Singer, entertainer & dad Gareth Gates, chats to Liz Nicholls about how far he’s come ahead of his newly produced show, Gareth Gates Sings Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons which lands at Wycombe Swan on Tuesday, 15th October.
Q. Hello Gareth. This show sounds amazing! Tell us more…
“I’ve been a fan of Frankie for many years. My parents were big fans so his songs were drummed into me and then I had the idea to produce a show with all those big hits in, songs like big Girls Don’t Cry and Walk Like A Man. We guarantee that, at the end of the night everyone will be singing and dancing!”
Q. They just don’t make the hits like that any more, do they?
“That’s right! Ever since I started touring the world 20 years ago – I’m old now! – I’ve always tried to throw a Frankie Valli song in there and it goes down very well, wherever you are in the world and whatever the audience. So this is going to be a real buzz!”
Q. Where did your journey into music start, Gareth?
“Well, as a child, I had a terrible stammer. I still struggle with my speech on a day-to-day basis. But as a child, my speech was really, really out of control. At the age of eight, though I learned to sing. My friends went along to audition for Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and my teacher asked me to sing, I couldn’t believe it but I could! This became everything to me as I wasn’t able to speak. And so this became my only form of expression.”
Q. I was very moved by your appearance on Good Morning Britain recently when Ed Balls broke down while talking about what an inspiration you’ve been… Were you surprised?
“Yeah massively! I knew Ed Balls used to have a stammer but it was lovely to hear him say I inspired him to become a politician. Whenever I do an interview, I always mention my speech issues, because you just don’t know who you’re inspiring. There are so many people out there who have some form of affliction who choose not to follow their dreams. They feel it will hold them back but all I’ve ever tried to do in instil in people that you don’t have to accept what you’re given in life, you can become anything you want!”
Q. I know you were bullied at school… What would you say to your bullies now?
“Well, it was awful at the time but in a weird way, it made me who I am today. Those hard times made me a much stronger and more resilient person so if I were to say anything to the bullies, I’d probably say thank you. I recently did the TV show Who Dares Wins [Gareth won] and tapping into that old hurt got me through. The men on that programme are some of the toughest men you can imagine, but they were pussycats in comparisons to the school bullies, in my head. That’s what got me through and why I was the last man standing.”
Q. You made your name on Pop Idol, 22 years ago! Are you friends with your fellow alumnus, Will Young?
“Yeah, we speak often. He said in an interview he’d recently moved to my hometown, which confused me as I thought it might be in Bradford but he meant the place I bought in Wiltshire because my daughter goes to school there. I’m looking forward to seeing him soon.”
Q. Are you pals with Simon Cowell?
“We often bump into each other at events. He’s a great guy, Simon. From the moment I walked into the audition on Pop Idol, I was his boy, he was rooting for me. His belief in me is the reason I’m here today!”
Q. I heard you’re writing a musical?
“Yes, I had this idea to write a musical about the hardships that come from having a stammer. You know, it isn’t just the repetition of sounds, it’s the mindsets. You avoid speaking to people, you avoid certain words and that can become very lonely. It crafts and moulds a person. Many people choose to work behind a computer screen, so they don’t have to talk to people. I’ve had this idea for maybe six or seven years but lockdown meant I was in a room with a piano and a guitar and wrote ten songs! I took it to a West End producer who commissioned it on the spot, which was very lucky! It’s going to be called Speechless & watch this space, hopefully next autumn!”
Q. Your story is so inspiring, Gareth. What advice would you have for anyone struggling with their speech?
“I always tell people that you don’t have to accept everything you’re given in life. As a stammerer I could easily have said ‘I’m never going to be able to handle interviews. I’m never going to be able to learn a script and recite on stage….’ But since those days I’ve done loads of West End shows I’ve had to script and act, and we’re doing this interview now. And my speech was so bad! Anyone with a stammer or form of affliction, I’d say: don’t let that define who you are. You can be anything. It’s just how much you want it, how much work you’re willing to put in.”
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