Boyzone stars honoured by gay campaigners

Boyzone have been honoured by gay campaign group Stonewall for the late Stephen Gately's contribution to raising awareness. The band were named Entertainers of the Year at Stonewall's annual awards event at London's Victoria and Albert Museum in Kensington.
Gately died last month of natural causes while on holiday in Majorca as the band prepared to work together again.
His partner Andrew Cowles, with whom he was in a civil partnership, collected the award of their behalf.
The judges took account of Gately's "brave decision to come out" at the height of the band's success.
They also noted that the band "made pop history with their video featuring a same `sex couple a year ago".

At coffin vigil 'in pieces' to Boyzone

Spending the night with Stephen Gately's coffin made Boyzone "fall to pieces".
The Irish boyband have broken their silence over the sudden and unexpected death of Stephen last month, and described the night they spent alone with him at church ahead of his funeral on October 17.
Lead singer Ronan Keating told Sky News: "To turn up on the Friday night at the funeral home was the hardest thing I think I've ever had to do in my life. And I think all the lads feel the same, I know they do.
"When I walked into the funeral home I just crumbled. I fell to pieces. It was there that I realised he was gone, ly gone."
Ronan and band members Shane Lynch, Keith Duffy and Mikey Graham had accompanied Stephen's body from Majorca, where he was staying in his holiday home with husband Andy Cowley when he died after a night out aged 33.
They then took the unusual move of staying with his body overnight at St Laurence O'Toole's church in Dublin, where the funeral was held, because they didn't want Stephen to be alone.
Ronan added: "All of us are so happy that we did it. It was our last real night together as a five-piece, and it felt like that - it felt like we were quiet.
"We lay on the floor to the left of the coffin in our sleeping bags and we cried and we laughed and we could hear him telling us jokes and answering back, what he would say back.
"We didn't get much sleep - a little bit but that's not what it was about - it was just about spending time with Steve and we knew Steve well. He didn't like the dark, he didn't like being on his own."
The band also revealed Stephen had already recorded vocals for two tracks wich will be included on their next album.

Boyzone singer: Stephen Gately’s will missing

The will of Irish boy band star Stephen Gately is nowhere to be found.
The singer Boyzone, who died at the age of 33 from an acute pulmonary oedema at his holiday home in Majorca on October 10, left behind a £7.2 million ($12 million) fortune.
The hunt is now on to find the document, his family on thursday which was supposed to be unveiled.
His civil partner Andrew Cowles, 32, has been told the will is safe in the hands of a London based law firm, but he doesn't know which lawyer has the copy of the last wishes.
A source close to Cowles told Ireland’s Daily Mirror newspaper: “It actually is panic stations. They can’t locate Stephen’s will anywhere. Nobody from the firm has got in touch with him to say they have it. Everything is up in the air now.”

Gately died a 'natural death' to Boyzone singer: autopsy

PALMA DE MAJORCA, Spain (AFP) – An autopsy on Boyzone singer Stephen Gately revealed that he died due to excess fluid in his lungs, a court spokeswoman on the Spanish island of Majorca said Tuesday.
"He died a natural death of acute pulmonary oedema" which had nothing to do with any consumption of alcohol or drugs, said the spokeswoman in the Majorcan capital of Palma.
A pulmonary oedema, or water on the lungs, can be due to either the failure of the heart to remove fluid from the lungs or direct damage to the lung tissue.
Gately, 33, was found dead on Saturday in his apartment in the Majorcan town of Port Andratx while on holiday on the Mediterranean island. News reports said he had been out late the night before.
His body is now at a chapel of rest in the Majorcan town of Calvia, from where it will be flown to Dublin on Friday.
Cowley, who married his partner Andrew Cowles in a civil union in 2006, sent ripples through the pop music world 10 years ago when he announced that he was gay.
Gately joined the Irish pop band Boyzone in 1993 after answering an advert in Dublin for an audition.
The band went on to enjoy huge success with six number one singles in Britain, but split up in 2000.
They reunited seven years later, but their current 19-date Better tour failed to fill stadiums, despite offers of free tickets.
Gately also starred in West End musicals in London, including "Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat".

Lead tributes to Gately Beyzone

Boyzone led tributes to their "friend and brother" Stephen Gately, saying he was a "beautiful person in both body and spirit".
Stars of the music world, Sir Elton John and Andrew Lloyd Webber including, praised the 33 year old singer, calling his "untimely death" in Majorca a "tragedy".
Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch said: "We are completely devastated by the loss of our friend and brother, Stephen. We have shared such excellent times together over the years and were all looking forward to sharing many more."
They continued: "Stephen was a beautiful he had all over the world. Our love and sympathy go out to Andrew and Stephen's family. We love you and will miss you forever 'Steo'."
Sir Elton said: "David (Furnish) and I are stunned by thisin both bodies of Stephen person in both body and spirit. He lit up our lives and those of the many friends tragedy. Stephen was the kindest, gentlest soul. We send our love and condolences to his partner Andy and to all his friends everywhere."
And musical impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber added that Gately was "enormously talented". "I very much enjoyed working with him on Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and the Boyzone hit No Matter What my biggest selling single," he said. "His death is a great loss to the musical world."
Phillip Schofield, who also played Joseph in the West End production, wrote on Twitter: "My God. What terrible news to wake up to. Poor Stephen. My deepest condolences to his friends family and fans. He was a actually lovely guy".
Westlife band members Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Nicky Byrne and Shane Filan said Gately was "friendly, positive spirit and a passionate performer".
Boyzone manager Louis Walsh's spokeswoman said he was "very shocked and exceptionally upset" and he had pulled out of the X Factor live finals.
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, whose daughter Georgina is married to Nicky Byrne of boyband Westlife, told the BBC's Andrew Marr show: "It's just such a tragedy.Boyzone and Stephen, they've all been part of Irish life and far wider than that, the last 15 years, and so successful, so it's a huge, huge tragedy. It's so sad."

Jenny-Lee battles painful injury

TOP model Jenny Lee Masterson is recovering from a painful injury after her charity trek to Peru.
The ambitious climb saw her and a pair of celebs including Boyzone's Mikey Graham and Keith Duffy, climb Machu Picchu in aid of Autism Action.
The Diary has learned the Assets beauty is recently seeking medical help for a case of shin splints and says if it weren't for her personal trainer, Paul Byrne, who was also on the trip, she would be out of action for months.
Jenny Lee paid tribute to Paul's quick thinking and medical knowledge which saved her from having to quit the trip.
According to the catwalk queen: "My shins got the better of me unfortunately. I got a bad case of shin splints during the week.
"Luckily Paul was there and he showed me what stretches to do and how to avoid it getting really bad.
"I was freaking out for a while because I had made it so far, I actually didn't want to have to get on the back of a horse and go back down.
"A couple of people got altitude sickness but luckily most of us were fine and made it to the top," she said.
Jenny Lee has also just been cast in a new Irish film called My Angel which will see her starring alongside Robbie Walsh.

Few Surprises with X Factor's Final 12 are Selected

It was no surprise to see the likes of Jamie Archer, Danyl Johnson and Lucie Jones sail into the final 12 this week on X Factor. However, are Edward and John (pictured at right), Simon's "vile little creatures," really another Boyzone in disguise as Louis suggests? Does everyone love Olly Murs enough that he has a serious chance? Regardless of what your opinion is of who made it through and who got eliminated, this was a wonder double header of high drama TV for X Factor resulting in a powerhouse lineup of talent left to carry on. These are the 12 remaining finalists:
Boys - Mentor Cheryl Cole
Lloyd Daniels
Rikki Loney
Joe McElderry
Girls - Mentor Dannii Minogue
Rachel Addedeji
Lucie Jones
Stacey Solomon
Over 25s - Mentor Simon Cowell
Jamie Archer
Danyl Johnson
Olly Murs
Groups - Mentor Louis Walsh
John and Edward
Kandy Rain
Miss Frank