Boyzone star Stephen Gateley’s ex-boyfriend’s life now – from baby tragedy to heartbreaking phone call

Eloy de Jong and Stephen Gately, the first openly gay boyband members, came out as a single force in 1999, making history as the first to do so. And even after they broke up, Eloy “never forgot” his famous lover, who died at the tragically young age of 33.

The former couple first had eyes for each other at a concert in Switzerland after being together for more than three years. Speaking previously with the Mirror, Eloy, who was born in The Hague, The Netherlands, remembered this “rollercoaster” courtship with the Boyzone star, revealing: “I remember it being so difficult to let our guard down because we were not yet openly gay. Ronan]Keating] used to help us keep things quiet. We had to be clever about the way we hid our relationship”.

The pair exchanged gold commitment rings and soon it became clear that their romance was serious. They eventually settled in Amsterdam and moved back together. Opening up about these happy years in 2009, Eloy told us: “Those were great years. We used to just leave our phones behind, get out of the madness, and go on the canal boat. We loved cooking together. He never ate enough vegetables, so I would make him eat his greens. In front of me, he used to dance and sing. He was so talented”.

The young couple faced a number of difficulties, including the threat of tell-all stories, in a time when there were comparatively few celebrities who publicly acknowledged being gay.

Boyzone star Stephen decided to get ahead of the situation after learning that an acquaintance had been hired to sell his story to the press. He proudly told The Sun that he was “gay and in love” with Eloy, who was best known as a singer in Dutch boyband Caught In The Act. Stephen praised the public for his incredible bravery, saying, “I wanted my fans to hear the truth before anyone else had the opportunity to publish a twisted version of the truth.” I hope my honesty will be respected by the fans who have backed us since day one.

Lovestruck Stephen made an announcement about what would turn out to be his first serious relationship in a profile piece for The Guardian a few months later. Expressing pure adoration, Stephen declared: “He’s six-foot-three, brown eyes, brown hair, 26 and very kind. We’ve been going out for 15 months, and he’s absolutely perfect for me. My family loves him”.

After previously being forced to travel independently to avoid gossip, Stephen and Eloy were able to now share a hotel room. And the entire way, the fans cheered them on.

Like so many thrilling first loves, however, Eloy and Stephen’s romance didn’t last forever, and by January 2002, they had parted ways, with Stephen returning to his hometown of Dublin.

As per the Irish Examiner, Stephen issued the following statement at the time: “We’re both heartbroken, but things just weren’t working out. There’s no real reason – it just fizzled out. It wasn’t meant to be. There’s no one else involved, and we’re both very close friends but not in a relationship. We’re very sad”.

Andrew Cowles, an internet businessman, and Stephen found love again when he tragically passed away in October 2009 in Perth. When Stephen was discovered slumped on the couch, the couple had made the decision to take a month-long work trip to Port d’Andratx, a prestigious Majorcan resort, to spend the night.

Later, it was discovered that Stephen passed away from a pulmonary oedema, which was initially thought to be the result of an undiagnosed heart condition. However, a post-mortem and toxicology report showed that, while Stephen did indeed die of natural causes, his death had ultimately been caused by a congenital heart defect.

The news left the world of pop in shock, and for Eloy, the loss was unfathomable. Eloy, who was speaking honestly to the Mirror at the time, described how he would call Stephen’s cell phone after his passing only to hear his voice once more.

Eloy, now 51, shared: “I rang him, and it went to voicemail, but I didn’t get his voice. He didn’t have a message set up. I wished I could hear him. Just one last time”. He added: “The final time I spoke to Stephen was last year]2008]. He rang me for a catch-up. I can’t believe we’ll never speak again. It’s so sad. He was so young. I’ll never forget”.

In 2016, ahead of the Caught in the Act reunion tour, Eloy spoke with Ticketcorner about his and Stephen’s milestone coming-out journey. He reflected: “My father was always against gays when I was a child. The management of this boy band later said there were no gay members, so I joined the group.

” That wasn’t supportive. I had many records and awards at home, but my freedom is what I value most, so I came out with my boyfriend at the time, Stephen Gately from Boyzone.

Eloy went on to welcome a little girl named Indy with his partner Ibo in 2011, but, tragically, their joy was mixed with sorrow. Although the couple had anticipated having twins, Milon’s brother Indy lived just five hours after his birth.

Eloy said, “We came home, had a birth behind us, and had a funeral ahead of us,” in an interview with Bild. Milon was buried in a children’s cemetery in Utrecht. It was a deep pain in our hearts. It was so bad, but important. Talking is what is most crucial. Because of it, my relationship with Bobby and Ibo has strengthened.

Explaining how he still talks to young Indy about her brother, Eloy continued:” We always tell her, ‘ your brother is a star in the sky. ‘ We must remember him at all times. Our star child is also part of the family. “

Eloy also discussed raising Indy as a family unit that includes a mother and two fathers in his interview with Tickercorner. He divulged: There’s a boy at Indy’s school who has two mothers. That helps. And the kids who attend Indy’s school all agree with it, and they go to their parents and ask, “Why don’t I have two dads?” – It’s all quite normal for them. In the future, I’m hoping it will be accepted even more. Our daughter and we are very lucky to have her and to live in harmony. She spends the majority of her time with her mother and the other half with us.

He added:” It’s fun for her: she can do arts and crafts and cook together with a daddy, that’s me, and she can do sports activities with my partner Ibo. “

Eloy and Ibo, who have been together for more than 15 years, cancelled their wedding after the death of their son, as per tz, and although they remain in a committed relationship, they have yet to tie the knot.

You can watch Boyzone: No Matter What on Sky from February 2 onwards

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Source: Mirror