British pop singer Daniel Bedingfield, best known for his 2002 chart-topper 'If You're Not The One', has made a series of candid personal revelations, declaring himself polyamorous and discussing his sexuality and mental health.
Polyamory and a 'Different' Heart
In an interview recorded earlier this year for The Shizzio Show, the 46-year-old artist explained his approach to relationships. Bedingfield stated he was 'born to love two or three people' and that finding one perfect partner was not enough for him. 'I found the right person for me. Everything I'd looked for and it wasn't going to work. I need to love three. Or two. My heart is different,' he told host Shizzio.
He elaborated on his feelings, comparing loving multiple people to familial love. 'I still love everyone I've ever been in love with. My heart is full of people I've been in love with,' he said, dismissing the idea of having to choose a favourite.
Opening Up on Sexuality and a Celebrity Feud
This follows his first public comments on his sexuality in April 2024, made during a performance at the London Palladium. Marking his return to the stage after a two-decade hiatus, Bedingfield told the crowd, 'In my era, you had to be gay or straight, or f*** you.' He revealed his song 'Borderline' was written 'with a man I loved about a girl we both loved.'
During the same Shizzio interview, Bedingfield also called out his 'number one celebrity enemy' – comedian Leigh Francis's character Avid Merrion. He blamed Merrion for spreading a false rumour of his death on the ITV2 show Celebrity Juice in 2015. 'That idiot Avid Merrion told everyone I was dead. If I have an enemy in my life, it's him,' Bedingfield said, adding that the prank led to him being one of the most-searched artists on Google that year as fans sought confirmation.
He expressed solidarity with fellow singer Craig David, who has also spoken out about being mocked by Francis. Craig David previously said he moved to America to escape the backlash from the sketches, which he likened to bullying. Leigh Francis issued a public apology in 2020 for mimicking black celebrities and no longer performs as characters like Keith Lemon.
Autism, Recovery and a Changed Perspective
Bedingfield further discussed his belief that he is on the autism spectrum, despite formal tests suggesting otherwise. 'I process things in ways that remind me of autistic people. I took the test three times. It says no. I'm not. I see other autistic people and I know that I am,' he explained.
He described having a 'little computer' in his head that left him confused about how to behave during his initial fame, leading him to mimic other pop stars. The singer also reflected on his near-fatal car crash in New Zealand in 2004, the same year his album 'Second First Impression' was released, an event that profoundly changed his life and career trajectory.
These revelations paint a picture of an artist who has spent years out of the spotlight grappling with identity, love, and public perception, now returning with a new-found openness about the person behind the early-noughties hit.
