This from Daily Star today.

BURRELL CAMPS IT UP

Jungle Star Paul Burrel was on the edge last night as more gay slurs left him "bewildered". After dismissing gossip he minced about in a pink head scarf and tight vest.

Paul Burrel has admitted he is a "butler on the edge" after rumours inside and outside the camp that he is gay.

The married former royal servant is finding it increasingly difficult to deal with slurs about his sexuality. And his wife and children are refusing to comment on the situation claiming to be "bewildered" by the gossip. Yesterday, Burrel did little to play down the rumours, singing hits from musicals and dressing in a tight-fitting vest as he minced around in the jungle.

Later, he said "I get more and more confidence as time goes by and more of the real me will come out."

Outside the camp, Vic Reeves sparked controversy when he said: "I think Paul might be doing well down Old Compton Street when he gets out" referring to a famous gay hangout in London's Soho.

Back in the camp, Burrell faced a number of verbal attacks from Janet Street-Porter. As he sang I've Got You Under My Skin, she asked "You haven't released an album with Woolworths or something? I'm embarrassed. It makes me puke."

Later he showed off a holey T-shirt and his "boutique bandana". Janet said,"If anyone came up to me in a club wearing that I 'll make my excuses and leave." Forgetting the 10 million ITV viewers, Paul replied, "Listen, we're in the middle of the jungle. This is not to be worn outside. Nobody knows, nobody can see us."

Sitting by the fire, Paul broke into show tunes, Anything Goes, prompting Janet to reinterate a comment by Fran Cosgrave. "You will be on Attitude magazine. You'll be a gay icon" she told him. Fran later questioned Burrel's sexuality when he said "He's in good nick for a 47-year old man...he's a bit camp though." Moments later Burrell admitted he was "a butler on the edge" with regards to his personality and fears in the jungle.

But Burell has been camping it up. He was filmed miming to gay icon Barbra Streitsand's hit The Way We Were and admitted gay favourite the Wizard of Oz with Judy Garland was one of his favourite top films.

TV hosts Ant and Dec have been joined in, as Declan Donnelly giggled "Paul's great to watch. The only thing camper than him on the show is the camp fire." The innuendoes have stunned Paul's missus and their two sons, who dismissed the jokes as "silly banter".

What do you all think? Just camp or closet gay? I think he is bisexual, in my op.

does it really matter one way or the other though?


i quite like him, i really dont care about his sexuality.

I dont particularly think he has been acting exclusively gay. His singing seems a good way of passing the time. Musicals are very good for exagerrating expressions, whereas Sheila preferred agressive singing

I actually think they are being a bit old-fashion type stereotypical

I don't know and I don't care. Whatever his sexuality, that is a purely personal and private thing. If he says he is not gay then that should be that. If he is bixexual, transexual, homosexual or heterosexual - it is not a lifestyle choice but how he is and if he is choosing to live his life as a heterosexual married man with kids why do we have to analyse the way he behaves to prove he is living a lie. If he is, that is his problem to deal with, not ours.
You have to remember he is hated by all tabloids other than the Mirror because they didn't get his exclusive story and will slate him at all opportunities even though they would have loved him if they had got the story instead. They must be hating the fact that he is actually doing well on this programme and is popular - the Star would normally be doing a hatchet job on JSP (strong outspoken woman over 25 who doesn't show her body all the time, no thank you) but will happily side with anybody against Paul Burrell, probably even if Bin Laden and Sadam Hussein were in there too.
Who was the author this piece BTW?

I find it irritating that any man who is nice and considerate not bullying or aggresively "macho" is labelled "Gay". Not all heterosexual men are swearing lager louts who feel it necessary to flaunt their "maleness".

Quite the opposite in fact often "macho men" are afraid of their feminine side and insecure. Those most confident about their heterosexuality are not afraid to show their softer side.

As with onyx4 I don't care either way. What does it matter? I thought society had moved on. Possibly except for those with doubts about themselves - just a thought.

They really don't like him or the fact that he is becoming popular.

I suppose they are doing their best to slur his name yet again .... just like the uK police did ..... try to ruin a man, a great British tradition

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2385663.stm

He is a very likable guy and he is keeping me amused almost single-handedly. That's all I need to know.
Last edited by lulu g : 02-12-2004 at 12:12

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2385663.stm

He should never even have been in court

well said Jos.

IMHO, as far as I know, he is not gay and never has been. I dont see how they think he is camp either. Im especially surprised at Vic and Janet.

Fran is ok but in the end, he is trapped in obscurity by his own need to stay in the boundaries of machoness Robbie Williams can "camp" it up, for instance

Thanks Turnip.

I couldn't agree more

when I think back to Vic, he was posing around in his dress and wearing a cloak etc.

Who remembers The Artist Now Known As Prince in his camp days of fishnet stockings and cross dressing then?

His fans and the press were at each others' throats with the is he/he isn't gay/bisexual rows in the middle 1980s. But he is straighter than an arrow.

Peter Dyke - Daily Star Chief showbiz correspondent.

ironically the "camp" bit is the bit where he is expressing himself and endearing himself to us. He has that as a release.

Theres also the likes of "little Britain" and "league of gentlemen" etc, where the joke is that they are dressed as women.

Steve from x-factor would probably look camp if he was crooning in the jungle (yet he seems thuggish to me)

Mid 1980's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was 20 years ago. For goodness sake move on.

I remember the 60's when it was still illegal and everything that that entailed eg the Profumo affair etc. We don't want to go back to that.
Last edited by jos : 02-12-2004 at 12:17

And more importantly, is Sponge Bob Square Pants gay or not? We have a right to know.

No, but the Daily Star does!

Is the Wizard of Oz a "gay favourite"? If so, why?

I'm a middle aged married woman with 2 grown up sons.
I am now going to meet my girlfriends for lunch wearing denim jeans and a rugby top. Does this mean I have been living a lie all these years? Do I need to look inside myself to discover my true identity? Maybe I should experiment a little you never know!

Judy Garland.

Yes it is but I don't why. The same with Lisa Minnelli and Liz Taylor - haven't a clue I never understood the gay icon thing but then again I'm not gay so why should I, each to their own - live and let live and all that jazz.

Ah, poor Judy, *everyone* loves Judy Garland it's true.

I'm glad Paul isn't aware of yet another media attack.

The Wizard of Oz in particular hence the euphemism "friend of Dorothy".

And what is worse - being camp and straight or being sexy and gay? It must be very confusing to the Star and other tabloids who can't employ any gay people as journalism and media is not a profession that has any gays in it, obviously.

He's made of strong stuff, he must be to have survived taking on the establishment - and JSP taunts him with having had a privileged background. I don't think she has any idea what the guy has been through.