Duncan James on bisexuality and depression
Former boyband star Duncan James has spoken about being bisexual and how he struggled to come off anti-depressants after Blue split.
The star is currently appearing in a production of Legally Blonde. He came out as bisexual in July, saying he had dated both men and women.
He revealed this week that he had been put on the anti-depressant Seroxat after a series of stressful events, including the death of his grandparents.
He told the Daily Mail: “For a long time my head was so mixed up I didn’t know what was going on.
“The band were so huge and we were everywhere. I didn’t quite know who I was and I didn’t have a moment to sit down and figure it out.
“Then there was the fact that I had a daughter on the way – that wasn’t planned, her mother and I weren’t even together.
“And when Blue split up it really hit me. I was put on anti-depressants. I would go to see my psychiatrist and I would be in there crying and shaking.”
James detailed his struggle to stop taking anti-depressants, saying it took him a year to reduce his dosage to nothing.
He said he suffered panic attacks live on television due to the side effects of withdrawal.
The star also countered accusations he was trying to hide being gay by announcing his bisexuality.
He said: “I have never been gay. I have always found women attractive. I have a lot of gay friends and they would not like the idea of making love to a woman – I’m not like that.”
James has been linked to a string of celebrity females including former Spice Girl Halliwell, it girl Tara Palmer Tomkinson and ex-EastEnders star Martine McCutcheon.
He chose to come out in an interview with the News of the World last July, when he said he had had “loving relationships” with both men and women.
The singer said he had been surprised by the reaction he got from family, friends and fans.
He said: “I’d had in my head that everyone was going to leave me, no one was going to talk to me. When the story came out, the reaction I got was so positive.
“People I didn’t expect to contact me said lovely things and people were writing beautiful letters saying that I’d really helped them.”
