Ireland's The X-Factor hopeful, Brendan Murray, was voted out of the contest on Sunday night.

The man from Tuam reached the semi-finals of the show but was finally given the boot after getting the fewest public votes.

The former 'Hometown' boyband member was evicted along with fellow contestant Danny Tetley.

However, Murray's exit from the show wasn't the main talking point over the weekend, after photos emerged online which led people to question his sexuality.

Murray was forced to address the rumours that he was in a gay relationship with fellow contestant, Dalton Harris.

Pictures of the pair hugging were spread on social media and sparked rumours that they were together but Murray told The Irish Sun that this is certainly not the case.

"People [see the pictures and] just presume.. 'oh look they are together.'"

"The thing is where I'm from there's a lot of toxic masculinity. I'm me and he's him. I don't know why we always sexualise everything. It is what it is, and we still are what we are."

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