The Gay UK Issue 3 Marriage | Page 103

really stimulate the brain cells. But this time around we can go off and do other things. When did you all meet? Well they approached us all individually, and we all kind of said yes, but on the proviso that we all get on together. For example I didn’t sign my contract until I met all the boys for myself. The nice thing was, if we had all met 15 years ago there would have been egos in the room, there would have been a pissing contest between all of us – whereas because we’ve all been through the mix a few times and we’ve experienced the highs and lows of it you realise what’s important, and what’s important is to enjoy it. Do you think that makes you better pop stars? I think it does because it makes you more confident. Your relationship to the audience is so much stronger. When you’re doing it first time round you’re so paranoid about where you’re going to come in the charts or whether people are going to buy your single that you’re almost begging them to. But now you don’t make money on album sales you make it in performing, so you might as well go out there and have a good time with your audience. If you enjoy it – they see it. Your first album deserved to do better than it did. Why do you think it didn’t? It was weird. Abroad it did really well. South East Asia went mental for it. Here It didn’t do so great, it did shit – let’s be fair. I think first of all I wasn’t very happy doing it and I think you can see that. You start looking like a Panto character. I also got famous for being an actor and I think a lot of people think of you as just an actor or a pop star – and because I had that slight crossover it was weird. The record company spent millions of pounds doing research in the market place – I always came up as really popular but that didn’t always translate into sales. I was seen more as an entertainer than a pop star. I’d get bookings for ridiculous amounts of money, but then it didn’t translate into album sales. It was a five-album deal I signed, but I knew after the first one, or even before the first single came out that I wasn’t enjoying it. I sat down with the record label and said, I know it’s a five album deal, b ut I can’t do five it will kill me. They were like ‘we’ve spent all this money on you can you do the first album and let us cover our costs and make a little bit of money and we’ll let you go.’ So, the Corrie gay kiss… You know what – that was the thing that really disillusioned me. One of the characters was gay and the other wasn’t. The one that wasn’t was asleep – it wasn’t a tongue marathon it was a tiny peck on the lips. The fact that made the front page of The Sun or the fact it was promoted as such a shock horror thing, I was like Really? In this day and age, really? Is it such a big issue? I found it so disappointing. The body. Are you still as ripped? Yes I am for my sins. I do it all at home. I have a really bad back so from the age of 17 I had to exercise everyday otherwise my back gets really knackered. I always felt a bit of phoney, because everyone was like ‘oh my god look at his body’ and I was like, well if I don’t I’m fucked. I still do all the sit-ups and I’ve still got my six-pack. (Eight!!!) A shout from in the background as Katy, Adam’s Fiancé corrects Adam! Eight-pack – Katy’s is shouting. My wife in about ITV 10 months! It’s not about size, it’s about health. What is your favourite cheese? Goat’s cheese. ∎ Adam Rickitt joins Kavana this October in The Big Reunion Tour - Album out now 103