Joe McElderry has revealed that Cheryl Cole sent him a supportive text message when he came out as gay this summer.

However, the X Factor winner admitted that he lost the message when he accidentally dropped his phone down a toilet.  

The 19-year-old also explained that his mother was supportive about him coming out.

He revealed, "It was about a week before I told the press and we were on the train and I said, 'I've got something to tell you,' and she was like, 'Oh, all right then,' and then I told her, and she was fine."

McElderry's next single, 'Ambitions', will be released on October 11. His debut album, 'Wide Awake', is released on October 25, in time for the Christmas market.