Duncan James opens up candidly about dating men while in the public eye
Blue singer Duncan James will open about dating a man in the public eye in an episode of Channel 4’s First Dates Hotel.
The 41-year-old came out as bisexual in 2009 before identifying as gay in 2014, which he later said was the “best thing he ever did”.
First Fates Hotel sees two people paired up for a blind date, but the twist is that the potential lovebirds are staying at an Italian resort, the Aquapetra Resort & Spa.
After wining and dining, the pair can extend their stay at the hotel by another night, or pack their suitcases and are carted back home.
In a clip shown on morning talkshow Lorraine earlier today, Duncan lounges on a sunbed and tells a fellow guest that he’s “ready to meet someone special”.
Singer Duncan James tells First Dates Hotel viewers his nervousness over dating a man in the public eye. (Screen capture via ITV)
He then tells viewers: “I’ve never openly gone out there in the public eye and dated a guy. I’ve always been very private.
“So this is a big, huge step for me.”
Duncan James cuddles up to boyfriend in summer sun.
First Dates Hotel was filmed earlier this year around May.
But James may have actually have found love since and has indeed experienced having a boyfriend in the public eye.
His first public boyfriend was Rodrigo Reis. The two regularly post pictures cosying up nose-to-nose with one another after a sun-splashed summer romance.
The actor took to Instagram in July to share the first photograph of himself and Reis in Belgium. The internet collectively went “aw” as a result.
“Cute pic alert,” he wrote. “Such a beautiful person inside and out. Thankyou @rodrigolopesreis for making me smile.”
James, following an outpouring of support for the pair later gushed in a tweet: “I posted this pic on my Insta yesterday & couldn’t get over the amazing response, comments and love from people.
“I didn’t identify as a gay man for many years because of my own issues with coming out, but finally I’m happy in my skin & this guy next 2 me makes me proud 2 be gay.”
