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

Back successful 1999, Eloy de Jong and the precocious Stephen Gately made past unneurotic arsenic the archetypal openly cheery boyband members - coming retired unneurotic arsenic a agreed front. And adjacent aft they broke up, Eloy "never forgot" his celebrated lover, who died astatine the tragically young property of 33.

The erstwhile mates were unneurotic for much than 3 years, having archetypal locked eyes astatine a performance successful Switzerland. Speaking antecedently with the Mirror, Eloy, who was calved successful The Hague, The Netherlands, remembered this "rollercoaster" courtship with the Boyzone star, revealing: “I retrieve it being truthful hard to fto our defender down due to the fact that we were not yet openly gay. Ronan [Keating] utilized to assistance america support things quiet. We had to beryllium clever astir the mode we hid our relationship.”

It soon became wide that their romance was serious, with the brace mounting up location unneurotic successful Amsterdam and exchanging golden committedness rings. Opening up astir these blessed years successful 2009, Eloy told us: “Those were large years. We had a canal vessel and utilized to conscionable permission our mobiles behind, permission each the madness and spell connected the boat. We loved cooking together. He ne'er ate capable vegetables, truthful I would marque him devour his greens. He utilized to sing and creation successful beforehand of me. He was truthful talented.”

In an epoch wherever comparatively fewer celebs came retired arsenic gay, however, the young mates faced assorted challenges - including the menace of tell-all stories.

After learning an acquaintance was acceptable to merchantability his communicative to the press, Boyzone prima Stephen decided to get up of the story, proudly telling The Sun that helium was "gay and successful love" with Eloy, who was champion known arsenic a vocalist successful Dutch boyband Caught In The Act. Showing unthinkable bravery that won praise from the public, Stephen said: "I wanted my fans to perceive the facts from maine and Eloy earlier anyone other got the accidental to people a twisted mentation of the truth. I anticipation the fans who person supported america from time 1 volition respect my honesty."

Just a fewer months later, lovestruck Stephen opened up astir what was to beryllium his archetypal superior narration successful a illustration portion penned in The Guardian. Expressing axenic adoration, Stephen declared: "He's six-foot-three, brownish eyes, brownish hair, 26 and precise kind. We've been going retired for 15 months, and he's perfectly cleanable for me. My household loves him."

This was a play of large joyousness and state for Stephen and Eloy, who were present capable to stock a edifice country aft having antecedently been forced to question separately to debar gossip. And fans cheered them connected each measurement of the way.

Like truthful galore thrilling archetypal loves, however, Eloy and Stephen's romance didn't past 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 pursuing connection astatine the time: "We're some heartbroken, but things conscionable weren't moving out. There's nary existent crushed - it conscionable fizzled out. It wasn't meant to be. There's nary 1 other involved, and we're some precise adjacent friends but not successful a relationship. We're precise sad."

Stephen went connected to find emotion again with net businessman Andrew Cowles, who helium was connected vacation with astatine the clip of his tragic decease successful October 2009. The mates had decided to instrumentality a month-long moving vacation successful the luxurious Majorcan edifice of Port d'Andratx, and had conscionable finished preparing their £1 cardinal vacation location erstwhile Stephen was recovered dormant connected the sofa.

It was aboriginal determined that Stephen died owed to a pulmonary oedema, primitively believed to beryllium the effect of an undiagnosed bosom condition. However, a post-mortem and toxicology study showed that, portion Stephen did so dice of earthy causes, his decease had yet been caused by a congenital bosom defect.

The quality near the world of popular successful shock, and for Eloy, the nonaccomplishment was unfathomable. Speaking candidly with the Mirror astatine the time, heartbroken Eloy told of however helium called Stephen's mobile aft his death, conscionable to perceive his dependable 1 last time.

Eloy, present 51, shared: “I rang him, and it went to voicemail, but I didn’t get his voice. He didn’t person a connection acceptable up. I wanted to perceive him. Just 1 past time.” He added: “The last clip I spoke to Stephen was past twelvemonth [2008]. He rang maine for a catch-up. I can’t judge we’ll ne'er talk again. It’s truthful sad. He was truthful young. I’ll ne'er forget."

In 2016, up of the Caught successful the Act reunion tour, Eloy spoke with Ticketcorner about his and Stephen's milestone coming-out journey. He reflected: "My begetter was ever against gays erstwhile I was a child. And past I joined this lad set wherever the absorption said determination were nary gays successful the band.

"That wasn't supportive. That's wherefore I came retired with my fellow astatine the time, Stephen Gately from Boyzone, and I person a batch of records and awards astatine home, but my state is the astir precious happening to me."

Eloy went connected to invited a small miss named Indy with his spouse Ibo successful 2011, but, tragically, their joyousness was mixed with sorrow. The mates had been expecting to bring location twins, but Indy's member Milon lived conscionable 5 hours aft his birth.

Opening up successful an interrogation with Bild, Eloy said: "So we came location and had a commencement down america and a ceremonial up of us. Milon was buried successful a children's cemetery successful Utrecht. It was a heavy symptom successful our hearts. It was truthful bad, but important. The astir important happening is to talk. Ibo's and my narration has go stronger due to the fact that of it."

Explaining however helium inactive talks to young Indy astir her brother, Eloy continued: "We ever archer her, 'your member is simply a prima successful the sky.' It is important that we bash not hide him. Our prima kid is besides portion of the family."

In his interrogation with Tickercorner, Eloy besides spoke astir raising Indy arsenic a household portion of 2 fathers and a mother. He divulged: There's a lad astatine Indy's schoolhouse who has 2 mothers. That helps. And the children who spell to schoolhouse with Indy each deliberation it's large and spell to their parents and say: 'Why don't I person 2 dads?' - It's each rather mean for them. I anticipation it volition beryllium adjacent much accepted successful the future. We person a batch of emotion to springiness our girl and unrecorded similar a mean family. Half the clip she is with america and the different fractional with her mother.

He added: "It's amusive for her: she tin bash arts and crafts and navigator unneurotic with a daddy, that's me, and she tin bash sports activities with my spouse Ibo."

Eloy and Ibo, who person been unneurotic for much than 15 years, cancelled their wedding aft the decease of their son, arsenic per tz, and though they stay successful a committed relationship, they person yet to necktie the knot.

You tin ticker Boyzone: No Matter What connected Sky from February 2 onwards

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