BOY George is a pop icon, whose career started in the 80s with his band Culture Club.

But during the late noughties, the I'm A Celebrity star actually served time in prison.

Why did Boy George go to prison?

Culture Club singer Boy George – real name George O’Dowd – was jailed in 2009.

He was convicted of assault and false imprisonment after he was found guilty of handcuffing Norwegian model and male escort Audun Carlsen to a wall and beating him with a metal chain.

Audan told the jury he was only able to get free after breaking the fixture.

Boy George, has said he was high on cocaine and having a psychotic episode at the time of the attack – and has been drug-free since.

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The star pleaded not guilty to the attack but was sentenced to 15 months jail after being convicted of assault and false imprisonment.

George has always denied a court claim that he beat Audun with a chain while the former escort fled in his boxers.

The singer ending up spending four months in prison.

In an interview after George entered the I'm A Celebrity jungle in November 2022, Audun said he is "still traumatised" from that night.

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Branding George a “monster”, Audun told The Mirror: “Had I been a woman and he did what he did, he would never have been given the platform."

What has Boy George said about his time in prison?

In 2017, Boy George opened up with Piers Morgan on Life Stories, saying he regretted the incident, and talked about going to jail.

The singer said: “I sent myself to prison. I told police why I did what I did. I was having a psychotic episode.

"I was a drug addict so I can’t say my reasons for doing it were founded in any way. But I told the truth. I have always denied beating the guy.”

George also claimed he was the victim of homophobic attacks whilst in jail.

In 2017 the singer made a public apology, but Audun didn’t find it genuine and wants a personal apology.

He told The Mirror in his interview: “I can always forgive, but it has to come from a truthful place.”

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the star said in a statement in November 2022: “George went to jail for four months willingly after openly confessing to false imprisonment during a psychotic break 15 years ago whilst in the midst of a well documented drug problem.

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“Not only has he been a pillar of society ever since, but he also remains sober to this day. He apologised publicly on Piers Morgan’s life stories and we are very proud of him for his rehabilitation.

“Everyone is entitled to a second chance and George has certainly earned it.”

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