Ian Thorpe To Be A TV Host And Is Not Gay

Towleroad.com reports:

Ian Thorpe, seen here attending the World Swimming Championships in Melbourne over the weekend, told Good Weekend magazine that speculation about his sexuality began when he was a teenager and was an attempt to smear him:

"I became a gay icon when I was 15, which was a little bit weird. When I was 17, everyone had started that speculation about me, though I didn’t hear about most of it. I don’t have a problem with being a gay icon, it’s not a big deal to me. But I think the gay speculation, along with when I was accused of taking drugs in 2000, was an attempt to pull me down from the top. Some people think it’s an insult to say, ‘Oh I think he’s gay’, but I don’t take it that way. I’m not gay. I’m lucky that within myself I don’t care enough to get worried or upset over it."

In other related news, News.Com.Au reports:

RETIRED swimming star Ian Thorpe is taking a crash course in environmental issues before starting a new career as a TV host.

Thorpe admits he has a lot to learn before taking up new roles as producer and presenter of two environmental shows on Foxtel.

"This is completely new territory for me," the 24-year-old told The Sunday Telegraph. "This is such an important issue, I just really want to get it right. A lot of common sense needs to come through (on the issue) and, at the moment, I don't think we are seeing it."

Produced by Foxtel and XYZnetworks, the first project is a 25-part short-form series called Action Earth. Segments will be from two to seven minutes long.

The show will screen on Foxtel's Fox8 and Weather channels from the end of April, running as a three-month campaign in the lead-up to World Environment Day on June 5.