English singer-songwriter and DJ Boy George was BOTD in 1961. Born George O’Dowd in Bexley, Kent to a working-class Irish immigrant family, and grew up in Eltham in south-east London. Relocating to Soho in his teens, he became involved with the burgeoning punk and New Romantic movements, befriending performance artist Leigh Bowery and becoming a regular at Steve Strange‘s nightclub Blitz. After briefly appearing with new wave band Bow Wow Wow, he formed the pop band Culture Club in 1981. Their 1982 debut album Kissing to Be Clever became an international bestseller, spawning three No 1 singles, notably the reggae-influenced song Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? Inspired by Glam Rock musicians Marc Bolan and David Bowie, he presented as a flamboyant androgyne with eyeshadow, hair braids and enormous hats, teasing interviewers including Joan Rivers with references to his bisexuality. (In his 1995 biography, memorably titled Take It Like a Man, he confirmed that he was gay rather than bisexual). Culture Club repeated their success with their 1983 album Colour By Numbers, spawning the international hit Karma Chameleon. By the mid-1980s, George was a bone-fide celebrity, appearing in Live Aid’s 1984 charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas and making a cameo in American TV series The A Team. George’s tormented relationship with Culture Club drummer Jon Moss and struggles with heroin addiction led to their disbanding in 1986. After seeking addiction treatment, he launched a solo career, recording under the name Jesus Loves You and had a surprise hit with a cover of The Crying Game, used in the 1992 film of the same name. In 2002, he starred as Bowery in Taboo, a raucous musical recreation of London’s 1980s nightclub scene. In 2008, he was convicted of assaulting and imprisoning Norwegian escort Audun Carlsen, and served four months in prison. (True to form, he asked to appear in Celebrity Big Brother during his probation period, but was turned down by the probation board). He continues to perform and tour, and has mentored a number of younger artists, including Anohni. He published a further memoir, Straight, in 2005, followed by Karma in 2024. George lives in London. His current relationship status is unknown.