A look into the life of Duncan James: Hunky noughties singer turned drag queen who competes against other stars in Celebrity Master Chef: Christmas Cook Off
Christmas is just around the corner and so is Celebrity Master Chef: Christmas Cook Off.
Four British stars have been named as part of the party line, including 1990s boy band member Duncan James.
The singer had previously appeared at the competition in 2021 and has returned for round two.
But who is the star that will put the competition on edge? MailOnline takes a look into the life of Duncan James.
Duncan James, 45, will join three other celebrities on the Celebrity MasterChef Kitchen in December (pictured)
But who is the star that will put the competition on edge? MailOnline takes a look into the life of Duncan James (photo from left to right: Antony Costa, Duncan James Simon Webbe and Lee Ryan)
Who is Duncan James?
Duncan James is a television presenter, actor and singer, best known as a member of the British group Blue.
The former boy band member was born on April 7, 1978 and grew up as an only child in Dorset.
For most of his upbringing, Duncan was raised by his mother, Fiona Inglis, and grandparents – his father separated from Fiona before Duncan was even born.
The crooner, together with his bandmates Simon Webbe, Antony Costa and Lee Ryan, achieved considerable popularity in the 1990s, with top songs such as Too Close, One Love and All Rise.
After a successful run from 2001 to 2005, the group decided to take a break after releasing a compilation album.
The boy band made a comeback in 2013 as part of the TV program The Big Reunion, in which several renowned pop groups graced the stage again, such as Liberty X, Sive and Atomic Kitten.
Duncan is best known for his role in the famous 1990s boy band Blue (pictured in 2002)
What else has Duncan James done?
But the singer is not a one-trick pony, having made several appearances in acting roles and as a TV presenter.
Second only to Blue, many people may also recognize Duncan for his appearance in the long-running Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.
In August 2016, he starred in the show as police officer Ryan Knight – the husband of the main character, mother of two, Amy Barnes.
In a sinister turn of events, the evil Ryan murdered Amy on their wedding day.
In April 2018, Duncan made a brief return to the drama-fueled show before leaving the Cheshire town once again.
In addition to his pop stardom and acting career, Duncan has built quite a career path in TV presenting and musical theater.
The TV personality has hosted numerous shows including Entertainment Today, Soapstar Superstar and Pop City Live on GMTV.
He has also ventured across the UK in drag as part of the musical Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert, and was back on stage when he starred in Legally Blonde: The Musical as Warner Huntingdon III.
The ex-Blue boyband member isn’t shy either, having previously stripped off for charity when he starred in ITV’s Strictly The Real Full Monty.
He will be heating up the kitchen on Celebrity Masterchef again this Christmas after appearing on the show in 2021.
The jack of all trades has earned quite a bit of net worth from his various appearances. According to The sun the actor is worth between £1 and 5 million.
In addition to singing, the crooner has made quite a few appearances as a TV presenter, hosting shows such as Entertainment Today, Soapstar Superstar and Pop City Live (pictured)
He has also appeared in several musicals including Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert and Legally Blonde: The Musical (pictured in drag at Manchester Pride in 2022)
Duncan is also not shying away from a challenge, having previously stripped off on Strictly The Real Full Monty in a bid to raise money for charity (pictured)
Who is Duncan James’ boyfriend?
Duncan previously dated Claire Grainger, and the couple welcomed their daughter, Tianie Finn, into the world in February 2005.
He admitted to being bisexual in 2009 before coming out in 2017. He feared that he would not be accepted by Blue’s fan base if he came out.
Discussing his performance in Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert, the heartthrob told Chronicle Live: “Tick is a dad and so am I, so I can relate to the scenes of being a dad. It’s a nice role.
“I think Tick has been pretty confused about his sexuality for a long time, and I think I was for a long time too, so I can relate to that too.”
He added: ‘There is certainly some similarity.’
Duncan said he first confessed his sexuality to fellow Blue member Simon Webbe in 2012 and later admitted his secret to Spice Girl and former flame Geri Horner.
Duncan has a daughter named Tianie, born in 2009 (photo in 2021)
He shares his only child with ex-girlfriend Clair Grainger (pictured with daughter Tianie) – after feeling confused about his sexuality, Duncan came out as bisexual in 2009 before coming out as gay in 2017
Duncan said he first confessed his sexuality to fellow Blue member Simon Webbe in 2012 after fearing his fanbase would turn against him
He later confessed his truth to former flame and Spice Girl, Geri Horner (pictured in May 2004)
Duncan and his Brazilian boyfriend Rodrigo have been official since 2019 (photo)
Speaking to Loose Women, he said: ‘For me it was very difficult to come out because I come from a boy band, a world where you have a lot of female fans.
“There was a lot of pressure from the record company, I didn’t want to let the guys down, so I kept my mouth shut.”
The Celebrity MasterChef star officially stepped out with his Brazilian boyfriend Rodrigo in 2019.
The lovebirds first saw each other at a Blue afterparty, and sparks reportedly flew.
According to The sunRodrigo didn’t even know who Duncan was and joked, “In Brazil, where I come from, they’re not that famous.”