I used to go to soul nights because I loved dancing, and so did my friends, and we loved the music. We used to go listen to black American soul.

You can't explain the feeling of singing hit songs to an audience - it's like being a genuine sports star at the peak of their powers.

I had my 15 minutes of being the new boy of pop, like lots of people before and after me. Overnight, everyone starts treating you differently, and perceives you differently.

I'd had my time in the charts and made loads of money. I was no longer hungry for success.

I do have a thing for eating out; that's one of life's great middle-age pleasures.

Dont expect fame to come overnight. That filtered through to me in my own career. Look at Madonna: shes not the best singer in the world, but shes got where she has through hard work.

'Never Gonna Give You Up' in 1987 was a huge international hit followed by several more, and while I appreciated how lucky I was, it catapulted me into a completely new world and simply took over my life.