Stephen Gatley's civil partner, Andy Cowles, blames himself for the Boyzone star's death, according to reports.

Gately, 33, was found dead in the couple's apartment on the holiday island of Majorca over the weekend.

Unconfirmed reports have claimed the singer choked on his vomit following a night out with Cowles in the nearby capital city of Palma.

Cowles, who entered into a civil partnership with Gately in 2006, is said to have been “crying his eyes out” over the singer's death.

According to the Daily Mirror, he confided his feelings to Gately's former bandmates Ronan Keating and Keith Duffy during a walk on Monday.

“I will never forgive myself for this. He died and I couldn’t help him. I feel like my life is over,” Cowles reportedly told the pair.

A friend said: “They kept telling Andy that he shouldn’t blame himself – but he just kept crying his eyes out.

“The guy is in a deep state of shock and he hasn’t slept for a minute since this tragedy unfolded. He is a total mess and everyone is worried about him.”

A post-mortem is due to be carried out today on Gately's body ahead of a funeral next week.

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