Kim Wilde admitted that her two heroes growing up were Gary Glitter (ouch!) and Elton John. She contracted meningitis as a toddler and had her first boyfriend, Ned, when she was nine. She told us she was a moody adolescent who would constantly row with her mum. So pop stars really are like us after all…

Paul Young said he pissed around at school because the teachers didn’t inspire him. He liked woodwork, metalwork and art and when he left at 16 he got an apprenticeship at Vauxhall Motors in his hometown of Luton and worked there for four years. Wherever you lay your hat…

Sheila Chandra of Monsoon said her favourite food wasn’t curry but moussaka. She attended a stage school and ended up landing a role in Grange Hill. At that time she said she’d never had a serious boyfriend and didn’t sleep away from home unless her mother was with her.