Gavin Rossdale had an affair with male pop star Marilyn. The Bush singer, who is now married to Gwen Stefani, had a fling with the gender-bending singer in the 1980s, but didn’t admit to the relationship before because of the “glare” of the media.

“I think at the outset there was a sort of fear - that was right at the beginning of Bush, and I didn’t want it to be part of it. It felt like a cheap shot, so I was like, ‘I’m not getting involved.’ I’ve never wanted to appear closed about it. It’s not something I’ve talked about really because it’s always been in the glare of a tabloid world. It’s just one of those things - move on. When you’re 17, Jesus Christ, I don’t think there’s anything strange about any form of anything - you’re learning about life. It’s a part of growing up. That’s it. No more, no less.”

Asked if it was a one-time experimentation, he said, “Yeah. That was it. You have to know what you like, and I know what I like.”

Marilyn previously claimed he had a five-year relationship with Gavin which he agreed to keep secret for the sake of his rock career.

“He was the love of my life. We were together five years, but it felt like 40. He was just becoming successful in America. I agreed to lie against every grain of my being,” Marilyn - real name Peter Robinson - said.

The androgynous singer’s close friend Boy George alleged the two men had a relationship in his autobiography Take It Like A Man.