Swimming champion Ian Thorpe and boyfriend Ryan Channing have confirmed that they have split up, the couple had been together for four years.

Channing told the Daily Mail that they ended their relationship around four weeks ago and he had moved out of the home they shared.

“Yes, the rumours are true, we have parted ways. It has all been very amicable. We have stayed friends.” Channing said.

The couple had been prominent campaigner for marriage equality during the 2017 postal survey. Channing told the newspaper that their relationship had faced difficulty due to their demanding careers.

The couple were one of the most high profile LGBTI couples in Australia. Channing said when they first began dating he had a much simpler life working as a paralegal, in recent years though his schedule has become much busier with his skincare business.

OIP Staff