Thanks to Laura Davidson who gave me the permission to use this article here!

He may have designs on being a movie star, but Stephen
Gately knows where to draw the line. Maxine Creedy
reports.

It's been an excellent 15 months for Boyzone's Stephen
Gately. Since announcing he was gay in June last year,
things have gone from great to fantastic.

But despite successfully launching his solo career,
and finding personal happiness with partner Eloy de
Jong, Stephen wants more!

"I really want to get into acting," reveals Stephen,
23. "I'd love to play a really bad villain, or a
comedy goody two shoes. I couldn't be an action hero
because I'm too small, but I'd love to be in the next
Guy Ritchie movie."

But while many male movie stars are more than happy to
shed their clothes for the right part, Stephen has his
reservations.

"I wouldn't do love scenes with women," he says. "And
I won't get naked- unless they paid me a s***load of
money. The same goes with going full-frontal in a
magazine. I'd do it, but for nothing less than a
million!"

Then he adds with a laugh: "No one's asked me yet. I
mean, who'd wanna see ME nude?"

A year ago, Stephen was the shy member of Boyzone who
represented innocence personified in the pop industry.

But after seven years hiding his sexuality, he decided
to burst the bubble. Not only did he reveal he was
gay, but also that he had a long-term partner, Dutch
pop singer Eloy.

"Some papers said I've been spending so much time in
Amsterdam because we plan to get married there," he
explains. "But gay couples can get married in lots of
places these days- Amsterdam, Las Vegas, even in
England- so it doesn't necessarily have to be in
Holland.

"As for the adoption rumours, we haven't looked into
it seriously. But I adore kids, I'd love to give a kid
a chance.

"I come from an underprivileged background, so
wouldn't think twice about adopting a Kosovan baby, or
another child affected by war."

But while kids are a consideration for the future,
Stephen admits he's not had too much experience as far
as his Boyzone pals are concerned.

"I never babysit for Ronan Keating!" He chuckles.
"He's never asked me! I'd take Jack to the pub and
sneak a whiskey in the bottle!"

Apart from adoption, Stephen is open to other ways of
having children.

"Anything's possible these days," he says. "On Oprah
Winfrey the other day there was a man who had
biological twins by two separate women after splitting
the egg. So in theory, Eloy and I could impregnate the
same woman with each of our sperm, and have one twin
that was mine, and one that was his. It's mad isn't
it?"

Although Stephen seems more content than he's ever
been, he still has his insecurities.

"When Eloy's not there, I sleep with the light on
because I'm scared of spirits," he reveals. "I saw a
woman in a hotel room I stayed in, and a couple of
years earlier- in the same hotel in London- I awoke
hearing this scratching.

"I told the manager, and he said that a couple had a
row in the room and the man locked his partner in a
chest and she suffocated. That was the scratching!"

But as he gets up to leave, he reveals an even bigger
secret. "Despite what they say, I'm not gay you know,"
he sniggers. "Print that!"