X Factor winner Matt Terry comes out as LGBTQ #ThrowbackThursday #PinkPress #GaylyNews #PinkInOurLives

X Factor winner Matt Terry comes out as LGBTQ

X Factor winner Matt Terry comes out as LGBTQ: ‘I’m no longer afraid’ Matt Terry, who won the thirteenth season of The X Factor in 2016, has come out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

The singer-songwriter revealed that his new single “His Car” is an apology to the first man he fell in love with, after Terry, 30, asked him to keep their romance a secret. Terry declared that he is “no longer afraid” and has decided to “take back control” following intense media speculation about his sexuality during his time on the singing competition.

Terry described writing “His Car” as “his truth” and “one of the most important stories” he has to tell. “I’ve been hiding who I was, and I haven’t really opened up. I’ve never let anybody in,” Terry shared. “This song is an apology to the first man I fell in love with because I asked a lot of him. I said to him, ‘You’re not allowed to tell anyone about this’ and he loved me enough to do so.”

Terry went on to describe the “so f**king hard” experience of being on The X Factor and in the public eye aged just 23, and being hounded to come out. He claimed that tabloids would write stories about him kissing men outside pubs, or liking Tom Daley’s Instagram photos, while one of his own managers demanded to know his sexuality. “I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I hadn’t spoken to my family. I hadn’t spoken to my friends. It was getting on top of me,” said Terry, who at the time hadn’t been with a man yet.

He added that while he’s nervous about how the public and media will respond to his coming out, he’s “prepared” for it.

“I’d be lying if I said I’m not nervous and that I’m tough-as-nails. But, I just love where I’m at and I love the man I’ve become. Being in love with another man is part of who I am, so if I don’t love me, then I’m not doing it right,” he said. “We should love every part of ourselves. I’m very proud [of my sexuality], and I’m no longer afraid.”