Boy George facts: Culture Club singer's real name, boyfriend, age, net worth and more

4 November 2022, 10:47

Boy George became an international superstar in the 1980s thanks to his unique fashion and amazing voice.

With Boy George entering the I'm a Celebrity jungle in 2022, here are all the big facts every fan should know about the pop icon...

1. What is Boy George's real name?

   Boy George was born George Alan O'Dowd in Eltham, London.

   His Irish parents are Jeremiah and Dinah O'Dowd, and he has four brothers and one sister.

2. How old is Boy George?

   

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   Boy George was born on June 14, 1961.

   He celebrated his 62nd birthday in 2022.

3. When did Boy George join Culture Club?

   

   Boy George's androgynous style of dressing caught the attention of music producer Malcolm McLaren, who had previously been the manager of the Sex Pistols. He arranged for George to perform with the group Bow Wow Wow.

   • Culture Club at war - the ongoing feud between Boy George and Jon Moss explained

   Going by the stage name Lieutenant Lush, his time with Bow Wow Wow proved difficult with lead singer Annabella Lwin. He eventually left the group and started his own band with bassist Mikey Craig.

   They were joined by drummer Jon Moss and guitarist Roy Hay. They chose the name Culture Club to refer to the band's various ethnic backgrounds.

4. What are Boy George's biggest songs?

   

   Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me (Official Video)

   With Culture Club, Boy George scored several big hits around the world including 'Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?' and 'Karma Chameleon'.

   • The 10 greatest Boy George and Culture Club songs ever, ranked

   He also had success as a solo artist, including the UK number one 'Everything I Own'.

5. Who is Boy George's boyfriend?

   Boy George is not currently known to be in a relationship. In 2015, he posted on Instagram that he was single.

   View this post on Instagram

   A post shared by Boy George (@boygeorgeofficial)

   When he was with Culture Club, much media attention was given to his androgynous appearance, and there was speculation about his sexuality.

   • When Diana Ross pulled Boy George on stage for a fantastic performance

   While he never flatly denied that he was gay, when asked in interviews about his sexual orientation, he gave various answers. In 1985, when asked by Barbara Walters about his sexual orientation, George said he was bisexual and had various girlfriends, as well as boyfriends. One famous response to an interviewer was that he preferred "a nice cup of tea" to sex.

   In his book Take It Like a Man, George said he had secret relationships with punk rock singer Kirk Brandon and Culture Club drummer Jon Moss.

6. What is Boy George's net worth?

   Boy George is estimated to have a net worth of around $35 million (£26.5m).