While filming a recent episode of the British television show, The Voice UK, Boy George has made the rather sensational claim that he slept with Prince, shocking the show’s audience, participants and his fellow judges in the process.
Boy George has actually only been on the program as a judge for a few months, but he’s already made sure that he has courted controversy and publicity with his appearances. Yet, this was his most startling comment to date.
A 54-year-old Boy George, who is currently employed as a coach on The Voice UK , allegedly, via the Daily Mail , brought the show’s production to a complete halt with his comments, as he claimed that he’d slept with 57-year-old singer and musician, Prince. The studio audience in attendance were immediately taken aback with the remarks.
A source for The Sun explained that Boy George’s comments, which he made as he sat alongside fellow panelists Will.i.am, Ricky Wilson (the frontman for Kaiser Chiefs), and Paloma Faith. The foursome were talking about which famous musicians they have collaborated with over the years.
This then provoked Boy George to remark, “I have duetted with some of the greatest soul singers in history including Luther Vandross and Smokey Robinson.”
Paloma Faith clearly wasn’t that impressed with Boy George’s boast though, because she shot back, “Well, OK, if we’re throwing big soul names out there I’ve performed with Prince.”
This then led to Boy George emphatically responding, “Forget that, darling, I’ve slept with Prince.”
According to The Sun’s insider the studio audience and those in attendance were immediately sent into an uproarious rapture by Boy George’s comments, and went “absolutely wild.” The source explained that it “sent the audience absolutely wild and forced producers to stop filming.”
Will.i.am, Paloma Faith, and Ricky Wilson were completely shocked but elated by the remarks, and they immediately started to high-five and celebrate Boy George and his comments. The source continued, “Production staff had to come up on stage and speak to them.”
However, Boy George quickly started to backtrack on his comments, and immediately insisted that it was meant in jest. The insider added, “After that, Boy George started backtracking saying he hadn’t really slept with Prince and that in reality, he just had his poster on his wall.”
The source remarked that this didn’t stop the crowd from taking it as proof though, as they declared, “But as far as the crowd were concerned the cat was already out of the bag.”
According to News.com, Prince has previously hinted that he might be bisexual. In the past, he has been married to two women. Prince wed backup singer Mayte Garcia in 1996, before divorcing in 1999. Prince then married Manuela Testolini in 2001, but the pair ultimately divorced in May 2006.
In October 1996, Prince and Mayte Garcia decided to name their son, Boy Gregory. However, Boy Gregory, who was born on October 16, 1996, died just a week later after he was born with Pfeiffer syndrome
It remains to be seen how the BBC’s legal department and The Voice UK ‘s editing team handle Boy George’s comments, though. We’ll learn if Boy George’s claims about his alleged dalliance with Prince make the first episode of the fifth season of The Voice UK when it airs in January, 2016.
Boy George replaced Tom Jones as a coach and judge on The Voice UK earlier this year. Speaking about the position, Boy George remarked, “I’m thrilled and excited to be a coach on The Voice UK . I’m a huge fan of the show and have watched and engaged with it from series one.”
[Photos by Brad Barket /Getty Images; Isaac Brekken /Getty Images]