A man who pretended to be the online girlfriend of the US college footballer Manti Te'o for more than a year, is said to have fallen "deeply, romantically in love" with the star.

In an interview with the Dr Phil show, hoaxer Ronaiah Tuiasosopo said he was "confused" about his sexuality following the two-year relationship with Te'o. He had convinced the Notre Dame linebacker that he was Lennay Kekua, whom he characterised as a 20-something woman who narrowly survived a car crash only to later die of leukemia.