How does it feel to be returning to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat a decade after you first played the lead role?
It's hugely exciting. I spent two years touring, on and off, with Joseph and it was a huge part of my career at the time, as I think it is for anybody who's been fortunate enough to play the role of Joseph or just be a part of the show. It's one of those shows that always sticks with you and people mention it when they stop you in the street. They come up to you and go 'Oh my God, I came to see you in Joseph and I loved it'. When I was asked to return I was slightly anxious because wondered if it would be like stepping back in time, but it's exciting to go back, this time as Pharaoh, and play a different role. I'm nervous but only in terms of just the normal nerves when you take on any new part. But I know the love that the audience brings to Joseph and that it has so many devoted fans and supporters, so I'm happy to be back in that family again.
What appealed to you about playing Pharaoh this time around?
It's a really fun part of the show, where it almost turns into a little bit of a concert. When Pharaoh comes on everybody kind of goes crazy. It's the big rock moment, and I'm enjoying putting my own spin on it and just having fun with it. You're giving it a bit of Elvis, giving it a bit of arrogance and a bit of tongue-in-cheek sexiness... there are so many aspects to it that you can play around with.
What are your memories of that first tour?
I vividly remember the opening night and being incredibly nervous. But then the curtain went up and I remember the warmth from the audience from the very start. Every single night, every performance, no matter where we went across the country, you just felt that feeling in the room. There's something about Joseph and the music and the audience that comes with it that's like a warm hug. I can't really describe it but we felt that all the way through the tour, then I went on a break, returned to the tour the following year and it was the same feeling. It's the same now.
Is it a relief to be wearing more clothes this time round?
[Laughs] Well, you say 'more clothes' but it's not that much more. I'm still baring quite a bit but that's not something that I'm too shy about. I'm an avid runner, which helps me stay in shape, and having just done a busy Christmas schedule in panto also helps to keep the impact of the calories at bay. I like to go for runs wherever I am in the country, although this is the first time I've been on a musical theatre schedule in a few years. I've been touring with my solo stuff and when you do that you're normally in one place for one night, then you leave straight away. The nice thing about being on a schedule where you're in a city for a week or two is that you can explore the place a bit more. I'm going to try and join some park runs because there's nothing better than running around a city. You get to see so many things that you wouldn't if you were just walking to the theatre and back.
What do you think makes Joseph such a classic?
I think it's a lot of people's first memories of theatre, so it comes with a kind of a love and affection from being a child. The great thing about Joseph as well is that it appeals to all ages. There's comedy in there, there's music in there, it's an easy show to follow but it's got some really fun, clever moments in there too. It attracts all ages and it's a great family fun show, and I think if you ask anybody if they remember where they were the first time they saw Joseph it's one of their first introductions into musical theatre, so it's a very important musical to a lot of people.
You came to fame on The X Factor in 2009. How did that show change your life?
Massively. Firstly, it was an amazing stepping stone into the industry and I think it would have been ten times more difficult without the kind of platform and magnitude of viewership of a television show like that. And it has allowed me to have a wonderful career. I've been doing this for 15 years now and I still love it as much as I did back then. Not only that but I've been blessed with such wonderful support from the fans. They turn up to the shows that I'm in, they come to the concerts that I do, they buy the music that I make, and I feel very blessed that I get to do something that I love every day.
Your first single went to number one. That must have been amazing?
I was just excited to be on The X Factor at the time, so then to win it and have my song go to number one was the icing on the cake. I didn't even think that was a possibility, so to hear your song on the radio and have it top the charts was amazing. I'm now nearing that age where I've crossed into a different generation of how people listen to music, but back then you had to go to a shop and buy a single, so it was an an incredible feeling and something that I'll never forget. When I got to be on Top of the Pops that was amazing too, to be on a show that I grew up watching with my family.
You made your musical theatre debut in 2012 in The Who's rock opera Tommy. Had you always wanted to appear in musicals?
I went to performing arts college in Newcastle and studied a bit of everything, from behind-the-scenes stage management to performance and dance. Being a solo singer was my first aim and when the idea of doing musical theatre came up I was a little bit scared at first. I'd come off The X-Factor, I'd released my first two albums and I was just starting to prove myself in the world of music and entertainment. The musical theatre world is a whole different beast, a completely different craft, so I was apprehensive and with the first few things that came along I was like 'I'm not sure if I could do that'. But then Tommy came along, it was a short run, it was something different and there was something that scared me about it being different in a good way. Not long after that, when I was rehearsing for Tommy, the offer came in to play Joseph and it was kind of a natural progression. I was terrified because I thought 'Everybody's gonna think I'm rubbish or wonder if I can do it' but it was one of the best things that I've done because it has opened up so many doors.
What have been your career highlights so far?
Talking about Joseph, we got to do the 50th anniversary celebration performance at the Olivier Awards quite a few years back and it was such a special thing to stand in the Royal Albert Hall and sing with a massive orchestra at the Olivier Awards. That was a huge highlight, along with the obvious things like getting to do my own solo concerts and release albums. I've had so many highlights along the way and it's hard to kind of pinpoint a few, but getting to play my hometown arena was amazing.
When you're touring with a show, is there anything you couldn't be on the road without?
I survive on caffeine pretty much 24/7, so I have to have a coffee machine. I'm pretty low-maintenance, so all I need is coffee, Diet Coke and somewhere where I can get my head down for a nap - whether it's a bed, a mattress or something like that.
Are there any stops on the Jospeh tour that are dear to your heart?
Obviously I'm looking forward to going back home to Newcastle and my leg of the tour starts in Sunderland, and those are the two venues closest to where I was brought up. We're going to Manchester Opera House for two weeks and we're going to the Millennium Centre in Cardiff, and those are such iconic venues. When you hear the orchestra strike up the music in venues like that, or indeed anywhere around the country, you can't help but get goosebumps.
This syndicated interview was made possible with Manchester Opera House, where you can catch 'Joesph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' from Wed 26 Feb - Sun 9 Mar 2025.