Boyzone star Stephen Gateley's ex-boyfriend's life now - from baby tragedy to heartbreaking phone call

Back in 1999, Eloy de Jong and the late Stephen Gately made history together as the first openly gay boyband members - coming out together as a united front. And even after they broke up, Eloy "never forgot" his famous lover, who died at the tragically young age of 33.

The former couple were together for more than three years, having first locked eyes at a concert in Switzerland. Speaking previously with the Mirror, Eloy, who was born in The Hague, The Netherlands, remembered this "rollercoaster" courtship with the Boyzone star, revealing: “I remember it being so difficult to let our guard down because we were not yet openly gay. Ronan [Keating] used to help us keep things quiet. We had to be clever about the way we hid our relationship.”

It soon became clear that their romance was serious, with the pair setting up home together in Amsterdam and exchanging gold commitment rings. Opening up about these happy years in 2009, Eloy told us: “Those were great years. We had a canal boat and used to just leave our mobiles behind, leave all the madness and go on the boat. We loved cooking together. He never ate enough vegetables, so I would make him eat his greens. He used to sing and dance in front of me. He was so talented.”

In an era where relatively few celebs came out as gay, however, the young couple faced various challenges - including the threat of tell-all stories.

After learning an acquaintance was set to sell his story to the press, Boyzone star Stephen decided to get ahead of the story, proudly telling The Sun that he was "gay and in love" with Eloy, who was best known as a singer in Dutch boyband Caught In The Act. Showing incredible bravery that won praise from the public, Stephen said: "I wanted my fans to hear the facts from me and Eloy before anyone else got the chance to publish a twisted version of the truth. I hope the fans who have supported us from day one will respect my honesty."

Just a few months later, lovestruck Stephen opened up about what was to be his first serious relationship in a profile piece penned in The Guardian. Expressing pure adoration, Stephen declared: "He's six-foot-three, brown eyes, brown hair, 26 and very kind. We've been going out for 15 months, and he's absolutely perfect for me. My family loves him."

This was a period of great joy and freedom for Stephen and Eloy, who were now able to share a hotel room after having previously been forced to travel separately to avoid gossip. And fans cheered them on every step of the way.

Like so many thrilling first loves, however, Eloy and Stephen's romance didn't last forever, and by January 2002, they had parted ways, with Stephen returning to his hometown of Dublin.

As per the Irish Examiner, Stephen issued the following statement at the time: "We're both heartbroken, but things just weren't working out. There's no real reason - it just fizzled out. It wasn't meant to be. There's no one else involved, and we're both very close friends but not in a relationship. We're very sad."

Stephen went on to find love again with internet businessman Andrew Cowles, who he was on holiday with at the time of his tragic death in October 2009. The couple had decided to take a month-long working holiday in the luxurious Majorcan resort of Port d'Andratx, and had just finished preparing their £1 million holiday home when Stephen was found dead on the sofa.

It was later determined that Stephen died due to a pulmonary oedema, originally believed to be the result of an undiagnosed heart condition. However, a post-mortem and toxicology report showed that, while Stephen did indeed die of natural causes, his death had ultimately been caused by a congenital heart defect.

The news left the world of pop in shock, and for Eloy, the loss was unfathomable. Speaking candidly with the Mirror at the time, heartbroken Eloy told of how he called Stephen's mobile after his death, just to hear his voice one final time.

Eloy, now 51, shared: “I rang him, and it went to voicemail, but I didn’t get his voice. He didn’t have a message set up. I wanted to hear him. Just one last time.” He added: “The final time I spoke to Stephen was last year [2008]. He rang me for a catch-up. I can’t believe we’ll never speak again. It’s so sad. He was so young. I’ll never forget."

In 2016, ahead of the Caught in the Act reunion tour, Eloy spoke with Ticketcorner about his and Stephen's milestone coming-out journey. He reflected: "My father was always against gays when I was a child. And then I joined this boy band where the management said there were no gays in the band.

"That wasn't supportive. That's why I came out with my boyfriend at the time, Stephen Gately from Boyzone, and I have a lot of records and awards at home, but my freedom is the most precious thing to me."

Eloy went on to welcome a little girl named Indy with his partner Ibo in 2011, but, tragically, their joy was mixed with sorrow. The couple had been expecting to bring home twins, but Indy's brother Milon lived just five hours after his birth.

Opening up in an interview with Bild, Eloy said: "So we came home and had a birth behind us and a funeral ahead of us. Milon was buried in a children's cemetery in Utrecht. It was a deep pain in our hearts. It was so bad, but important. The most important thing is to talk. Ibo's and my relationship has become stronger because of it."

Explaining how he still talks to young Indy about her brother, Eloy continued: "We always tell her, 'your brother is a star in the sky.' It is important that we do not forget him. Our star child is also part of the family."

In his interview with Tickercorner, Eloy also spoke about raising Indy as a family unit of two fathers and a mother. He divulged: There's a boy at Indy's school who has two mothers. That helps. And the children who go to school with Indy all think it's great and go to their parents and say: 'Why don't I have two dads?' - It's all quite normal for them. I hope it will be even more accepted in the future. We have a lot of love to give our daughter and live like a normal family. Half the time she is with us and the other half with her mother.

He added: "It's fun for her: she can do arts and crafts and cook together with a daddy, that's me, and she can do sports activities with my partner Ibo."

Eloy and Ibo, who have been together for more than 15 years, cancelled their wedding after the death of their son, as per tz, and although they remain in a committed relationship, they have yet to tie the knot.

You can watch Boyzone: No Matter What on Sky from February 2 onwards

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