Jason Donovan

When Minogue left the soap to pursue a pop career, Donovan followed. After the success of their Stock Aitken Waterman-produced duet, Especially For You, he was invited to play lead in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at London Palladium in 1991.

By 2006 he was wearing a helmet full of insects in I’m A Celebrity and in 2008 performing in the canteen at Tesco’s Welwyn Garden City head office promoting his Let It Be Me album.

Jason stars in the Here & Now 10th Anniversary Tour, alongside Boy George and Belinda Carlisle, at the Brighton Centre tonight.

Call 0844 8471515 to book tickets.

Is there a performer who made you think, “I want to do that?”

It was my dad who inspired me to want to be an actor and The Beatles who inspired my musical interest. I also absolutely loved Kiss who inspired my use of extravagant theatrical makeup!

Do you remember the first record you bought? What was it, and where did you buy it?

It would have been a cassette from a record shop where I grew up in Malvern, but I can’t remember if it was Men At Work or Abba. I loved pop music from a very early age!

Tell us about any guilty pleasures lurking in your CD or film collections – something you know is a bit naff but you can’t help yourself...

I don’t have a lot of CDs because I favour listening to the radio and I’ve never had a massive film collection so I tend to rent them. However, I’ve always liked Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Whether they count as a guilty pleasures I’m not sure, but I definitely enjoy watching them.

Favourite film...and why?

I hate this question because I don’t really have favourites as such but I remember a film called The Piano which was based in 19th-century New Zealand about a mute pianist and her daughter. That film made a big impact on me. There’s also an Australian film called Chopper which came out in 2000. I also recently watched Little Fockers with the kids at the cinema and loved it!

Which TV programme couldn’t you live without?

I’m a news junkie and really enjoy watching the news. I’m not big on TV series, so yes, the news I couldn’t live without. I hear Mad Men is meant to be amazing and must check it out when I finish being on tour. I’m still catching up with Friends seven years after it finished!

What’s your favourite album and why?

Again, I don’t have a favourite album because I listen to the radio a lot but to throw some off the top of my head it would be Peter Gabriel’s So or any Prince, U2 or Nirvana album.

Is there a song or individual piece of music you always come back to?

Well, I love pop music and I tend to float with current trends, so at the moment it would be Rihanna’s Only Girl (In The World) or Take That’s Greatest Day. And you never can beat a great dance track tune like one from Eric Prydz.

What’s your favourite book and why?

I know it sounds really shallow, but I’m not a book person. I’d much rather catch up on the news so I’m more of a newspaper reader. I like keeping up with what’s going on in the world.

Is there a live music or theatre experience that stays in your memory?

The World Violation Tour by Depeche Mode in 1990 is one that sticks out in my memory the most.

Is there a song you wished you’d written? And why?

Only Girl (In The World) by Rihanna because it’s just a fantastic song or Evacuate The Dancefloor by Cascada. Pure pop, I love it and it’s fun!

What’s your favourite soap and why?

I don’t watch soaps at all really, I might catch a bit here and there but I'm more of a reality TV fan.

I love I’m a Celebrity..., Strictly Come Dancing, Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor. I think shows like that are brilliant platforms to showcase talented individuals and groups. It’s something the UK should be proud of.

What’s your favourite thing about England?

It’s got to be the countryside.

I have a house in Oxford which has the most beautiful surroundings and I love getting up there with the family whenever I can.