6 things you never knew about Russell Watson

The English tenor on rock bands, being in Corrie and why not to buy a Hummer

1. He was asked to be in rock band Velvet Revolver.

Russell recalls: “I met with [Guns ’n’ Roses guitarist] Slash in LA at the Rainbow on Sunset Boulevard. He told me he loved my stuff and asked if I would like to audition for his new band. I declined.”

2. He’d love to revisit his singing past.

“When I started out more than 20 years ago it was in working men’s clubs,” says Russell. “There’s one that always sticks in my mind, just up past Sellafield. I’d love to know if it’s still there.”

3. He’s met some of the world’s biggest VIPs.

“I’ve performed at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II, toured Japan and had dinner with the Emperor at the Imperial Palace, and given a show for the Duke of Edinburgh in the garden at Buck Pal,” he says.

4. He’d love to take a role in Coronation Street.

“I think I would be Mike Baldwin’s love child. I’ll have come back from many years ago and turn up as some dodgy backstreet car dealer.”

5. He doesn’t get stagefright…

“Once the lights hit my face, I’m there and alive, and that’s a wonderful feeling. The only time I’ll ever feel nervous is if there is a problem with my voice.”

6. He loves his cars.

“I’ve had half a dozen Range Rovers, a brutal TVR Cerbera, a Bentley and an Aston Martin… I’ve been a very lucky boy,” he admits. “The biggest mistake? The Hummer – it was far too big to fit down most streets and you couldn’t find a parking space for it anywhere.”