| Gareth In The Early Days Of Fame Do you think you've got what it takes to be a pop idol? Yes I do. I'm a bit of an all-round music machine - I play the piano, the guitar, the drums and I sing. I've only been singing pop music for about eight months. Before that, I wanted to sing classical and opera. I've always thought the way I speak would stand in the way of being a pop star. Do you think singing has helped you overcome your stammer? Having a stammer makes it really hard to express myself, so the music and songs allow me to get out what's inside. It's been a really big obstacle to overcome, but it's made me a stronger person. Now my ultimate dream is to sing with Westlife. Do you think bands like Hear'Say will ever be considered serious pop stars? I'm not sure how many hits Hear'Say have had, but I think they've done really well. They've all been where we are now so I can relate to them. Would you to join if one of 'em left? In the past because of my speech, I thought I'd like to be in a group, so other people could do the talking, but I'm loving this now. Hayley auditioned for Popstars so she would be a good replacement if Kym left, although I don't know if she'd want to do it. What's the nastiest thing you've heard Simon Cowell say? The way you see Simon on TV is the way he is in real life. I think he's a cool guy. In the early rounds he'd say things like, " You're crap." I thought that was brutal. Are you trying to do a Scott Five with your hair? It's not Scott, it's me! It's actually called the 2-2-1 formation. I brush my hair flat and start with two spikes at the very front, followed by two spikes behind and then one spike at the back. It's better than the bowl cut I had when I was 12. Do you have a girlfriend? No, not yet. I want to keep my options open. Does it feel good to be a heart-throb? It's strange 'cos it happened overnight. The other day I was on the way home and these girls started crying and getting really upset. And some girls asked me to sign their chests the other day. They pulled their shirts up in front of me and I had to cover my face! It is cool when girls are screaming at you - I love it! Which Idol star would you like to get it on with? When you spend ages with people you just like them for who they are. But, in terms of age, it'd probably be Zoe. Do you have any celebrity crushes? I like Rachel from S Club 7. I met her at a party and spoke to her for ages, but she was with her boyfriend! What other famous people have you met? I sang for the Queen when I was 12. She was really small and cute. And I met Claire and H from Steps. |