Under the microscope
CAN YOU RUN UP THE STAIRS? YES, fitness is very important to me. I try to do a something every day and mix it up a bit — going to the gym is too boring. I do a 5k run and then boxing, gymnastics or dancing. GET YOUR FIVE A DAY? I AM not really a five-a-day person, I just eat as and when I can. I am a carb maniac. I could over-indulge very easily on pizza and pasta. EVER DIETED? ABOUT five years ago, I went on a diet before a tour. It was low-carb with a lot of protein, good fats and greens. It was difficult to do, but it worked. ANY VICES? I DO love a Guinness. My fiancee, Sarah Richards [a former backing singer with JLS], loves chocolate but I will just take a square and put the rest back in the fridge. A vanilla latte or an iced coffee always goes down well. EVER HAVE PLASTIC SURGERY? NEVER say never. I have tattoos, but I don’t think I’d ever get any removed. They are a part of me. WORST ILLNESS? AN OPERATION to correct damaged nerves on my left foot when I was a teenager. I was on crutches for a few months and it stopped me trying to follow a professional football career. Before that I’d played in the Sunday League and was going for trials. There is still a part of my foot I can’t really feel. ANY FAMILY AILMENTS? MY DAD is diabetic and my mum’s dad had bowel cancer and cancer behind his eye, which he survived. He is amazing, as tough as nails. HAD ANYTHING REMOVED? I HAD root canal work to remove nerves from a tooth. TRIED ALTERNATIVE REMEDIES? ALL THE time. If anything feels inflamed or in need of attention, I go to Darren Chandler, an osteopath. EVER BEEN DEPRESSED? NOTHING ever goes 100 per cent right for any artist all the time, so there have been moments when I’ve been down. But I’m quite strong-minded so always pick myself up. HANGOVER CURE? HYDRATION tablets [which provide sugar and salts when mixed with water] which I think are quite good. WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE? GETTING enough sleep was a problem when my baby son Grayson’s teeth were coming through, but not now. I’m a bit of a night owl and tend to get by on six hours, seven if I am lucky. I would love a bit more. ANY PHOBIAS? I USED to have a big phobia of dogs. It took me about 20 years to get over it. LIKE TO LIVE FOR EVER? NOT if it meant everyone else that I knew and loved was going to leave me. A long, healthy life with loved ones would be brilliant.