Love Island’s Curtis Pritchard is ‘pressured’ to label himself bisexual in ‘uncomfortable’ GMB interview as LGBT charity brand line of questioning ‘extremely unhelpful’
- Curtis was repeatedly asked whether he is bisexual in an interview with Adil Ray and Kate Garraway on Thursday’s Good Morning Britain
- Viewers claimed the questions were ‘ridiculous’ and they found the interview ‘uncomfortable’
- LGBT charity Stonewall told MailOnline that speculating about sexuality is ‘extremely unhelpful and needs to stop’
- The Love Island star, 23, admitted he is ‘open to dating men’ earlier this week
- Curtis is currently dating fellow Islander Maura Higgins, 28
Curtis Pritchard was praised by fans for answering ‘ridiculous’ questions during an ‘uncomfortable’ interview about his sexuality.
The Love Island star, 23, was grilled by Thursday’s Good Morning Britain hosts Adil Ray and Kate Garraway about his recent comments that he ‘won’t rule out’ having a relationship with a man in the future.
Viewers were left shocked by the barrage of questions, in which the hosts asked Curtis outright if he is bisexual, despite the star – who is dating Maura Higgins – revealing that he doesn’t wish to ‘label’ himself.
Grilled: Curtis Pritchard was praise by fans for answering ‘ridiculous’ questions during an ‘uncomfortable’ interview about his sexuality on Thursday’s Good Morning Britain
LGBT charity Stonewall also condemned the line of questioning as they revealed that ‘speculating about a person’s sexual orientation is extremely unhelpful and needs to stop.’
Adil, who is standing in for Piers Morgan over the summer holidays, asked the ballroom dancer to clarify his comments about being open to a same-sex relationship, questioning: ‘Are you saying you are bisexual?’
Curtis mused: ‘I think the future is a road which is unwritten. No one can say what will happen, I never want to label what the future is going to be.’
Lavishing praise on his girlfriend, Curtis continued: ‘I am 100 percent comfortable in my relationship with Maura and it’s moving in the correct direction.
Under fire: Hosts Adil Ray and Kate Garraway about his recent comments that he ‘won’t rule out’ having a relationship with a man in the future
‘I’m not labelling anything because I don’t feel like I need to label anything. So many people say things like, ‘my heads not going to be turned’, but then things change – I learnt this from the villa actually! – they change their mind.
‘That’s why I’m not labelling anything because things change.’
Not letting the matter drop, Adil asked again if he identified as bisexual, claiming that bisexual men may find his choice of wording confusing.
Curtis responded: ‘I don’t feel like I’m going to label anything, because I think that is the wrong thing to do.’
Questioning: Adil, who is standing in for Piers Morgan over the summer holidays, asked the ballroom dancer to clarify his comments, questioning: ‘Are you saying you are bisexual?’
The Dancing With The Stars professional was then asked to discuss his friendship with men in the villa, particularly his ‘bromance’ with Tommy Fury leading to the hosts to question if he was romantically interested in any of his friends.
Keeping his cool, Curtis replied: ‘Look, I’m a man’s man. I like company around guys. I like to have guy friends.
‘We had that initial connection, I’m not saying the villa is a trauma but you go through a traumatic time even though it’s amazing traumatic and we were there for each other.’
Adil later praised Curtis for discussing his sexuality, exclaiming: ‘It’s fantastic. I admire your honesty, talking about your own personal situation on your own terms, I think that’s quite refreshing.’
No labels: Curtis mused, ‘I think the future is a road which is unwritten. No one can say what will happen, I never want to label what the future is going to be’
Viewers were shocked by the direct line of questioning, claiming Curtis was being ‘pressured’ by the hosts and that it was ‘no one else’s business’ how he identified.
Outraged fans tweeted: ‘Curtis handled himself well there , answering the presenters ridiculous questions #GMB’
‘This is honestly so boring. Who cares if Curtis (in the future) wants to have a relationship with a man? Why is he essentially being forced to label his sexuality?! He’s in a relationship with a girl, let him get on with his life. #GoodMorningBritain #GMB’;
Confused: Not letting the matter drop, Adil asked again if he identified as bisexual, claiming that bisexual men may find his choice of wording confusing
No need: Curtis responded, ‘I don’t feel like I’m going to label anything, because I think that is the wrong thing to do’
”Why should Curtis label his sexuality?! Shame on the presenters for pressuring him so much! You want him to label himself so it’s easier for you to understand! #gmb’;
‘Who cares if #loveisland Curtis likes men and women. That is his choice and no one else’s business. Bit annoyed with #gmb trying to get him to confirm it. FFS! Get back to the real news!’;
‘Anyone else feel like the presenters are trying to force Curtis to say he is bisexual? leave him alone, this is really uncomfortable #gmb #goodmorningbritain’;
”Do you think you’re bisexual’ Curtis, ‘It’s none of your f***ing business’ #GMB How dare you try and force that from someone @kategarraway’.
Shocked: Vewers were left shocked by the barrage of questions asking Curtis outright if he is bisexual, despite the star revealing that he doesn’t wish to ‘label’ himself
The LGBT charity Stonewall also lambasted the line of questioning, stating that no one should feel under pressure to come out.
Jeff Ingold, Head of Media Engagement, Stonewall UK told MailOnline: ‘Speculating about a person’s sexual orientation is extremely unhelpful and needs to stop.
‘No one should ever feel pressured to come out and questioning people is not how we create an environment where those in the public eye feel comfortable being open about who they are.
‘Coming out must always be a personal decision. It’s also worth remembering that coming out as bi can be extremely difficult.’
Cute couple: Currently, Curtis is loved up with fellow Islander Maura Higgins, 28, with the pair finishing in fourth place during the Love Island final last month
He continued: ‘Stonewall research shows that almost half of bi men (46 per cent) and a quarter of bi women (26 per cent) aren’t open about their sexual orientation to anyone in their family, compared to 10 per cent of gay men and just five per cent of lesbians.
‘While having visible LGBT role models can have a hugely positive impact, especially for young LGBT people, we don’t yet live in a society that is accepting of everyone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
‘That’s why it’s so important we work together to build a world where all LGBT people are accepted without exception.’
Bromance: The Dancing With The Stars professional was then asked to discuss his friendship with men in the villa, particularly his ‘bromance’ with Tommy Fury
The GMB hosts’ queries stemmed from an interview Curtis gave earlier in the week, when he admitted he ‘won’t rule out’ having a relationship with a man in the future because ‘you can’t put a label on anything’.
The younger brother of Strictly Come Dancing professional AJ Pritchard, told The Sun: ‘I’ve been with women and I’m with a woman now. You can never put a label on anything. It’s a cliché to say, but love is blind.
‘I can never ever say what will happen in the future. I wouldn’t rule anything out.’
Curtis’ mother Debi previously addressed her son’s sexuality after he kissed Tommy on the lips in the Love Island villa.
She told OK! magazine at the time: ‘Curtis is comfortable enough in his sexuality to be confident in expressing himself. It doesn’t matter how other people perceive it.
‘Everyone questions everything. It’s sadly the way the world is evolving, but you just have to accept people as they are.’
His brother AJ also told the magazine: ‘It’s 2019. He can kiss Tommy on the lips. For us, it’s always about being happy.
‘You don’t have to question what you’ve done as long as you’re happy in that moment.’
Love Island: Curtis’ mother Debi previously addressed her son’s sexuality after he kissed Tommy on the lips in the Love Island villa
Currently, Curtis is loved up with fellow Islander Maura, 28, with the pair finishing in fourth place during the Love Island final last month.
Discussing their relationship later in his GMB interview, the reality star was quick to praise their ‘amazing’ sex life whilst revealing that she is ‘comfortable and happy’ with his revelation about his sexuality.
‘Everything is going 100 percent on track and amazing’, he enthused. ‘Extracurricular activities may have occurred… it was recent.
‘I feel like we’ve got closer and closer since leaving the villa. we can do the normal things, go on a walk, listen to music, go on a little date.’
Smitten: Lavishing praise on his girlfriend, Curtis continued: ‘I am 100 percent comfortable in my relationship with Maura and it’s moving in the correct direction’
Source: Read Full Article