That’s no “Whisper”! Boy George reportedly declared during a live taping of The Voice UK that he’s slept with Prince, but a rep for the show said it was just a joke. The one-liner came about when the “Karma Chameleon” singer, 54, was talking to fellow coach Paloma Faith about past collaborations, according to The Sun.
“I have duetted with some of the greatest soul singers in history, including Luther Vandross and Smokey Robinson,” he was quoted as saying.
According to The Sun, the English songstress then tried to one up the former Culture Club lead singer by declaring that she had performed with the Purple One.
Boy George’s alleged reply? “Forget that, darling, I’ve slept with Prince.”
A set source told the publication that show staff then went on stage to talk to the eccentric performer and the other coaches — Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs and Will.i.am, who was reportedly giving the Grammy-winning artist high-fives. After that chat, “Boy George started backtracking, saying he hadn’t really slept with Prince, and that in reality, he just had his poster on the wall,” the source told The Sun.
Subsequent statements from the show revealed that the singer was merely jesting about getting intimate with the 3rdeyegirl performer. “He was never being serious,” a spokesperson said.
Boy George has not addressed his headline-making joke on social media, but did share an Instagram photo of his outfit for the taping. He captioned the snap of himself wearing a mostly black outfit that included a poncho and pants with white horizontal stripes, white McQueen sneakers, and staple hat (also white), “Voice duties – another excuse to dress up.”
The singer is the newest coach for the UK version of the singing competition, which is entering its fifth season. He replaces Tom Jones, who was one of the show’s coaches from 2012 to 2015.
Though the “Nice and Slow” singer is new to judging The Voice UK, he’s familiar with controversy. He was arrested for suspicion of possessing cocaine and reporting a false burglary in 2005. In 2008, he was convicted for assault and false imprisonment after a man claimed he was handcuffed to a wall and paid for sex.
