Olly Alexander reveals he was warned not to come out in his twenties
"It was terrible advice then," the singer said in a new interview
By Aaron Sugg
Musician, actor and Attitude cover star Olly Alexander has opened up about the controversial moment he was advised to hide his sexuality early in his career.
Rising to fame as the lead singer of the English pop band Years & Years, the 35-year-old recalled being warned by a media adviser not to come out in his twenties.
Speaking to Tatler, Olly said: “You’d never give that advice now, and it was terrible advice then.
“I knew it was never really going to be an option for me, but it did feel like a fork-in-the-road moment.”
“I didn’t really come out to my mum until I was about 20” – Olly Alexander on advise to stay in the closet
In an exclusive interview with Attitude in 2017, Alexander also spoke about coming out to his parents: “I didn’t really come out to my mum until I was about 20,” he said.
“I had moved to London when I was 18, as soon as I had enough money to do that. I talked to my mum over the phone and I told her I was gay, and she was like, ‘Yeah, that makes sense, that’s cool.’”
“I’m so proud I got to do it” – Olly Alexander on Eurovision 2025
As well as his music career, Alexander became a household name after starring in the BAFTA-nominated series It’s a Sin in 2021, and more recently for representing the UK at Eurovision 2024.
Reflecting on his 18th-place finish at the world’s biggest song contest, he said: “Now that I’ve had a bit of time away, I’m so proud I got to do it.”
Since Eurovision, Olly has released Polari, his first album under his own name… truly an independent king.
Now, he is stepping back into acting. No, not for It’s a Sin season 2 (we wish), but on to the West End stage.
The ‘Desire’ singer will play Algernon Moncrieff in Max Webster’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest this September.