Words: Ash Pritchard

Let me start by confiding in you. I grew up in the 80s, an era of shoulder pads, giant suits, and various assorted bad fashion choices. I was a child when Kylie’s first slices of Stock, Aiken and Waterman produced pop were unleashed upon an unsuspecting public. Happily, my tender age meant I was too young to be entranced by the plastic synth and truly giant hair of “I Should be So Lucky” and the school disco sensibility of “The Locomotion”. As an indie-music loving kid in the 90s, I scoffed at her attempts to do “real music”. The result: for much of my life I really didn’t get what the big deal was about Kylie, or understand why we gay men were supposed to love her so very, very much.

In fact, it was not until my early 20s that I had that eureka moment, when my very first serious boyfriend began to indoctrinate me in all things Kylie Minogue. She was not another pop puppet, he insisted, but a true musical visionary. His constant playing of her earlier albums, coupled with the prevalence of her current hits (at the time the very well titled Can’t Get You Out of My Head was literally impossible to escape) eventually took their toll. Soon I was spinning around in nightclubs, begging for more, more, more and, while me and Kylie wasn’t love at the first sight, it certainly soon became like a drug.

For many friends hailing from North America, Kylie is still just that one-hit wonder from the 80s who made a brief comeback a few years ago. But take any European or Australian, and she is a gay icon, easily comparable with Madonna. Rarely when it comes to the culture gay icons does geographic origin play such a strong part in defining what makes a diva. For me, Kylie represents the best of “gay”, much more so than Madonna’s calculating and cynical hunger for fame. She’s famous and nice. She’s the bff who you can party it up with, or spend a night at home watching DVDs and bitching about past boyfriends.

From the wholesome goodness of her innocent days, through to her embracing her sexual side, Kylie has always been recognised for her poise, graciousness and self-depreciating humour. Her highs and lows of the past decade have seen her regain her position on the top of the charts, overcome cancer and wow the world with a fantastically amazing stage tour. She actually sings live, and does it amazingly well, unlike the great majority of today’s pop icons. As she morphs into mighty Aphrodite for her latest album, she has little if anything left to prove. So, throw on some hot pants, get your ass to the floor and get ready to dance.

The Male Muses of Minogue

Over the years, we’ve followed the ups and down of Kylie’s love life as if it was our own. From the days of big hair and blue jean jumpsuits in the 80s to the Parisian chic of the last decade, her fans and the nattering classes have lived and breathed for tabloid tidbits of her latest romantic escapes. Here are a few of her most important love affairs that helped shape the path of her divahood.

The First Love: Jason Donovan

Jason and Kylie originally met at the tender age of 11 when the both starred in Australian kids’ drama Skyways. Their on-screen romance blossomed on the hit television soap Neighbours as Scott and Charlene, and culminated in the televised wedding event of the 80’s, in the UK and Australia at least. As they began to outgrow their television careers, they released their saccharine sweet duet “Especially for You” which stormed the charts despite being critically panned.

Although both issued futile denials of an off screen liaison, it was pretty clear that young love was in the offing. However, Kylie’s move to the UK in 1988 to concentrate on her singing career signaled the end of the romance for these two pop pixies. Kylie was soon dating her next beau, while Jason spent the 90s fighting drug problems and alcoholism. He resurrected his career in the noughties with roles in musicals Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat and more recently in camp classic Priscilla Queen of the Desert, where he puts his Kylie connection to good use.

The Bad Boy: Michael Hutchence

Kylie met the INXS singer at a concert in 1989, and soon fell under the spell of the charismatic rock star. He is credited with the transformation of Kylie from ingénue into sex kitten. At one time he even listed “corrupting Kylie” as his favourite hobby. His influence helped her to revolutionise her image which boosted the press for, and greatly aided the success of the 1990 album Rhythm of Love. In return, she became his muse, and her throwaway comment about her own dyed hair is said to have inspired his song ‘Suicide Blonde’.

Sadly, rock’n’roll romance is not oft fated to endure, and in 1991 Hutchence began an affair with supermodel Helena Christensen. Kylie moved on with an evolved musical style and image, while he continued his high-octane lifestyle with tragic consequences. He died in dubious circumstances 1997, his death at the still young age of 37 attributed to either autoerotic asphyxiation or suicide.

The BFF: William Baker

While not a romantic relationship per se, William Baker ‘s role as Kylie’s gay best friend and stylist was as instrumental as any in shaping the artiste as we know her today. They first met when he was a lowly sales assistant at Vivienne Westwood in London, but sparks flew and he soon took up position as her personal stylist and creative director. He played a major role in helping her to develop her disco diva persona for the Light Years album (can anyone forget those gold hot pants?) and spent 11 years at her side.

In many ways they were the perfect couple, and as fag and hag worked hand in hand during the most prolific years of her career to-date. Baker produced the 2001 Fever and 2008 Kylie X tours, launched the Love Kylie lingerie range, co-authored her book La La La, and produced an directed her 2007 documentary White Diamond. Although they continue to work together intermittently, Kylie and Baker parted ways in April 2005. He has gone on to work with “other people” such as Britney, Bjork, Jay Kay and also directed a revival of Rent on the West End.

The Sexy Frenchman: Olivier Martinez

Kylie started dating sexy French actor Olivier Martinez in 2003. For many, it seems as if pop’s most perfect princess had finally met her prince. Suave, sophisticated and charming, Olivier and Kylie were often photographed roaming the romantic streets of Paris. In 2005, Kylie was diagnosed with breast cancer, cancelling her Showgirl Tour and withdrawing from public life to fight the illness with Olivier at her side.

Sadly, although Kylie’s fight with cancer had an ultimately happy ending her fairytale romance with her hot French boyfriend was not a similar story. They separated in 2007, with rumours of Olivier having encounters with various other women. However, Kylie maintained that the separation was mutual and amicable, and commended Olivier on the incredible support he gave her during her illness.