"I USE A PROPER CHOPPING BOARD"
Gareth Gates discusses beef sandwiches and home-ownership…
As you may be aware, Gareth Gates is back from the pop dumper with a new album and a new flat.
Since proper popstars with clean clothes, good hair and very high levels of personal hygiene are rare nowadays, we are more than glad to have him back with us…
Questions: Peter Robinson
Answers: Gareth Gates (obviously)
Hello Gareth.
Hi mate!
You were born within 24 hours of James Morrison. Why is he taken (relatively) seriously as an artist when you're not?
I think the nature in which I was brought into the public eye has meant that I've been labeled unfairly. I'm aware that I'm not taken seriously and everyone that works with me knows that we've got a lot to do to try and shift that. We are on our way to doing that and we'll just wait to see what happens.
After the first single stormed into the Top 15, how do you feel your amazing comeback is going?
Everything is going swimmingly. It is fantastic to be back, I had a good few years off so I could work on my speech. Now I can do interviews — which is nice.
The star of that 'Whatever Happened To Gareth Gates' documentary at Christmas was, undoubtedly, your kitchen. Where did you buy it?
It came with the flat.
And how do you protect your work surfaces?
Lots of people use sharp knives on granite tops and I'd never do that. I use a proper chopping board.
What would you most likely to be chopping?
Vegetables. Maybe an onion.
Apart from having to spend what seems like a lifetime in Minis with people from Foxtons banging on about their thoughts on life, what's the most stressful thing about buying your own flat in London?
Paying the mortgage is the biggest problem. Sorting things like a broken boiler is a bit of a nightmare too, but where I live I've got a porter so if anything goes wrong he'll sort it.
You are quite literally the nicest man in pop. When was the last time you were a real cunt?
I get really ratty when I'm hungry. I have a half-eaten sandwich in front of me here and I got very angry earlier at a girl from my management because I wasn't able to finish it.
What was in the sandwich?
It was amazing. It was rare roast beef, horseradish and rocket.
Describe to us using words how it felt when your first record label dropped you.
It was hard at first but it is funny how life spins itself around and I've signed a bigger, better deal now, plus I've been given more freedom. I've got more involved in the record, creatively, this time around.
What steps have you taken to make sure you don't get dropped again?
I'm working as hard as I can at my end and that's all I am able to ask of myself. I've always been with 19 management and Simon Fuller has always believed in me so even when we did move away from BMG we knew there would be another deal waiting for me.
Who would you say is the average Gareth Gates fan?
My fans are such a range of people from really little girls to teenagers and then the mums.
We once mentioned a showcase you were playing and were inundated with phones calls from middle-aged women wanting to crash the show, except they told us they only wanted the address so they could 'send you some flowers for good luck'.
Brilliant. The amount of support people are still giving me is amazing.
They were all married and introduced themselves as a 'Mrs'…
LOVELY!
What's been the highlight of your year been so far?
That's a tough one…
It's fairly straightforward really. Come on Gareth.
Well, it's nice to be able to do interviews I guess.
If you're enjoying doing interviews surely you can pull something more interesting than being able to do interviews out of the hat.
It's been good, though. I've been able to go on TV shows! I did Jonathan Ross recently and that was a massive highlight. The more interviews I do, the more relaxed I feel about the whole process.
You were on Big Brother's Big Mouth recently.
Yes I was.
What did you have to say about this year's Big Brother?
Well, I was on the first show so I didn't have to know anything about what was going on. I was just there to say 'hi'.
Surely they expected more than a bit of a 'hello'.
I don't know. I didn't have to know much about the show fortunately. I like the twins but they seem really annoying. My main thoughts are that it might be a bit of a nightmare with eleven girls in the house.
You don't actually know anything about Big Brother do you?
No. Let's move on.
What's been the worst part of your year?
I haven't had a low point. Nothing bad has happened this year.
All things considered — an average year.
Yes. This year's been a happy medium.
Thank you very much and good luck with your album, Gareth Gates.