Blue member Duncan James is currently smitten with his toyboy boyfriend – but his love life hasn’t always been a walk in the park.
The singer, 46, shot to fame back in the 2000s as a member of chart-topping boy band, Blue. The four-piece group went on to become one of the most successful UK bands, with sales of over 15 million records worldwide.
Since his boyband days, Duncan has kept himself busy – from stints on MasterChef and Dancing on Ice to even turning his hand to acting in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.
However, it’s fair to say Duncan, who came out as gay in 2012, has had a somewhat wild love. But which bandmate was he rumoured to have a fling with? And who is Duncan dating now? Keep reading to find out…
Blue star Duncan James ‘dated’ Geri Halliwell
In 2022, Duncan revealed he used to pretend to date Geri Halliwell back in the day, as he was scared of coming out. During the height of band Blue’s fame, Duncan hid his sexuality. As well as Ginger Spice, Duncan was linked to the likes of Martine McCutcheon and Tara Palmer-Tompkinson.
Everyone was celebrating their sexuality and I was still in the closet.
Speaking to The Mirror, he opened up about the lengths he went to in covering up his true feelings.
He said: “I remember when I was in Blue the first time around, there were all these rumours I was dating my friends Geri, Martine and Tara. And I used to feel relieved.”
Duncan added: “I was playing Pride with Blue and feeling such a hypocrite. Because everyone was celebrating their sexuality and I was still in the closet.”
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Duncan James shares daughter with model ex
Duncan James’ previous girlfriend was Claire Grainger and the pair met before he rose to fame with Blue in 2001.
The singer and Claire appeared on the same episode of the TV chat show, The Time The Place with John Stapleton. At the time, Duncan was in a boyband called Volume Five and Claire was in a Spice Girls tribute act.
According to the singer, he and Claire dated for around a year, and then met up “randomly” after a Manchester gig with the band.
“We had a few drinks. And had a bit of a fun time together,” he once explained. Duncan added: “And three months later, I get a phone call saying: ‘I’m pregnant.’
“And I was like: ‘Oh my God.’ I was just going through the whole: ‘Am I gay? Am I straight? Am I bi?’ I didn’t know what was going on with me. And then all of a sudden I get a phone call saying you’re going to be a dad.”
Their daughter Tianie-Finn James was born in 2005 and is now 19 years old.
Duncan James comes out after ‘living a lie’
In 2009, Duncan initially came out as bisexual. The singer, who had a secret boyfriend, then privately came out in 2012 to bandmate Simon Webbe as gay, before he told his mum.
He told OK! magazine: “I was sobbing and I sat her down and said: ‘Remember my friend Pete? I’ve been in love with him. He’s been my secret boyfriend.’ She said: ‘You’re gay? I thought you were going to say you had cancer!'”
While on Loose Women in 2021, he revealed that coming out as gay was the “best thing he ever did” after years of “living a lie”.
Duncan shared: “For me it was a really hard thing to do to come out, coming from a boyband, a world where you have a lot of female fans. There was a lot of pressure from the record company, I didn’t want to let the boys down so I kept my mouth shut.”
Duncan shuts down fling rumours with Blue bandmate
In 2014, Duncan’s Blue co-member Lee Ryan appeared on Celebrity Big Brother where he let slip a saucy confession. Chatting to his fellow housemates, he shared that he had previously “been with a man”.
Lee had previously reportedly told Now magazine in 2010: “Me and Duncan had threesomes! We did some crazy [bleep] with each other. And I’m a bit camp sometimes.”
However, following his confession on Big Brother, newspapers later claimed that the Blue singer had “been intimate” with his pal Duncan.
Nonetheless, Duncan shut down the claims and tweeted at the time: “Still laughing at this morning’s claims. Everyone knows about the threesomes but it’s never gone beyond that. I mean I love Lee but not THAT much.”
Duncan James finds love with Brazilian toyboy
Since 2019, Duncan has been in a long-term relationship with his younger beau Rodrigo Reis, 29. The pair met after Duncan was looking for love on First Dates Hotel.
Speaking to OK! he said: “Rodrigo is such a lovely boy. He’s just so smiley, happy, with lovely energy. He’s met my daughter and they really get on, so it’s just fantastic.
“I didn’t identify as gay for many years because of my issues with coming out, but finally I’m happy in my skin and this guy makes me proud to be gay.”
And due to Rodrigo growing up in Brazil, he had no idea who Duncan, or Blue was prior to them meeting. During an episode of Loose Women in 2021, both Duncan and Rodrigo made an appearance to talk about their romance.
“In Brazil, where I am from, they’re not so famous,” Rodrigo revealed.
Watch Duncan James on The Weakest Link on Saturday (May 11) from 5:35pm on BBC.
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