Wednesday 11 May 2022 10:59 AM Inside Ryan Channing and Ian Thorpe's turbulent love story as the model dies in ... trends now

It was confirmed on Wednesday that Ian Thorpe's former long-term boyfriend Ryan Channing had suddenly died at the age of 32 in Bali this week.

And while he was a successful model, lawyer and skincare brand creator, Channing's name was perhaps mostly splashed across headlines due to his relationship with the Olympic swimmer, 39, after the pair dated from 2015 to 2019.

Here, we take a look at the couple's turbulent romance - from how they met, to their break-ups and a 'white pill' photo which went viral in 2016.

The love story begins:

During an interview with UK talk show host Michael Parkinson in 2014, Ian Thorpe came out as gay to an audience of thousands.

'I'm comfortable saying I'm a gay man. And I don't want people to feel the same way I did. You can grow up, you can be comfortable and you can be gay,' he said.

'I am telling the world that I am gay… and I hope this makes it easier for others now, and even if you've held it in for years, it feels easier to get it out.'

Thorpe's first major relationship after coming out was with Australian model and entrepreneur Channing, with the pair reportedly meeting through mutual friends.

Channing shared his first pictured alongside Thorpe in February 2016, while they enjoyed a cruise together with pals on Sydney Harbour. He captioned the image: 'The summer of [love] continues...'

It's believed the pair had started seeing each other in 2015, and spent the summer together. 

'While it is early days in relationship terms, they are smitten with one another,' a source told The Courier Mail at the time.

'Over the last few weeks Ian and Ryan have been inseparable. They have been going out in public together and meeting one another’s friends, they seem really happy.'

From then on, the duo began sharing sweet photos on social media and were regular fixtures on the glamorous event circuit.

The 'white pill' photo 

In March 2016, Thorpe and Channing's names were splashed across headlines for reasons which had nothing to do with their romance.

Moments before Sydney's Mardi Gras, a picture emerged of Thorpe rejecting an offer of a white pill-like object by the alleged ex-boyfriend of Channing.

It is not suggested that the white pill contained any illegal substance. 

Standing outside in Point Piper with his boyfriend, Thorpe was seen refusing the item, which was being handed by model Oliver Barry.

The blonde model was pictured taking the white object from his wallet, before he appeared to move it towards the Australian swimmer’s mouth.

Thorpe, however, was seen turning away from the alleged offer, while the long-haired model later placed the item in his mouth.

The swimmer's manager at the time, James Erskine, vehemently denied claims the gold medallist did anything wrong and claimed the item was a breath mint. Oliver also denied any involvement.

Thorpe later spoke out about the incident to Confidential, saying: 'I don’t know what it was.

'I’ve thought "It looks terrible if someone is putting something into my mouth", that’s when I turned my head, but ­ unfortunately it was something that was front-page news.'

Family plans:

While the couple were never engaged, at one stage in their romance they actively considered starting a family through a surrogate in the United States.

When discussing their plans to have a baby in early 2019, Channing told Daily Mail Australia: 'Becoming parents is something that Ian and myself would love to make happen.

'Unfortunately the laws in Australia

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