Brian Dowling’s husband Arthur Gourounlian has spoken for the first time about his refugee childhood and how he fled his Armenian home to save his life.And while Brian was winning hearts and minds on Dancing With The Stars last year, his husband Arthur was providing much needed love and support when the cameras were off.
“I was 12 years old and my parents told me to pack a bag as if I was going on holidays and we took a train to Moscow.“We went from Russia to Cologne and then to Brussels where we claimed asylum and it was just so difficult.Arthur and his family were taken to a refugee centre in Brussels called ‘Le petit Chateau’ before being re-homed again by the Salvation Army in a small village in the Belgian countryside.
“Then when I was 15, suddenly my father died, and my world was just turned on its head. I became a different person.”He finished his barber training out of loyalty to his father’s wishes but longed to leave Belgium and follow his dreams. “I did three months but I had to leave because I didn’t take this risk just to work in a Butlins resort.
“Behind closed doors you don’t know what is going on, they would never let me see that, but I am still very close with all of them.”