Jonathan Ross says singer George Michael is a role model for young gay men who don’t “embrace camp or feminised homosexual behaviour”.
According to Ross, the star, who was recently jailed for crashing his car under the influence of cannabis, is a “strong, butch, unashamedly gay man”.
The broadcaster was writing in an essay to promote the re-release of Michael’s album Faith, the Evening Standard reports.
The album was to be re-released in September but was put on hold due to the singer’s jail term. It will now go on sale on January 31sr.
Ross wrote: “I love and admire George because he is so remarkably, uncompromisingly, perhaps even foolishly, his own man.
“I’m not talking about his recent late-night driving madness here, or indeed the brief stay ‘inside’ at her Majesty’s Pleasure that was the inevitable end result.
“No, it’s because the cherry on top of his remarkable talent is that he is a modern, gay man who refuses to act embarrassed, or even pay lip-service to dominant hetero-culture – instead offering himself up as a radical and yet much-needed alternative role model to young gay men who don’t embrace camp or feminised homosexual behaviour as their own.
“A strong, butch, unashamedly gay man who does what he wants, when he wants to. I have nothing but admiration for his talent.
“Nothing but respect for his courage in the face of the sneering press that seek to diminish or destroy those that are different to them. And nothing but love for the whole package.”
Following his release from jail in October, Michael told reporters he wanted to make a fresh start.
He said: “I’m going to try to stop running away from you guys. You’ll get sick of me. You’ll see me about.”
In May last year, PinkNews.co.uk revealed that broadcasting watchdog Ofcom had received 61 complaints over a joke Ross made about gay children on his Radio 2 show.
While discussing a number of teen singer Hannah Montana-themed prizes, the presenter said: “If your son asks for a Hannah Montana MP3 player, you might want to already think about putting him down for adoption before he brings his… erm… partner home.”
BBC executives subsequently decided to pre-record his show but denied the decision was due to the complaints. The star has now left the BBC.
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