TOP OF THE POPS ISSUE 69/NOVEMBER 2000
He's shy, sensitive and he could be looking for love. Meet the real Mark Westlife.
Do you ever check your reflection from behind in the mirror?
No, I'm not very self-conscious. I probably should be as I'm in the public eye. Sometimes I don't even think about shaving so I'll end up slitting my face shaving in a hurry before I do a shoot or TV. It may be a cliché, but I joined the band because I really love singing. Obviously appearance is important, but it's a really small part of why I'm doing this.
How would you feel if a big spot appeared on your forehead?
I hardly ever get spots so I don't worry much about them. I just wash my face with water every morning. But I do panic now and then that the spots will get their own back one day. Heh-heh.
Do you worry about money?
Money is another thing people overrate. It can make you happy in certain ways - it can make you comfortable. It definitely can't, by itself, bring you total happiness. People fool themselves into thinking they're happy cos they have money. As long as I'm happy, I can get by.
OK. If you were told you'd only earn £100 a week...
Definitely not. I could get £100 on the dole, sing karaoke and still be happy. I wouldn't do all this work for so little. But fame isn't all it's cracked up to be. It just goes with the job. I'd prefer not to be famous and still be in the band.
Have you ever felt like bursting into tears for no apparent reason?
Well, I'd only ever feel like that if I'd been thinking about something first - missing home or something. I did feel totally overwhelmed with emotion when Mel left the Big Brother house. It was like she was a captive breaking out of that world and going back to see her family - she was so glad. I can really relate to that. It's like we're in this world and some of it's so artificial then we get to go home and see our families. That always fills me with emotion
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© 2001 Pami