Blue singer Lee Ryan guilty of racially aggravated assault

Ryan had drunk a bottle of port before boarding a flight.

Blue singer Lee Ryan has been convicted of the racially aggravated assault of a female flight cabin crew member and assaulting a police officer. Ryan, 39, had drunk a bottle of port before boarding a flight on 31 July last year from Glasgow to London, Ealing Magistrates' Court heard. The court was also told that Ryan said to the flight attendant: "I want your chocolate children," and referred to her as a "chocolate cookie" before grabbing her wrist. Ryan denied the word chocolate was racist and said his actions were merely "playful". The 39-year-old has also been found guilty of being drunk on an aircraft and behaving in an abusive way towards the cabin crew member. Ryan formed the boy band in 2000 with Antony Costa, Duncan James and Simon Webbe and released three studio albums before the group announced a hiatus in late 2004. The group reformed and represented the UK at the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest, placing 11th, and in March 2013 announced they would embark on their first headlining tour later that year. Sony dropped the band in April 2015 after poor sales of their fifth album Colours.