soapland, as Emmerdale's Eve Birch, and reality telly on Dancing On Ice.
Suzanne has an 18-year-old son called Corey from her relationship with Darren Day and eight-year-old Rafferty with businessman Sam Greenfield.
She is now a fitness fanatic and plant-based diet enthusiast.
Noel Sullivan
Noel, 43, said he'd been "thrown on the scrapheap" in his early 20s when the band split, but he quickly found a new career on the stage.
He even moved to Las Vegas for 18 months fronting Strictly Ballroom and had a scene-stealing cameo as himself in Gavin & Stacey as Nessa's mate.
In 2019, he shocked This Morning viewers after h
He is married to James Bennett and the pair have been hard at work renovating their 16th century house in the foothills of the Pyrenees in France.
Myleene Klass
Myleene, 46, has had a varied media career from hosting The One Show, to presenting shows on Classic FM and of course a stint on
Myleene has
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The performer is now happily married to his husband James
Credit: Instagram
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'DON'T stand too close to me, you might catch something,' quips Bonnie Blue as we pose for pics. As The Sun's Sexpert, there's not much that shocks me. I've been to swinging parties, witnessed 50-strong orgies and even taken part in an orgasm contest in New York. 5 Bonnie Blue is the disturbing reality of what happens when pornography and the world of 'influencers' collide Credit: Olivia West 5 Bonnie's controversial bonkfest during Nottingham Freshers' Week made headlines Credit: Tim Stewart 5 Bonnie has been branded as dangerous for women as toxic masculinity influencer Andrew Tate Credit: Instagram You could say I'm unshockable, and I'd have agreed with you — until Bonnie burst on to the scene. I've covered the industry long enough to know what's what, and I count porn stars, escorts and OnlyFans models as friends. But such is Bonnie's determination to perform the most degrading stunts imaginable, she's a tough one to defend. Her shock claim to fame — She has even been branded as dangerous for women as toxic masculinity influencer 'I love sex with public' So today, I'm sitting down with the 26-year-old to find out what really drives her — and maybe even get under her skin. Readers will know that The Sun does not make a habit of interviewing porn stars. But Bonnie is more than that. She is the disturbing reality of what happens when pornography and the world of 'influencers' collide, just as much a staple on the unregulated social media pages your kids scroll through as she is on adult sites. Bonnie is riding a new wave of anything-goes promiscuity that's genuinely worrying — and that's coming from someone who has built a career on being 'sex positive'. Real name Tia Billinger, she grew up in Draycott, a village between Derby and Nottingham, and was virtually unknown until she catapulted to fame in October last year. Bonnie Blue CANCELS disgusting 'petting zoo' event after extreme backlash, but reveals 10 THOUSAND men applied Her extraordinary story is laid bare in new fly-on-the-wall Channel 4 documentary, 1,000 Men And Me: The With immaculately blow-dried blonde hair and a preppy style, she's far from the stereotypical porn star. There's an old-money vibe about her — part of her appeal no doubt, and the shock factor. I ask her about being Claiming to be inspired by David Blaine, she wanted to tie herself up inside a glass box in the centre of London, which would be 'open for the public' to 'It's frustrating, I've never broken a single f * g rule,' she fumes. 'I went from "They [OnlyFans] would prefer me to do a cooking show or a dog's yoga retreat, but it's a sex site. People say I'm setting women back, but when I check their profiles, they're often stay-at-home mums relying on a boyfriend or benefits. Bonnie Blue 'I love having sex with the public and that is not going to stop. OnlyFans has tried to cancel me, but it's done the opposite.' So does Bonnie think she's setting women back with such degrading behaviour, teaching young men that it's OK to treat them as objects? 'I say I'm not a feminist, but a lot of my views are,' she says. 'I believe in equality, women being in control and not feeling intimidated by men. I do what I want, when I want, and I feel safe doing it. 'People say I'm setting women back, but when I check their profiles, they're often stay-at-home mums relying on a boyfriend or benefits — and I think, hang on a second.' Bonnie's controversial bonkfest during Nottingham Uni Freshers' Week, which saw her have sex with 150 18-year-olds — many of whom she claimed were virgins — made news. 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I'd be heartbroken if my three-year-old daughter ever thought this was inspirational, and asked Bonnie what led her down this path. 'Everyone wants me to say I've been through something traumatic in my past,' she says. 'But it's not true. They just can't accept that I want to do this because I enjoy sex.' I enjoy sex, too, but I find it hard to believe anyone could genuinely enjoy a 1,000-strong orgy. I ask her if she actually orgasms during these stunts and how her body felt the next day. 'Oh it's completely hit and miss,' she explains. 'Even in my personal sex life, I have to remind them how I like it. "Most of these men are inexperienced, so I don't, but I enjoy giving them a good experience. My jaw hurt more than I did down there after the 1,000 challenge,' she adds nonchalantly. 'My legs were burning, too.' Some guys were just lonely and wanted a conversation, other guys wanted me to strip down within 60 seconds with a sex toy inside of me. Bonnie Blue Bonnie says she ordered a burger and watched Dexter on Netflix that evening as she was 'too excited to sleep', then treated herself to a massage and facial at a spa the next day. Another Brit OnlyFans content created, Unlike Bonnie, Lily, from Derbyshire, claims the experience left her in tears — yet she still pledged to go a step further and sleep with 1,000 men in 24 hours. But Bonnie nailed the challenge first — and in half the time. The pair previously made joint content, but Lily has since claimed their views 'don't quite align'. Last month, 'His opinion is that women have fought for years to be in control and have their say and do what they want with their bodies. I do exactly that. So if that's the outcome, so be it.' Like Andrew, she's a Marmite figure — loved by some, loathed by others — and receives hundreds of death threats a day online. 'Last time I went out by myself was six months ago,' she explains. 'It's not safe.' It's hard not to find this incredibly sad. What's the point of making big money if you can't actually enjoy it? 'I want to be the best at what I do,' explains Bonnie. 'I'm not driven by material things and would rather be at home doing a puzzle than glammed up at a red carpet event.' 'Part-time nun' When she's not filming controversial content, she spends her time fishing, surfing and doing jigsaws. She says the only time she's been hurt was when someone uploaded a photo of her late grandad and falsely claimed he had sexually assaulted her. 'My family are getting double looks in the street,' she revealed. 'It made me realise the impact I was having on my family.' So how did someone like Bonnie, who seems to have it all, end up here? 'Growing up, I loved dancing,' she explains. 'But you've got to have money to make it. All the big dance schools are in London and I couldn't even afford a train ticket there.' Bonnie was studying midwifery before she dropped out of college and worked for the NHS doing recruitment finance. She later moved to 'The move really helped me become a sex worker,' she recalls. 'It got me out of that small-town mindset where you're constantly comparing yourself to others.' She was inspired by women on TikTok flaunting their sex work earnings and decided to give it a go. 'I wanted money, freedom and to feel in control,' she says. Bonnie was racked with nerves before starting, but her ex-husband was her rock. 'My palms were sweating. I had no idea what I was doing — I didn't even know all the sex terms,' she recalls. 'I had a separate laptop next to me and any time someone asked something I didn't understand, I'd quickly Google it because I was too embarrassed to admit it. They expect me to drop my pants because they're famous. Bonnie Blue 'Some guys were just lonely and wanted a conversation, other guys wanted me to strip down within 60 seconds with a sex toy inside of me.' 'We had sex three or four times a week after watching Netflix,' she recalls. 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I like Bonnie — she's witty and self-deprecating, cracking jokes at her own expense and clearly enjoys shocking people. But I can't help wondering if it's her armour against the world. As we talk, I wonder what her life will be like five years from now. When her looks fade, will she have to go to even greater extremes for attention? 'If it doesn't make me happy, then I'll be the first to stop,' she explains. 'I'm in control.' Bonnie tells me she hopes the documentary will shift public perception — not just of her, but of the men who sleep with her. 'I want people to know these men aren't disgusting,' she says. 'They're nice people. 'I'm also happy because everyone assumes that behind the cameras, I must be crying, upset or broken — but that's not the case. 'People think I must be sick in the head to enjoy this. But I'm living a life I'm incredibly grateful for. I feel very, very lucky.' But at what cost? 1,000 Men And Me: The Bonnie Blue Story is on Channel 4 tomorrow at 10pm.
