For those who don't know, Olly and Neil had been together since last year (people believe they started dating in October), and got fairly popular for having a very public relationship. They often posted pictures together and of each other, interacted on Twitter, commented on Instagram pictures, etc. Sadly, Olly confirmed the break up in an interview for Attitude magazine.
The part of the interview where they talk about it:
-
You recently broke up with Neil, just last month.
Yeah. Both of us are so busy, and our schedules are really insane, so we've had less and less time to spend together and the time we did have together were such short periods it put so much pressure on our relationship. We both decided it wasn't working the way it was going, and came to the decision to split up. I'm still sad about it, and we still really care about each other. It's just one of those things.
Do you still love him?
I don't feel any differently towards him. I still have a lot of feelings for him, and that hasn't changed. I think I need to give it time before I see how I feel.
You said how Shine was written about Neil. Does that have a different meaning now?
No, I'm still glad I wrote that song, and that he inspired it. I just have to try and emotionally separate that a little bit and disconnect a little bit.
I guess it doesn't take anything away from it, because it was how you felt at the time when you wrote it.
Exactly.
Did you feel a pressure to stay together?
No, I didn't feel that at all. But it definitely is weird being in a relationship that is in the public eye. I never imagined what that would feel like, and that is its own pressure. But that being said, both of us dealt with it pretty well and didn't really care what people were saying.
Do you think you'll approach relationships differently in future knowing that they will inevitably involve the fans and the media?
I think I probably would be a bit more cautious in future, for sure. The attention it got was mostly positive, but it's not something you always want, sometimes you just want to do stuff with your boyfriend.
I don't know many gay pop stars that have been so open about their relationships in the past. That must have had such a profound effect on young people when they saw it.
Yeah, I guess if I'd seen that when I was younger it would have made me realize what I wanted sooner. I still feel happy that we were so open. Neil once told me how someone's six-year-old kid said to him at a wedding, "Do you go out with Olly Alexander?" Neil was like, "Yeah, he's my boyfriend" and the kid was so happy about it. I though that's incredible, that it's just accepted by a kid like that.
How are you and Neil now?
We're fine, we're still in touch. We're just giving each other a bit of space. It's still pretty new to be honest.
-
They're still following each other on all their social medias and haven't deleted any pictures.
