I left school at 17 and was a star by the time I was 18 - in certain parts of the world anyway.

I truly believed that tonight would never happen, that I would never sing these songs to you again. But then I'm a fool, which you've probably worked out by now.

I can't believe that I've written my best work yet. If I believed that, then I wouldn't bother releasing music anymore.

We [with Andrew Ridgeley] were getting so much attention and achieving such success. It never really bothered me.

I mean, it is the perfect situation to really love someone to death and to want to rip their clothes off at the same time, isn't it?

I guess I was about 15. I wore glasses at the time, and I remember [first girlfriend] sitting on the floor at a party, one of those school parties where everyone is getting off with each other. I remember her taking my glasses off and saying something very complimentary about my eyes or whatever, and I was just so pissed off because I was convinced she was taking the piss out of me.

Freedom. I will not give you up.