H from Steps 'the only gay in the village'
Former Steps singer Ian 'H' Watkins has confirmed that he is gay, as he prepares to enter the Celebrity Big Brother house.
The Welsh singer-turned-actor, 30, is quoted in The Sun newspaper as saying: "I come from a small valley in Wales and it just wasn't the thing to do to be gay. It's a bit of a cliché - but I was the only gay in the village."
Watkins, from Cwmparc in Rhondda Valley, told his family and friends about his sexuality when he was 21, but did not tell fans.
He said: "I could never have done this [come out] years ago, never ... But I'm comfortable with who I am now and I want everyone to know."
Since topping the charts as part of the cheesy pop band Steps, he has starred in musicals such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
The Sun says Watkins will be joining other celebrities in the Big Brother house tomorrow.
