Adam Lambert has opened up on the importance that was placed on his sexuality when he became famous.

Speaking to the Montreal Gazette, Lambert, who is openly gay, said that his sexuality has never been an issue since he was 18 - but it became one when he was on American Idol.

He said it was a "lot to take on" as he tried to cope with the situation. Lambert said:

"I didn't know how that was going to play out. I now realise how much impact it does have. It's weird, because I've been out of the closet and comfortable with everything since I was 18. Then 10 years later, I'm auditioning for American Idol and all of a sudden it's an issue. I'm like, 'Oh, really? It hasn't been an issue for me since I was a teenager.' It was a lot to take on."

He continued: "The first big interview after the show was with Rolling Stone, and she didn't even have to ask. It just came up in conversation. That's what's funny. The perception is that I was in the closet during the show. But I wasn't. I was open with everyone. It just never came up in conversation on the air. That's the big learning curve - that when you're something alternative to the mainstream and all of a sudden you're introduced to the mainstream, you have to think differently. It's an odd path."