The only people with power today are the audience. And that is increasing with Twitter, Facebook, and everything else. We cater to their likes and dislikes, and you ignore that at your peril.

Sincerity is romantic. I don't think you need gestures.

One thing I've learnt is you should never fight it. They're natural emotions and when you try and bottle everything up, that's what can make you depressed. Luckily I have fantastic memories [about my parents] and they really help.

What I would argue in my defence is that shows like Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor have actually got people more interested in music again and are sending more people into record stores.

The minute you start assuming that the audience is very happy to see the same show again, you're dead.

On one level, going bust didn't bother me. It was the 80s, and there wasn't the stigma about bankruptcy that you might think. My mates weren't bothered. My dad was in business.. he knew that it happened, too. He loaned me the money to bail me out, and I got a loan from the bank to pay him back.

I honestly can't ever imagine retiring because I don't know what else I would do - even when I'm on holiday, 70% of the time I'm working. I think I'd like to go out on the job so, ideally, 'And the winner is... Ooooh, and he's gone!'