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Olly Alexander reveals what happened when he started using Grindr

The Years & Years singer has opened up about dating in the public eye.

By Fabio Crispim

Olly Alexander has revealed what happened when he began using Grindr.

The Years & Years frontman has opened up about the reality of dating as a celebrity, revealing that he tried to use gay dating apps only to discover they weren’t what he had expected. 

Speaking to GQ, Alexander recalled how he he began using Grindr towards the end of 2016 after becoming “newly single”. 

When asked if dating is hard for him, Alexander said: “When I was newly single, I downloaded Grindr because I’d been in relationships or I’d been in the band.” 

“I couldn’t have Grindr, but then I was like, ‘Wait, but why the f*ck can’t I have Grindr? I want to have this experience.’ You know? So I downloaded it and I was on it, and then it was just weird because people would think I was catfishing myself, which was kind of a head f*ck.” 

He continued: “Grindr has some great things about it, but it also has a lot of negatives, and it’s just very hard to trust anybody.

“It just feels like this meat market of dick picks and sex positions. ‘Are you a top or bottom?'”

The 27-year-old singer continued: “It does kind of depress me a bit, even though I love to hook up as much as the next guy. It’s good for that, but people would think I was catfishing myself, or they’d be like, ‘Oh, I’m such a big fan,’ and that’s kind of a turn off, so it didn’t go super well for me.”

Olly also touched on his latest single ‘Sanctify’, which he previously revealed was about his experiences with straight guys

In the interview, Alexander claimed that straight men “gravitate” towards him.

He said: “It’s weird because I’ve almost found myself having these encounters with straight guys and find myself playing this saint and sinner role, or like this angel and devil, because I’m leading them down the path of ‘sinful gayness,’ but also I’m helping them satisfy the sexual desire that they feel they can’t get anywhere else.”