Who was Gary Phelan? Everything to know as the Fame Academy star passes away at 42

Fame Academy star Gary Phelan tragically passed away at the age of 42. Phelan's death was confirmed by his friend and manager Simon Hanning via a Facebook post on August 15 of this year. According to Hanning, the star was found dead in his apartment in Dubai the previous weekend. The exact reason for the musician's death is yet to be confirmed.

Hanning also started a successful crowdfunding campaign to get Phelan's body back to the UK. Newcastle native Gary Phelan shot to fame after appearing on the second series of the BBC's talent show Fame Academy in 2003. Following his stint on the show, the musician toured the country and recorded music before recently shifting to Dubai.

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Gary Phelan participated in the second season of Fame Academy

Gary Phelan became a star during the second season of BBC's Fame Academy, a British reality show that aimed to showcase the musical prowess of young up-and-coming musicians. The show only ran for two seasons, with Phelan appearing on the program's final run in 2003.

Fame Academy saw talented musicians enter a house and live together for a while and get ousted on a weekly basis before eventually only one winner remained. During Phelan's stint on the show, Richard Park served as the program's headmaster, and the musicians were judged by Robin Gibb and David and Carrie Grant.

During the Cramlington, Newcastle native's time on the show, he entered the shared house and was saved by his fellow students once before being saved by the audience twice and eventually exiting the show as the fourth person eliminated. The season was won by singer-songwriter Alexandra Rebecca Parks, also known as Alex Parks.

After his stint on the show, Gary Phelan recorded some new music and toured around the country before eventually settling in Dubai, where he was a well-known performer in the city's pub and bar circuit. The most-viewed music video on Phelan's official YouTube channel is of his track from 13 years ago, Pillar to Pillar.

On August 15, 2024, Gary Phelan's manager and friend shared on Facebook that Phelan was found dead in his apartment the previous weekend. Hanning wrote in an emotional tribute to his late friend:

"I am beyond devastated and can’t as yet put into words how this news has left his family and friends feeling. He was loved by so many people, and I am already missing our chats, his sending me his latest song he’d written and the general banter we had."

The heartbroken manager recalled doing some "amazing" things with the musician and called Phelan "everything you would ask" for a friend. Hanning also started a Just Giving page with a target of £10,000 aimed at raising funds to get Phelan's body back home to the UK for the musician's mother Barbara, brother Christopher, and his "dear 'nana'."

Hanning wrote on the page that Gary Phelan's passing came as "total shock" that created enormous sadness for his family, friends, and colleagues. He revealed that Phelan had moved to Dubai just over a year ago to "begin a new chapter in his life" by performing original and cover songs on a daily.

Hanning further wrote:

"Gary lived his 42 year long life to the full, created many wonderful memories for us all to look back on and cherish. He was generous, giving and thoughtful and each and every one of us that knew him will have stories to tell for the rest of our days. He was truly the best of friends, and someone I know we are all going to miss."

In an update shared a day ago, Hanning revealed that Gary Phelan's body was successfully brought home to the UK, with further updates regarding the funeral yet to come. As of now, Gary's fundraiser has amassed a total of £11,215 from 282 supporters.