Pop star Ian H Watkins has received a public apology at the High Court over the mistaken use of his photograph on a celebrity news website reporting the guilty pleas of Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins to serious sexual offences.

A judge in London heard that the musician and actor, also known as Ian "H" Watkins or "H" from the band Steps, had already been "receiving abuse as a result of people confusing the two Ian Watkins" before the error over the photograph was made.

He received an apology today from E! Entertainment Television, a US company which operates a television channel E! and website E! Online, covering celebrity news.