Michael: ‘Reaction to Daley coming out is hugely encouraging’

George Michael has said that he finds the media’s reaction to Tom Daley coming out “hugely encouraging”.

The Olympic diver made a low-key YouTube video last December in which he revealed he is in a relationship with a man. Michael, famously, was outed in 1998 when he was arrested for “engaging in a lewd act” at a public restroom in Los Angeles.

Asked by the Daily Mail if he would have preferred a more “carefully choreographed” coming out like Daley, the singer replied: “No, not really. It was what it was. Although it obviously wasn’t planned that way, I just didn’t happen to come out openly until after my mother died.”

Michael then added: “In a way, though, it was for the best because I’m pretty sure the papers would have attacked me, and I think that would have hurt her. But Tom hasn’t had that kind of problem, and as a gay man I find that hugely encouraging.”

George Michael releases his new album Symphonica, which mainly contains live versions of songs from his 2011-12 concert tour of the same name, tomorrow (March 14).

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