Olly Alexander arrives at The BRIT Awards 2021 at The O2 Arena on 11 May 2021 in London, England. (Photo by JMEnternational/JMEnternational for BRIT Awards/Getty Images)
Out singer Olly Alexander has thanked fans for an overwhelming outpouring of love and support after he opened up about “feeling a bit low recently”.
The Years & Years frontman celebrated his birthday via a post on Instagram. The post included videos of Alexander singing and dancing in a bathroom to Britney Spears‘ hit song “Unusual You”. The now 31-year-old also practised some self-care while growing his fantastic eyebrows.
Alexander thanked all his fans who had “been sending me birthday wishes” in the Instagram post’s caption.
“I’ve been feeling a bit low recently, but I’m feeling more positive now and reading your messages and seeing your posts has been really nice,” Olly Alexander wrote.
The “Starstruck” singer ended his post by sending positive vibes towards Spears, saying he hoped “Britney is free soon”.
Alexander’s It’s A Sin co-star Nathaniel J Hall posted a birthday wish for the singer in the comments. He wrote “Happy birthday r’kid” with multiple red heart emojis.
It’s A Sin showrunner Russell T Davies even popped by to send his “love” and birthday wishes to Alexander.
Olly Alexander performs during the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards 2021 at Television Centre on 6 June 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)Olly Alexander recently discussed the devastating effects that childhood homophobia had on him. He told VICE that he was “convinced something was intrinsically wrong” with him “for the longest time”.
The singer and actor added there was a multitude of factors behind why he felt this way.
“Growing up gay in a world that prefers straightness can do that to you, but it’s not just my sexuality that made me feel this way,” Alexander said. “It was my daddy issues, my brain, my body, my DNA.”
He continued: “Shame is toxic and it likes to get in the way of almost everything.”
Looking back, he said he could see that “shame was at the heart of this anxiety”, but he didn’t understand it at the time. He explained that he often felt “afraid” growing up.
“I felt implicated in something terrible and that the inevitable punishment would be deserved,” Alexander said.