The former frontman of 1980s band Frankie Goes To Hollywood says he now lives “like a nun”.
Holly Johnson, who has HIV, said he takes “copious amounts of vitamins and medications”, and does “everything possible to support my health”.
Speaking to The Observer Magazine, he added: “But I’m in the same boat with millions of other people who have other illnesses. Unfortunately the drugs have side effects.
“I’ve developed Type 2 diabetes now because of that, and have to take more medication for that. But I’m not whining about it, and I never will.”
Johnson said getting out of bed in the morning “takes effort” but the singer, whose band is famous for Relax and Two Tribes, has a new album called Europa coming out at the end of this month.
Bird earns a stay of execution
A bird that earned a last-minute reprieve after supermarket chain Tesco’s plans to shoot it caused a Twitter backlash has been caught and released.
The firm had applied for a licence from Natural England to allow it to shoot the pied wagtail which has been regularly spotted in the aisles of a branch in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, in recent weeks.
However, locals raised concerns about the plans to bring in a marksman with an air rifle to shoot the bird.
Nature presenter Chris Packham, who called for the bird to be spared on social media on September 11, tweeted: “Breaking News! The Tesco Wagtail has been caught and released by BTO (British Trust for Ornithology).” Packham posted a picture of the bird which he referred to as a “renegade”.
Monkey business in UK’s capital
More than 600 people wearing gorilla costumes and fancy dress took to the streets of London in a charity event in aid of gorillas.
Organisers of the London Great Gorilla Run – now in its 11th year – said £100,000 had so far been raised.
People ran, jogged or walked the eight-kilometre route which started and finished at Mincing Lane in the City and passed sites such as St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London. The money will be used to try to save the lives and preserve the habitat of gorillas, which are an endangered species.
Marilyn negative sold at auction
A negative from Marilyn Monroe’s first professional photoshoot has sold at auction for £4,250.
The estimate had been between £5,000 and £8,000 but auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, from Henry Aldridge and Sons, in Wiltshire said: “I am quite happy with that as a result.
“It was an exceptionally unusual item and to be able to include the copyright added another dimension as we only usually sell the physical item.”
Interest in the sale showed that Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe is still very much a star, according to Aldridge.
The image dates back to when the future film star was the unknown Norma Jeane Baker, a 20-year-old factory girl dreaming of becoming a model. The true value in this auctioned image lies in the fact that it was sold with its own copyright to reproduce and distribute the image as its new owner wishes.
Oldest rollercoaster to be restored
Work is under way to restore Britain’s oldest surviving rollercoaster at a seaside amusement park site.
Contractors moved in to start reviving the Grade II* listed Scenic Railway at the Dreamland fun park in Margate, Kent, last week.
The 94-year-old timber attraction, one of the oldest rollercoasters of its kind left in the world, was seriously damaged in an arson attack in 2008.
It had been shut two years before the fire, which destroyed about 40 per cent of it, but now restoration efforts are under way.
Campaigners said it was the biggest milestone yet as part of work to reopen Dreamland at a cost of £18 million.