Holly Johnson “felt there was homophobia” involved after the BBC temporarily banned ‘Relax’.
The Frankie Goes to Hollywood frontman believes it was “a bit of a storm in a teacup” when the then-BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read branded the lyrics of the gay anthem as scandalous.
The corporation then banned the song from playing on the radio and TV for a few weeks in early 1984, before eventually lifting the censorship as the track rose to number one on the UK Singles Chart, where it stayed for five weeks.
Holly, 65, told The i newspaper: “I felt there was homophobia involved, and they let their imaginations run wild with themselves thinking, because I’m gay, ‘It’s all about gay sex, and we can’t have that.’
“There’s no reference to gay sex, really, in the record.”
Holly believes the situation was totally overblown by the BBC.
The music star said: “I thought it was a bit of a storm in a teacup.”
‘Relax’ was a massive hit, and the band – formed of Holly, Paul Rutherford, Mark O’Toole, Brian Nash and Peter Gill – continued their success with the release of ‘Two Tribes’ later in 1984.
The track spent nine weeks at number one in the UK Singles Chart, and the group’s feet “didn’t touch the ground” with the constant touring and TV interview appearances.
But looking back at that time, Holly thinks there was “no consideration” for the boys’ “physical and mental health”.
The star – who quit Frankie Goes to Hollywood in 1987 – admitted: “There was no consideration for our physical and mental health.
“It was just, ‘Get those boys over there. Sell, sell, sell.'”
Frankie Goes to Hollywood reunited and sang their 1984 song ‘Welcome to the Pleasuredome’ at the opening ceremony of the Eurovision Song Contest in their hometown of Liverpool in 2023 – but Holly has cast doubt on whether there will be a full get-together in the future.
He said: “I entertained the idea for a while after, but it seems to have gone away now.”