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Ben Adams from A1 has a ball playing Prince Charming
Singer turns actor for Milton Keynes Theatre's dazzling Christmas show.
EXPECT to see lots of teenage girls (and a few mums too) losing they hearts to a very special Prince Charming when Cinderella opens at Milton Keynes Theatre next month.
Ben Adams, the clean cut star of pop group A1, is handsome, charming and talented and making his debut in panto.
The 28-year-old started out as a former choirboy who performed before The Queen at Westminster Abbey and who listened to Madness and Michael Jackson in his spare time.
Ben joined A1 in 1999 and they had a string of number one hits before folding three years later.
Now they're back together and Ben will be taking time off during his stint as Prince Charming to enable the lads to tour.
He's coy and a little embarrassed to be cast as male totty.
"Everyone has a part to play. Bobby's here for the comic stuff, Louise has a great voice and Anthea is just stunning! She's totty for the guys and I guess that's part of my role. I am Prince Charming and incredibly charming at that.
"I've never played panto before. I'm a panto virgin and I don't really know what to expect but I'm sure it will be all right on the night.
"I can't wait to sing some duets with Louise. She has a fantastic voice.
"I have only ever seen one panto before and that was because a friend was in it.
"Panto was never part of my Christmas routine. I was in the choir as a child so I was in church every Christmas Day and Boxing Day so I never had time to go to a panto.
"So I am as novice as you can get – but I'm going to learn fast!"
Ben, who appeared on Celebrity Big Brother earlier this year, had three hit albums with A1 before tensions in the group forced a split.
The young singer wasn't to be disheartened and has spent the last few years writing and producing for other artists.
Now A1 have a new record deal and are touring in Norway which is why Hollyoaks hunk and singer Anthony Kavanagh will be sharing the role.
Said Ben: "I'm trying to juggle a load of things at the same time. I've spent the last two years writing and producing which was great fun but I was staring at four walls and writing songs for other people.
"It's nice for me to go out there and write songs for myself and get some enjoyment out of that.
"A1 folded after one of the guys left just after we had Caught In The Middle at number one in most countries in the world.
"We felt that was a good time to go. We were at the top of our game and never been bigger.
"We took time out for ourselves. We hadn't had a holiday in six years. We'd be going to amazing places but we wouldn't see any of it.
"We'd be in hotel rooms, straight to airports etc . I took so much time off to go and experience the places I'd already been to but not had a chance to get to see.
"This rock and roll life style everyone talks about just doesn't exist. It's fabricated by the magazines and press. You've got to work really hard. We were up at 5am doing interviews and TV and performances until midnight, the same the next day.
"Of course there are times when you can have a blow out and have a lot of fun but people make out that it's more rock and roll than it is."
It's all a far cry from being a chorister. Ben started off singing solo in his school assemblies and playing classical piano, oboe and violin before winning a scholarship to St Margarets, Westminster Abbey.
The cherubic youngster even toured the major cities of Europe with the choir before featuring on two classical albums Benedicamus Domino and Laudate Pueri.
"Anything to do with music excited me. I remember sitting at home every Friday watching Top of The Pops and wanting to be on it so much.
"I'm very lucky the way things panned out.
"I became head chorister and sang for The Queen and we sang at royal weddings so it was exciting.
"That was my life. I didn't even think that I could be out playing with my mates.
"I always looked at Michael Jackson on TV and wanted to be Michael Jackson so although I was singing classical stuff, I was always writing. I wrote one song when I was 15 which later got to number six in the charts.
"For someone to have written a top ten hit so young was fantastic."
Cinderella runs from December 4 until January 17. For tickets contact the box office 0844 871 7652 or go on-line www.ambassadortickets.com/miltonkeynes
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Thursday 17 May 2012
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