The former Big Brother star has hit out at online trolls as he revealed he has been 'reported' after taking a child-free holiday with husband Arthur Gourounlian.

Brian Dowling has candidly spoken out about the negative reactions he and his husband Arthur Gourounlian encountered after they took a break without their children.

The popular presenter of The Six O'Clock Show and his spouse, who is also celebrated for his role as a judge on Dancing with the Stars, jetted off to Ibiza to celebrate the 40th birthday of their close friend Pippa O'Connor earlier this month.

Despite the joyous occasion, not all were pleased, with some online critics voicing their disapproval of the couple's decision to leave their young daughters - two year old Blake and baby Blu, who was born in June last year - at home, reports the Mirror.

Brian disclosed: "Since our children have been born, I do feel some people are obsessed with trying to take them away from me. It's a very odd feeling."

He continued, expressing frustration over the scrutiny: "Me and Arthur were just away for my best friend's birthday. That was planned a year ago, I knew we'd be having a baby and people were saying we'd been reported online and that our kids need to be forcibly removed from our home."

Attempting to understand the backlash, he shared: "I just find it so odd that people are so obsessed with it. It's kind of alarming. Me and my friends were talking about it, there was no mention of Pippa's kids being removed from her home when she was in Ibiza."

Confounded by the inconsistency and unwarranted attention, Brian questioned: "What is wrong with people? They weren't home alone and we have a great support system."

Despite the online drama, Brian and Arthur have faced their share of trolling and insensitivity since becoming fathers. Arthur recently had a particularly heated exchange with a priest over their child Blu's christening, which left him quite angry.

Brian shared details about a troubling encounter, stating: "Basically, it was the priest's ignorance in only regarding me as Blu's guardian and not her father. Realistically, I'm very aware of the Catholic Church's relationship with my community."

He discussed his connection to faith and tradition, saying, "I'm not a fool, I'm a 46-year-old gay man. But I'm a Catholic and I want both of our daughters to be christened, my mum would have wanted it that way."

The devoted father spoke of his aspirations for his children's religious paths, expressing: "Blake was christened. I want her to make communion and confirmation same as Blu and then they'll make their own decisions."

Brian, who was at home while Arthur handled the situation, admitted he might have lost his composure unlike his husband. Reflecting on how they overcame the altercation, he commented: "That priest, and his ignorance and hatred, was the icing on the cake for me. Very luckily we're going back to Straffan in Kildare, where Blake was christened."

Despite now residing in Dublin, Brian detailed the change of plans, stating, "We thought now that we live in Dublin it would be easier to get Blu christened there, but it is happening in Straffan again."

Addressing their resilience against online hate, Brian expressed, "Brian and Arthur have developed thick skins when it comes to trolling but don't understand why some people have such an issue with how they choose to live their lives."

The steadfast radio host wrapped up with a message about determination and confusion over others' attitudes, adding, "You can't let [trolling] stop you either. We're going full steam ahead. But it's like, Christ when are people going to get over the fact this is our life? Let us bring up our children, let us be content and happy. But listen, there's going to be d***heads everywhere, right?"