Blue perform at Qatar World Cup fan festival amid criticism over country’s human rights record-Louise Griffin-Entertainment – Metro

Some artists have been criticised for making the trip to Qatar (Picture: Tullio Puglia – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Boyband Blue are the latest stars to head to Doha in Qatar to perform as part of the World Cup.

The singers – Duncan James, Lee Ryan, Simon Webbe and Antony Costa – took to the stage at Al Bidda Park in Doha on Monday, as fans celebrated England’s 6-2 win against Iran.

Other artists including Robbie Williams and BTS star Jungkook also recently headed to Qatar to perform at the opening ceremony for the World Cup.

Many have criticised the artists making the trip to Qatar due to the country’s human rights record, which includes homosexuality being illegal, with women’s rights also severely restricted.

Blue star Duncan is gay and has been open about his sexuality for more than a decade. He came out as bisexual in a 2009 interview, after supposedly dating Tara Palmer-Tomkinson from 2008 to 2009. Duncan privately came out to his bandmate Simon as gay in 2012, before he told his mum.

This year, he admitted he was so ‘scared’ to come out, he pretended to date his friend Geri Horner.

Duncan recalled: ‘I remember when I was in Blue the first time around, there were all these rumours I was dating my friends Geri, Martine and Tara and I used to feel relieved.

Blue performed in Doha, Qatar (Picture: Katelyn Mulcahy – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

They appeared to have a blast (Picture: Katelyn Mulcahy – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

‘I was playing Pride with Blue and feeling such a hypocrite because everyone was celebrating their sexuality and I was still in the closet.’

‘Now I’m performing Blue hits and songs from musical theatre in full drag. I love it,’ he told The Mirror.

Duncan has been open about his sexuality (Picture: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Angels hitmaker Robbie recently defended his decision to perform in Qatar.

The singer told Italian newspaper Il Venerdì di Repubblica: ‘Of course, I don’t condone any abuses of human rights anywhere.

‘That being said, if we’re not condoning human rights abuses anywhere, then it would be the shortest tour the world has ever known. I wouldn’t even be able to perform in my own kitchen.’

He added: ‘Anybody leaving messages saying, “No to Qatar” are doing so on Chinese technology. It would be hypocritical of me to not go [to Qatar] because of the places that I do go to.

‘I think that the hypocrisy there is that if we take that case in this place, we need to apply that unilaterally to the world… then if we apply that unilaterally to the world, nobody can go anywhere.’

Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Blue for comment.

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