TV HITS (May 2005)

What's been going on Ben?

Well back in 2003, me and the other lads from A1 decided to call it a day. It was completely amicable, we were all just getting bit sick of the whole thing. We'd come so far with A1 and we were on such a massive high after the success of our single 'Caught in the Middle' that we decided to quit while the going was good and do our own thing.

Do you still see the lads?

Yeah, I speak to them every so often - they're all doing really well. Christian went back home and is now a huge solo artist in Norway. Mark always loved writing and got his dream job working as part of the Metrophonic team, writing music for new artists and stuff like that. Then Paul went back to Spain to spend time with his family and he's thinking about making a comeback too.

Rumour has it, A1 never actually made any money - is that true?

I've never struggled. I've made plenty of money from A1 and I wouldn't really have to do a huge amount of work now if I didn't want to. So its not true that we didnt make any money, maybe not as much as people think, but enough for us to be comfortable and to do what we want with our future!

Do you still live in London or do you own a big mansion in the country?

I still have my flat here in London but I've spent so much time in LA, that I've decided I'm going to buy a house there. I love LA!

Who got to keep A1's Brit Award?

You only ever get one per band, but one of our label executives said on the night he'd pay for us all to have one of our own! We were so excited about it and sure enough, a couple of weeks later we all had one. It's something I'll treasure forever - it's such a huge achievement to have won a Brit. I have it on my mantelpiece at home!

Do you have good memories of A1?

Of course I do! We did some silly things, wore some shocking outfits and maybe we weren't packages well. But, at the end of the day, I can look back, laugh and really enjoy my memories. If I hadnt been part of A1, I wouldn't be where I am now.

Were you offered any comedy opportunities after A1 split?

Yeah, I was offered things left right and centre! It was halarious, I was offered a couple of parts in some very well-known soaps, I was offered a job as a TV presenter, and parts in musicals. It was very bizarre, but luckily I saw the bigger picture and wasnt taken by any of the offers. I never set out to do any of those things, all I ever wanted to do was sing. I could never see myself presenting.

What about if you had'nt got offered a solo deal?

If you take the first thing that is offered to you after leaving a band, it implies that you cant cut it as a musician. If you're seriously into the music then at least try your hardest to make it. Dont accept something just for the money!

So whats the new stuff like?

Well I didnt hold back on anything, I had no boundaries and the world was my oyster! I started from scratch and wrote two albums worth of tracks. I realised the music wasnt me at all though, so it was back to square one. There were so many different sounds I wanted to experiment with, that I decided to try everything.

What makes you think you can make it without the other lads?

I never said I could or couldn't make it. I'm confident about my new music and I've had amazing feedback from people who've listened to it. I just hope everyone enjoys it as much as I've enjoyed making it. I think it appeals to everyone, not just A1 fans but we'll have to see...

You always co-wrote most of the A1 albums, did you co-write all of your album?

I wrote and produced almost all of it. I dont really like writing with people, I like doing my own thing - I'm a bit of a spoilt kid like that. I think if you work with songwriters you dont always get your own way and i want it done my own way (laughs)! I did work with Guy Chambers (who writes for Robbie and McFaddo) and Har Mar Superstar, who were fantastic and gave me amazing ideas and songs!

What career highlights have you got to live up to?

When we found out Caught in the Middle was Number One. We were in LA and we were woken up at a ridiculous time in the morning to be told. It was just the most amazing experience ever but we didn't have anyone to share it with apart from ourselves. No one had heard of us in the States and we were going round teling everyone we were Number One in the British Charts, but they didn't care!

How's your love life right now?

Great! It's non-existent. I've gone on a lot of dates and I'm trying to see as many people as I can, but I've been in two long-term relationships and I'm still only young. I don't want to go jumping into anything too serious right now. Unless someone comes along and blows me away completely, casual dates are cool with me.

Do your mates from school still keep you grounded?

Yeah - my best friend, Toby, is playing guitar on a couple of the tracks on my album and my mate, Ollie, is a BBC cameraman now so he came down to help shoot my video. I keep in touch with them all the time.

Last time we saw you, you'd just bought your little dog lucy (holly TV hits got it wrong!!) how is she these days?

Sadly, she lives with my ex-girlfriend now. I cant really take care of her cos I spend so much time out of the house, it's not fair. I love her to bits though.

Thanks to Steph for providing this interview from Popworld and for letting me publish it.

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