It's something which should only be said in hushed whispers but I confess, I am a Michael Bolton fan.

Performing on his first UK tour in a decade, Bolton may be a little older, a little thinner and minus that ponytail but he has lost none of his charm or his seductive throaty voice.

He belted out many of his original hits, including Soul Provider and Georgia On My Mind, without so much as a tremor in his voice.

Pitch perfect and powerful, the audience were soon on their feet with both men and women throwing roses on stage and pushing forward for a chance to touch his hand.

Classics from Otis Reading, Billie Holiday and Gershwin were performed with polished aplomb.

A sensitive and melodic song, 'Til The End Of Forever, from his upcoming album proved he still has bundles of songwriting talent.

But the most surprising tune of the night was Nessun Dorma. Bolton is not known for his operatic arias but he gave Pavarotti a good run for his money and made the hairs on your neck stand up.

Bolton may be cheesy, he may be ridiculed by many but he is a bit like the male equivalent of Celine Dion. The music may be a bit smoochy, very American and a fair bit emotive but there's no denying his singing abilities, which have helped him sell millions of records and made him popular the world over.