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Britain's Got Talent: What happened to Ronan Parke and what is he doing now?
31 May 2019, 17:19
Ronan Parke became an overnight sensation when he auditioned as a 12-year-old singer on Britain's Got Talent in 2011.
Despite being the bookmakers' favourite to win the competition, he eventually finished second behind fellow singer Jai McDowall, in a shock result at the time.
But what did Ronan do since then and what is he up to now? Here's all the important facts about the talented star:
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Who is Ronan Parke and how old is he?
Ronan Parke - Britain's Got Talent 2011 Audition - International Version
Ronan Parke is an English singer hailing from Poringland in Norfolk.
He was the runner-up in the fifth series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent in 2011.
He soon signed a joint record deal with Sony Music and released his self-titled debut album Ronan Parke, which reached number 22 in the UK.
Born in 1998, he celebrated his 20th birthday in 2018.
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What has he done since BGT?
Ronan released the charity single 'Defined' in 2013 alongside the anti bullying organisation Kidscape.
In 2018, he released a single titled 'No Love (Like First Love)', as well as a new album Found My Way.
He also released a Christmas single titled 'Cheers' in 2018.
Ronan still regularly performs and you can follow his life and career on his official Instagram.
A Star Is Born - Shallow by Ronan Parke #RonanSings
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Is Ronan Parke gay?
Ronan has spoken openly about being gay, telling Attitude: "I remember trying to come out to my parents: I was young - I can’t remember how old I was, around 7 or 8 - and I went downstairs to the lounge and stood in front of the TV and got the remote and went ‘Mummy, daddy, I have something to tell you!’
"And they just went ‘Yeah, yeah, we know, you’re gay’, and they just got the remote and unmuted the TV!
"I was like [dramatic gasp], ‘What?! But they just always knew. And after that, I just never had to [come out] to my friends. But I’ve always identified as a gay man and I’ve always been very proud to say it."
Ronan Parke - No Love (Like First Love) [Official Music Video]
When asked if he's ever been in a serious relationship, he added: "Not really. Maybe like dating things, but not proper relationships.
"I think it would take a very strong man to put up with me [laughs]. It isn’t something I’m interested in right now. If I meet someone and we get on that’s one thing, but it’s not a priority."
