(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Ricky Martin has compared the acceptance of his sexual orientation from his fans to a "festival of love".

The Puerto Rican singer publicly announced his homosexuality on his personal Twitter page in March of last year, and was initially daunted by the reaction he could receive from his loyal followers. The star had previously dated women, including Mexican TV host Rebecca de Alba who he had an off-off relationship with for over 14 years.

Despite his reservations, Ricky says he was pleasantly surprised by the reception.

"I was worried at first about what people would say. I went into a room and called my friend and asked her what the reaction was. She said it was like a festival of love. I realised the fear had all been in my head," he revealed in an interview with Hello! magazine.

Ricky became the father of twin boys, Matteo and Valentino in August 2008. The 39-year-old says his life has drastically changed since the arrival of his sons, who were born by surrogate.

"Everything used to be about me and now everything is all about my boys. I used to be a night owl, but now I hardly go out," he confessed. "I have to force myself to go out because it is too easy to stay at home as a family on the couch. I love reading them stories and being there to put them to bed." (C) Cover Media