Im still Shayne Ward
'I'm still Shayne Ward' Jan 27 2007 Aled Blake, Western Mail It's been a year since Shayne Ward, right, won X Factor and now it's time for his whirlwind arena tour and second album. He fitted Debbie Green into his busy schedule to chat about his new life THE interview is set for 12.05pm. It's a very exact time and the call from the Western Mail will be followed by countless more journalists throughout the day, each having their specific five-minute allotted time slot with the 2005 X Factor winner Ward. If he has interview fatigue he is not showing it yet. And why should he? Shayne Ward has it all - he's young, drop-dead gorgeous, has a voice from heaven, and is certainly living life in the fast lane. The new X Factor winner Leona Lewis might be getting all the attention now, but Ward is already ahead working on his second album and undertaking his first solo UK tour. "I've just finished the fourth date of my tour in Dublin and it's going fantastically well so far," he says. "The response I've had from the audiences have been absolutely amazing." At the moment he is using the tour to promote his first album, while he turns his focus to what is coming up next. He says, "I've also been busy recording my second album in Sweden. I still love my debut album, but what I like about my la-*test*-('") recording is that the sound is so different. While the first album has a lot of ballads, my la-*test*-('") album will be more funky, young, and up-beat. It suits the moment. Put together, the two albums show the two different sides of me." Despite his new-found high-flying lifestyle and success, Ward's feet remain firmly on the ground. "Although I'm more wise and confident since my X Factor days, I am still the same person that I've always been," he insists. "The way I see it, the day I change is the day my career ends." A former sales assistant from Clayton, Manchester, Ward is the type of a polite and charming Northern lad that could steal any girl's heart. But his many adoring fans will be disappointed to hear that he is well and truly taken. He has been with hometown lady, Faye, since before X Factor and the pressure of fame is showing no signs of cracking up their relationship. He says, "Faye has been fantastic. She shows me a lot of support in all that I do." Aged 22, Ward is the youngest son of seven siblings and has always been destined to great things. Having joined a band when he was just 16, Ward was a budding pop star from the start. Some might even remember a young and beady-eyed singer from the final 30 of Pop Stars: The Rivals. But now it is on a different level. He has performed worldwide, earned a Christmas number one with That's My Goal, partied at the Beckham's house and hobnobbed with the likes of Ronan Keating. Yet he is remarkably modest about his successes. "I'm just taking everything one step at a time," he explains. But with the success there has also been the downside of fame to deal with. He says, "At the end of last year, I published my book, My Story. I'm really proud of it. It gave me the chance to tell people about the real me and to put straight any false stories in the press. A lot of people think My Story is an autobiography, but it's more of a simple biography about my experiences after X Factor. I don't think I'll ever do an autobiography; that's just not me." "My dream is longevity. I want to be doing what I'm doing for life. I love singing and am enjoying every second of my career." Ward's tour will soon bring him to Cardiff, a venue that the star is looking forward to. "I came to Cardiff last year as part of the X Factor tour and really enjoyed it," he says. "I'm very excited about coming back in February." Shayne Ward plays Cardiff CIA on February 6 and 7. Look out for his new album later this year.
'I'm still Shayne Ward' Jan 27 2007 Aled Blake, Western Mail It's been a year since Shayne Ward, right, won X Factor and now it's time for his whirlwind arena tour and second album. He fitted Debbie Green into his busy schedule to chat about his new life THE interview is set for 12.05pm. It's a very exact time and the call from the Western Mail will be followed by countless more journalists throughout the day, each having their specific five-minute allotted time slot with the 2005 X Factor winner Ward. If he has interview fatigue he is not showing it yet. And why should he? Shayne Ward has it all - he's young, drop-dead gorgeous, has a voice from heaven, and is certainly living life in the fast lane. The new X Factor winner Leona Lewis might be getting all the attention now, but Ward is already ahead working on his second album and undertaking his first solo UK tour. "I've just finished the fourth date of my tour in Dublin and it's going fantastically well so far," he says. "The response I've had from the audiences have been absolutely amazing." At the moment he is using the tour to promote his first album, while he turns his focus to what is coming up next. He says, "I've also been busy recording my second album in Sweden. I still love my debut album, but what I like about my la-*test*-('") recording is that the sound is so different. While the first album has a lot of ballads, my la-*test*-('") album will be more funky, young, and up-beat. It suits the moment. Put together, the two albums show the two different sides of me." Despite his new-found high-flying lifestyle and success, Ward's feet remain firmly on the ground. "Although I'm more wise and confident since my X Factor days, I am still the same person that I've always been," he insists. "The way I see it, the day I change is the day my career ends." A former sales assistant from Clayton, Manchester, Ward is the type of a polite and charming Northern lad that could steal any girl's heart. But his many adoring fans will be disappointed to hear that he is well and truly taken. He has been with hometown lady, Faye, since before X Factor and the pressure of fame is showing no signs of cracking up their relationship. He says, "Faye has been fantastic. She shows me a lot of support in all that I do." Aged 22, Ward is the youngest son of seven siblings and has always been destined to great things. Having joined a band when he was just 16, Ward was a budding pop star from the start. Some might even remember a young and beady-eyed singer from the final 30 of Pop Stars: The Rivals. But now it is on a different level. He has performed worldwide, earned a Christmas number one with That's My Goal, partied at the Beckham's house and hobnobbed with the likes of Ronan Keating. Yet he is remarkably modest about his successes. "I'm just taking everything one step at a time," he explains. But with the success there has also been the downside of fame to deal with. He says, "At the end of last year, I published my book, My Story. I'm really proud of it. It gave me the chance to tell people about the real me and to put straight any false stories in the press. A lot of people think My Story is an autobiography, but it's more of a simple biography about my experiences after X Factor. I don't think I'll ever do an autobiography; that's just not me." "My dream is longevity. I want to be doing what I'm doing for life. I love singing and am enjoying every second of my career." Ward's tour will soon bring him to Cardiff, a venue that the star is looking forward to. "I came to Cardiff last year as part of the X Factor tour and really enjoyed it," he says. "I'm very excited about coming back in February." Shayne Ward plays Cardiff CIA on February 6 and 7. Look out for his new album later this year.