New York

Sun Article Day One  Blue chat outrage IN one of the sickest outbursts since the attacks on New York, Blue singer Lee Ryan claimed the September 11th atrocities were being "blown out of proportion." Lee and Blue band mates, Duncan James, Simon Webbe and Antony Costa had come into The Sun Online to answer your questions when he made the foul-mouthed outburst: "Who gives a f... about New York when elephants are being killed." Blue had come in to promote their new single, If You Come Back but left knowing that Lee would NEVER be invited back again LEE RYAN from Blue has made an astonishing outburst saying the attacks on New York have been blown out of proportion. The stupid boy there is no other expression for him told The Sun that instead of feeling sorry for New Yorkers we should be worrying about WHALES and ELEPHANTS. As his horrified mates from Britains top boy band tried to shut him up, Lee insisted on speaking out. The 18-year-old, who actually WITNESSED the September 11 tragedy, said during a visit to The Suns HQ: Who gives a f about New York when elephants are being killed? Animals need saving and thats more important. This New York thing is being blown out of proportion ... Im not afraid to say this, it has to be said and thats why Im the outspoken one from the band. The groups bosses at Virgin were furious about Lees gaffe. Lee and the rest of Blue Duncan James, Antony Costa and Simon Webbe were filming a video in New York at the time of the World Trade Center atrocities. His outburst came as fellow band members recalled their horror at the tragedy. Blue got to No1 with Too Close last month. Their new single, If You Come Back, is out on November 12. Why was the trip to Singapore cancelled earlier this year ? Penelope Chin Simon - We cancelled because of New York. All our schedule was put back because of what happened there. Duncan - We were over there re-shooting our video when it all happened. Antony - We saw the second plane crash into the tower and then the building crumble. Simon- It was scary, it would be, it's the biggest day of terrorism in history. Antony It was awful, my mum couldnt contact me for 12 hours. Lee - What about whales? They are ignoring animals that are more important. Animals need saving and that's more important. This New York thing is being blown out of proportion. Simon- Shut up Lee. Lee - Who gives a f... about New York when elephants are being killed. Duncan- Shut up. Lee - I'm not afraid to say this, it has to be said. Im not afraid to say it and that's why I'm the outspoken one from the band. But after a severe carpeting by Virgin, Lee last night apologised and pledged to donate his share of profits from If You Come Back to our Twin Towers Fund. He said: I am deeply sorry for what I have said and apologise unreservedly to everyone affected by the tragedy of September 11. I was trying to express my concerns for other issues close to my heart but I realise now I did so in a very foolish and offensive way. I will donate my royalties from our next single to the Twin Towers Fund. I hope this small gesture will go some way to showing that I really am very sorry. Lee may have apologised but he is 18, old enough to vote and to know better.

2nd SUN article Thousands ring hotline in disgust over Blue star's outburst THOUSANDS of you yesterday demanded the sacking of Blue star Lee Ryan after his outrageous comments on the New York terror attacks. More than 6,000 people called our special hotline and voted by well over two to one for the singer to be booted out of the boy band. Hundreds of e-mails criticising Lee also flooded in to our office some from New Yorkers who had read our story online in the US. London radio station LBC devoted an hour-long phone-in to our exclusive and 95 per cent of callers said he should be sacked. Loudmouth Lee who witnessed the attacks caused outrage when he said during a visit to The Suns HQ that the attacks on New York had been blown out of proportion. Despite being told to shut up by band mates Simon, Duncan and Antony, he ranted: Who gives a f about New York when elephants are being killed? CLAIRE CANDLER and her colleagues in New York wrote a typical e-mail, saying: Lee has no respect for the dead or for the thousands of children now without a mum or a dad. He is a disgrace to his family, his friends and his band. He needs to learn a lesson the hard way. Sack him. The band will do much better without him. JON CASTIGLIA, of Ealing, West London, said: Hes disgusting and Blue should get rid of him. I cant believe someone could say something so evil. One New Yorker, called GRIFF, blasted: That shead ought to be castrated, let alone lose his job. His comments are below contempt. SAM LANE, of Newport, South Wales, wrote: Lee is a cold-hearted man and does not deserve the success of being in a boy band. KEITH SLOAN said: Get shot of the little schmuck. Hes a loud-mouthed, ignorant, selfish and insensitive kid. Of the few who e-mailed to defend Lee JANE ROBSON, of Poole, Dorset, asked: Dont you think Lee deserves a chance? Hes 18 and has suddenly become famous. Everything he says is picked up on. Yes he was stupid but he has said he is sorry. Dont sack him. And a girl who signed only as NATALIE wrote: If someone in an office had made Lees comments they wouldnt be fired. It would be a terrible thing to ruin such a good band because of something someone said. Yesterday, in a desperate bid to save his skin, Lee posted an apology on the bands official website. Last night a spokesman for Blue said: Lee is not going to be sacked. His bosses at Virgin have given him a severe talking to and he has apologised. He never set out to offend anyone. He is the first to admit he said things in a clumsy way. .

Westlife stick up for Blue (worldpop.com)  At a press conference marking the worldwide launch of their new album Word Of Our Own, Westlife this morning announced they do not believe Blue member Lee Ryan should be sacked from the boy band. Lee hit the headlines last week when he raged, 'Who gives a f*** about New York when elephants and whales are dying?' UK tabloid The Sun called for him to be sacked from the band but when a Sun journalist asked Westlife for their opinion on Lee's comments, they said they support him. 'We actually spoke to him and he said you took the comments out of context,' Bryan McFadden told The Sun's reporter. 'He has his opinion and whether it's right or wrong he shouldn't be sacked from a music group for talking about politics.' Westlife also denied that Blue are their rivals. 'We don't want to compete against people,' explained Mark Feehilly. 'One of the reasons we called the album World Of Our Own is because it's just about Westlife now. We're not interested in competing with people. We just want to see as much as possible ourselves.'