Pete Burns

**Pete Burns** (5 August 1959 – 23 October 2016) was an English singer and reality television personality. He is known for being a member of the band Dead or Alive and for changing his appearance many times with plastic surgery.

## Early life

Burns was born on the Wirral in England to a German mother, Eva. He started school when he was seven.

## Career

In 1980 he created the band Dead or Alive and their first album, _Sophisticated Boom Boom_, was released four years later.

In 1985, the single "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" from their second album _Youthquake_ achieved global fame and has been re-released multiple times. The band was most popular in Japan.

In 2004, Burns released a single with the Pet Shop Boys.

In the 2000s, Pete Burns moved away from making music to focus on reality television. In 2006, he appeared on _Celebrity Big Brother_ as a contestant, where he survived until the final day and left the house to booing from the audience.

He appeared on many other shows such as _The Weakest Link_, _Come Dine With Me_ and his own documentary _Pete Burns Unspun._

## Public image

Pete Burns was known for his harsh insults and way of speaking which often caused offence to people. Burns had arguments and rivalries with other celebrities such as Boy George (as both were famous LGBT singers) and Jodie Marsh.

His appearance changed a lot between the 1990s and the 2010s because of his love for plastic surgery and he received a lot of attention because of it. Burns once said that he hoped God wouldn't recognise him in heaven. He had over 300 surgeries in his life and many reports said he was addicted to it.

While on _Celebrity Big Brother_, his coat caused a scandal because it was made from fur which was illegal to sell in the UK. The coat was removed from the house for investigation.

## Legal issues

In 2006, Burns was arrested for attacking his boyfriend, Michael Simpson. He was bailed out of jail by a fan who paid £3,000. Because of the rules of the bail, Burns was banned from London for some time and had to stay in Plymouth with the fan.

## Personal life

Pete Burns was married twice. His first marriage was to Lynne Corlett between 1980 and 2006. In 2007, he married Michael Simpson.

Many people and fans talked about what Pete Burns' sexuality was and if he was transgender because his appearance was feminine. But Burns said that he was not transgender and didn't like to label his sexuality.

Burns suffered from depression during a lot of his life. In his last years, he lived in poverty because he spent most of his money on surgeries. He had to ask friends for money, including politician George Galloway.

## Death and legacy

Burns died in London after a sudden cardiac arrest on 23 October 2016, at the age of 57. His former rival Boy George paid for the funeral. Many celebrities in the UK gave him tributes.

In 2024, an exhibition was opened in his hometown to remember him.

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Pete Burns
- **image**: Pete Burns.jpg
- **birth name**: Peter Jozzeppi Burns
- **birth date**: 5 August 1959
- **birth place**: Port Sunlight, Cheshire, England
- **death date**: 23 October 2016
- **death place**: London, England
- **resting place**: West London Crematorium
- **nationality**: United Kingdom, British
- **occupation**: *Singer-songwriter
*Reality television participant
- **years active**: 1977–2016
- **spouse**: *Lynne Corlett (1980–2006)
*Michael Simpson (2007–death)