Mystery surrounds Gately death
Updated on 12 October 2009
The death of Boyzone singer Stephen Gately is shrouded in mystery amid reports that he died at his house in Majorca following a marathon drinking session.
Boyzone star Stephen Gately's death was shrouded in mystery today amid claims he died after a marathon drinking session. But the family of the 33-year-old Irish pop singer and actor insisted it was a "tragic accident" and that no foul play was involved.
Police said there were "no signs of suspicious circumstances" after Gately was found dead at his home in the resort of Port Andratx, Majorca, on Saturday afternoon.
Reports today claimed he spent up to eight hours drinking on Friday night and choked to death on his vomit while asleep after a night's clubbing.
Last night fellow band members - Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch - arrived in Majorca and spent an hour at Gately's home in Port Andratx. They were hoping for answers over the tragic death of their "friend and brother".
Gerald Kean, who was asked by Gately's family to speak on their behalf, said yesterday: "There's no foul play involved and it's not suicide. It's just a tragic accident is what we've been told and we're happy that that is correct information.
"There is nothing untoward, it's not drugs, we don't believe, it's not suicide, it's not murder, it's not a fight. That's what we've been told."
As tributes poured in from the music world, a spokesman for police in Port Andratx added: "At the moment it is not known how he died. There are no signs of suspicious circumstances." A post mortem is expected to take place in Spain this week.
It was reported that police want to speak to a 25-year-old Bulgarian man who was said to have met Gately and his partner Andrew Cowles at a bar and returned with them to their Port Andratx home before the singer's death.
Boyzone said they were left "completely devastated by the loss of our friend and brother, Stephen.
"We have shared such wonderful times together over the years and were all looking forward to sharing many more," they said.
"Stephen was a beautiful person in both body and spirit. He lit up our lives and those of the many friends he had all over the world.
"Our love and sympathy go out to Andrew and Stephen's family. We love you and will miss you forever 'Steo'."
The band's manager Louis Walsh pulled out of the X Factor live finals show, saying he was "very shocked and exceptionally upset". Outside Gately's sea-view villa, mourners left flowers and paid tribute to the star.
Gately sent ripples through the pop music world 10 years ago when he announced that he was gay. He was introduced to Mr Cowles by Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish and the pair married in a civil union in 2006.
He joined Boyzone in 1993 after answering an advert in Dublin to audition for Ireland's first boyband. Gately also starred in West End musicals, including Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and appeared on the ITV1 show Dancing on Ice.
