JOURNALIST 'SORRY' FOR GATELY ARTICLE

Columnist Jan Moir caused a storm when she penned a provocative comment piece in the U.K.'s Daily Mail on October 16 (09), a day before Gately's funeral.

The controversial article - in which Moir also suggested the tragedy exploded the "happy ever after myth" of gay marriages - attracted a record 25,000 complaints to the British media watchdog, the Press Complaints Commission.

Moir took to her weekly column on Friday (23Oct09) to issue an apology to Gately's family, friends, and husband Andrew Cowles for the article.

She writes, "Obviously, a great deal of offence has been taken and I regret any affront caused. This was never my intention... I am not - unlike those close to Stephen Gately - mourning for the loss of a much-loved partner, son, family member, and close friend.

"To them, I would like to say sorry if I have caused distress by the insensitive timing of the column, published so close to the funeral."

Gately died at his home in Majorca, Spain on 10 October (09) from a build-up of fluid in his lungs. A coroner ruled the death was caused by natural causes.