His rep as pop's sweetest star has been dragged through the gutter thanks to a fling with Jordan and some boozy binges. But how rock 'n' roll is Gareth really? It's our mission to find out...
Gareth slips into the studio for the bliss photoshoot so quietly, we barely notice he's arrived. Glued to his mobile, he heads straight for Make-up for some serious hair-coiffing.
But as the room fills up, Gareth unfolds the 6ft 3in frame. Within seconds he's surrounded by his 'people', flirting, teasing and giving his publicist's bum a playful slap!
Eventually I spot a gap in the crowd and hold out my hand for a formal handshake. But before I know what's happening, Gareth's pulling me towards him for a kiss. ''Come here, darling.'' he grins. Then he's off again, pouting and preening for the camera like a seasoned old pro.
Two hours later, it's interview time. And, just like that, all his confidence vanishes.
Maybe he's nervous because of the media craziness that erupted over his fling with Jordan- which, by the way, he won't talk about- or maybe he's anxious beacuse it's so much harder to be interviewed when you've got a stutter.. But he avoids eye contact and instead scrawls words that he's stumbling over in a notepad. He's a whole different boy to the ladykiller that was working the room just minutes ago.
So which is the real Gareth? The rock 'n' roll bad boy that falls out of clubs and pulls glamour models? Or the gap-toothed boy who loves his mum? We decided to see how he measures up on the seven deadly sins- the bigger his score, the more rock 'n' roll Gareth truly is.
Time to uncover the truth...>>
SIN 1: VANITY
Are you vain?
''I don't know if I'd call myself good-looking, but I was pretty popular with the girls at school. I take pride in my appearance.''
Do you spend a long time in front of the mirror?
''If I'm going out, I'll spend ages on my hair. But that's mostly beacuse my face is pretty OK- so I have to get my hair to the same high standard [giggling].''
Rock 'n' Roll rating: 4/5
Mr Gates rates himself- but hey, at least he's got good taste!
SIN 2: LUST
Can you tell the difference between lust and love?
''Definitely. Love is when that person is all you can think about all the time. Lust is when you see someone and you think: 'Phwoar! Oh yes- I would!''
Have you ever been so overcome with lust that you've lost control?
''I don't think so. I've always been in control. I've done some stupid stuff in the past that I regret, [that wouldn't be a daliance with a certain buxom model would it?] but I've grown up a lot now.''
Rock 'n' Roll rating: 5/5
Gareth's history speaks for itself.
SIN 3: GREED
Do you get greedy about anything?
''No. It would be tempting to get greedy about personal time, but I can't. It's part of the job- I just have to accept that.''
There must be one thing you can't get enough of?
''I used to over-indulge in girls' phone numbers. Chatting them up can be hard though, especially in clubs where there's loud music. I'll be standing there, trying to get my name out, but just stuttering- I must look like some kind of freak, opening and closing my mouth.''
Rock 'n' Roll rating: 3/5
But only for the girls' phone numbers frenzy.
SIN 4: ANGER
What makes you mad?
''Arrogance. And there's lots of it in the music industry. There are people who treat others as if they're beneath them. I really don't understand why people act like that.''
What do you do when you're angry? Have you ever been in a fight?
''I don't shout, because I'm not very good at it. I can't get the words out. But I have been in a fight. I was 16 and it was in Science at school. This lad was teasing me about my stutter and my singing, and calling me a poof. At first I ignored him, but then he pushed me. So I just threw this massive punch in his face, and he went over. I'm not proud of it, but it taught him not to pick on people.''
Rock 'n' Roll rating: 3/5
Who'd have thought it? Gareth's got anger in his pants- we like!