He’s got a new single out, about to embark on a UK solo tour, but first he’s entertaining the gayers of Kent. We sent Lee Dalloway for a lil’ chinwag with the lovely fella…
It’s been three years since you made your TV debut on The X factor. Can you sum up that experience?
It was fantastic. So many people told me not to go through with it and that I wouldn’t do very well. Now I’ve managed to achieve things and it’s really boosted my self-esteem. I went from a council estate to performing in the Albert Hall [laughs]!
You were one of only three X Factor contestants who continued to be coached by a judge after the show. How important has Gary been in your career so far?
Gary’s really shaped my career; I look up to him so much. Every time I record a song, I take it to Gary and he listens to it before I take it to the record label.
You parted company with your record label after the first album. What happened there?
I worked with them for a year and I wasn’t happy with the direction they were trying to take me. When you don’t work well as a team, it’s just best to separate.
You’re about to embark on your first solo tour, and it’s Motown-inspired. What is it about that era that speaks to you?
I love R&B; it’s the way it’s put together, the passion it has, the melodies, the styling, the staging. I want to work that music and put a little bit of my flavour on it. It’s not all Motown, it’s covers and new songs with a special twist, too.
It’s great to see you and Robin Windsor so happy together. How did you first meet?
We bumped into each other at ITV on This Morning. I was coming out of a long relationship and it was starting to fall away when I was working on X Factor. I eventually emailed him and he came to watch my show. We took it day by day and it was really lovely. He’s husband material. He’s in control of himself and I’m an old romantic who doesn’t suffer fools.
• Marcus Collins is at the Riverside Tavern (Canal Road, Strood, Rochester, ME2 4DR), on Saturday 6th September. His latest single ‘Sweet Thang’ is out now.
