The pressure can take its toll on this shy guy

Is fame everything you dreamed of?
It is really cool but it's not easy. Fame's very different from what you see on TV. I don't thing anyone realises how much hard work it is.

What makes it hard?
Every now and again you freak out and wonder whether it's all worth it. The first time we went to America, I was 19 and we were doing a gig in two different cities each day for six weeks. We didn't have much money so I couldn't afford to call my family. And then, unfortunately, my grandad passed away. I was like, "I'm getting on a plane right now and not coming back." You get days like that and it makes you feel like quitting, but usually everything's much better the next morning.

What's the funniest thing that's happened to you?
We flew to Poland recently and I slept all the way there. When we arrived we signed some autographs and everyone was laughing at me - I just thought I looked really tired. When I got back to the hotel I went to wash my face and saw that Nicky and our tour manager, Anto, had drawn big red tears all over my cheeks and graffitied my forehead while I was asleep.

Have you met any stars that haven't impressed you?
There was that famous time a couple of years ago when Christina Aguilera had me removed from a seat in the Met Bar. But now, having been in the industry a while, I realise it probably wasn't even her fault. It's more likely that one of her entourage was probably getting abit self-important. But it's had a positive side - it's just showed me how I never want to behave.

Ever had a stalker?
Yeah, there was a girl who hung around my granny's house. She kept ringing her so we had my granny's number changed but somehow the girl got hold of the new number. Then I saw her at the airport and really laid into her. It's very scary - John Lennon ended up losing his life because of a stalker. It's not nice to leave your hometown thinking, 'Is my granny ok?'

article ©Smash Hits magazine 2002