Boy George vows to pay for Pete Burns’ funeral

Boy George has vowed to pay for Dead or Alive singer Pete Burns’ funeral following his tragic death on Monday.

Reality star Pete was reportedly penniless at the time of his death, and sources claim George has stepped in to make sure he gets the send-off he deserves.

“It is very sad, but Pete died absolutely penniless and there is no money for a funeral,” a source close to the singer’s ex-wife Lynne Corlett and husband Michael Simpson explained.

“Pete never really got his life together and was very disorganised which is why there was nothing left.

“At one point Lynne and Michael were discussing with Pete’s friends about setting up a crowdfunding page to pay for it. But people were not happy about that as they thought it would be undignified for Pete,” they explained to The Sun.

“When George got wind of this, he offered to pay for the whole thing straight away. He thinks [Lynne] and Michael have enough on their plates and wanted to take this concern away from them.”

“It is a very generous gesture – and typical of George. As soon as he heard there was a problem he did not hesitate to sort it out. He was devastated by the news and Pete was a great friend of his.

The Culture Club singer and Pete were big pals in their eighties heyday, and George led tributes when the shocking news of the Dead Or Alive frontman’s death broke on Monday, tweeting: “He was one of our great true eccentrics and such a big part of my life.”

Pete was married to Lynne for 25 years before they split and the singer wed boyfriend Michael Simpson in 1987. The trio remained close and lived close to each other in north west London.

The star’s funeral is likely to take place in London within weeks, with a wake due to be held at the infamous Groucho Club.