Jan Moir Apologises To Stephen Gately's Family

Jan Moir has publicly apologised to Stephen Gately's family about her infamous article last Friday (October 16).

Writing in her usual Friday Daily Mail column, the journalist said she “regrets any affront caused” and categorically denied that she has “poisonous” homophobic views.

To the Boyzone singer's family, Moir said: “I would like to say sorry if I have caused distress by the insensitive timing of the column, published so close to the funeral.”

The 53-year-old went on to write that she has received “inflammatory hate mail” since the piece was published and claims she was the subject of an “orchestrated campaign by pressure groups.”

She also denied that Gately's sexuality had anything to do with her slant on the article, writing: "Anyone who knows me will vouch that I have never held such poisonous views. If he had been a heterosexual member of a boy band, I would have written exactly the same article."

The Press Complaints Commission received an unprecedented 25,000 complaints about the article, including one from Gately's label Polydor Records.

Moir has been an almost constant trending topic since anger over the article, originally titled 'Why there was nothing 'natural' about Stephen Gately's Death, exploded.

The original article included lines such as: "Whatever the cause of death is, it is not, by any yardstick, a natural one. Let us be absolutely clear about this.”

"As a gay rights champion, I am sure he would want to set an example to any impressionable young men who may want to emulate what they might see as his glamorous routine.”  

"For once again, under the carapace of glittering, hedonistic celebrity, the ooze of a very different and more dangerous lifestyle has seeped out for all to see."