Rick Astley

“I've been to Sardinia about 10 times because my wife, my daughter and I used to go every year with another family. We rented the same house each time in Villasimius in the southern part of the island, and always went to the same two beaches and same three restaurants.”

“I like everything in this iPhone, iPod world where you can do everything all the time. Back in my time, you bought a vinyl record when you were a kid and took it home, and it took a bit of effort to actually get it out of the thing and not scratch it.”

“When I was a tiny tot, we only had one record player in the house, so there was either Genesis on it or the Jungle Book or The Beatles as well, and various other things.”

“Scientology always makes me think of that movie 'V' where that woman takes off her mask of human flesh to reveal her true, alien self.”

“I'd been bumming around in bands since my school days.”

“When our daughter was born, a light went on for me - there was more to life than what I was doing. It felt like being famous for being a paint salesman. It wasn't the dream I was sold on. I'd had enough of it.”

“It's very hard to behave naturally when you know people recognise you. On the other hand, I still sometimes get upgraded in hotels because someone used to like me back in the day, which is still pretty amazing.”

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

“I must admit, the constant invasion of privacy was becoming a real concern. I've been asked for autographs while I've been doing laps in the pool and even in the toilet!”

“I started out as a drummer, and now play with a back-to-basics rock band called the 'Luddites.' I'm happiest when I'm behind the kit.”

“I don't like flying. I'm a bit scared of it and don't enjoy the whole experience.”

“Working as a teaboy may have helped my confidence, but not everyone else was so pleased. I could never remember who had milk or how many sugars, and I had an unusual talent for spilling tea on the recording console.”

“Because the pop industry is cruel, if you don't do everything the label wants you to do, it has an army of other people waiting to do it.”

“Back in the '80s, I was known for being reclusive, often shying away from media attention.”

“I think Phil Collins is one of the most underrated musicians, singers, performers - he is absolutely amazing, I think, and I think he's probably got a bit of a rough ride occasionally because he became so mainstream and so popular.”

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

“I don't get recognised until I'm on stage, and then I can walk off and forget about it. It's great.”

“Doing things in my day was simple: you either signed to a big label or you signed to a very small label, and you worked with that one, and then they eventually signed you on to a big one.”

“As a kid, I saw those ticker-tape parades in the movies, and I was really chuffed to be in one.”

“My success set me up for life, and it meant that I could retire from the music industry at 27 to spend time with my newborn daughter and my wife. My time away from the spotlight allowed me to rediscover my love for music, and I'm doing it for me now and no one else.”