Taken from It's Hot - September 2003

Breaking The Rules!

If it's a squeaky clean pop band you're after, then you'll have to keep on looking! Being bad is in - and Busted are sooo good at it!

From the moment we saw that video with those underpants, we knew we'd stumbled across some very naughty boys!
Let's take a look at the evidence, shall we? Public slanging matches with other bands, getting thrown out of hotels, writing saucy lyrics and lusting after teachers and pop princesses. Busted definitely aren't your average boy band.
So how do Mattie, Charlie and James get away with being wicked and worshipped at the same time? James has the answer: 'You can be bad as long as you don't get caught!'
It seems simple.. but not if you're Mattie: 'I had detention every night for a month!' he grins.
But surely posh, public schoolboy Charlie never put a foot out of line? Don't you believe it! 'I used to walk behind teachers, pulling funny faces,' he chuckles.

Well, their naughty school days may be behind them, but Busted are still misbehavin'. Just read our explosive interviews to find out how..

Broken hearts, windows and arms - it's Mattie!

All right, Mattie?! What's your first memory of being told off?
I was about five and I was a pageboy at my mum's wedding, but that morning, me and my cousin decided to go and climb trees. I fell out of a massive one and broke my arm and my aunt had to take me to casualty. I ended up at the church with my arm in plaster!

Were you ever a chicken?
Oh man, I'd do anything! I've always been a sucker for a dare. If you dare Charlie to do something, he'll just say, 'Oh, whatever.' But if someone dared me - I had to do it!

What's the cheekiest thing you ever did at school?
We painted our teacher's chair brown! She had a white dress on and just sat right down without noticing. She spent the rest of the lesson with two paint prints on her bum!

Were you a regular in detention?
Yeah, I once had detention every night for a month. I was never nasty, just naughty, but I was always the sucker who got caught!

Ever had a brush with the law?
Yeah, I once had to explain myself to the police after a conker fight. Me and my mate were lobbing them at each other, but I threw one and it broke a shop window!

Is there anything you've done that you wish you hadn't?
I cheated on a girlfriend once and she found out. After I'd done it, I thought to myself, 'Why the hell did you do that?' It was just so stupid and we ended up splitting up.

What's the worst punishment you could ever be given?
I hated being grounded, but I'd escape at night and go out. I'd climb out of my bedroom window and then down the drainpipe!

Have you ever been a vandal?
No - I hate graffiti. I love it if it's good, but I hate those little hood rats, who run around spraying it on people's houses.

Do you go for good or bad girls?
Somewhere in between. She can't be so responsible that she's telling me off all the time, but if I'm doing something stupid, I need someone who'll say, 'Matt, don't do that!'

Who would you hate to spend a night in jail with?
Ha! Ha! Probably one of the Fast Food Rockers!

When did you last get told off?
Recently! We were playing at a road show in Southampton, but I slept round my mate's house and my alarm didn't go off. I didn't get a serious telling off, but you know when people are really disappointed in you.

Can you get away with more stuff now you're famous?
No, it's even worse now. You have to behave 'cause people are always watching you.

Who's the naughtiest Busted boy?
Probably me! James is quite naughty, but Charlie always wants to be seen as the good guy. He has that Prince William glow about him!

Charlie's not as clean cut as he makes out!

Hi Charlie! Have you been told off for something you didn't do?
I told a friend I'd watched a rude video for a joke and he told his mum, who told my teacher, who had a go at me for watching it!

What's the nastiest trick you've ever played on someone?
We squirted shaving foam on a sleeping friend's hand, so he covered himself with it. And we put another sleeping friend's hand in warm water, hoping it would make him wet himself, but it didn't!

Were you naughty at school?
Not really. I'd have a laugh - like, I'd write 'Kick me!' on a note and put it on someone's back, or walk behind teachers pulling funny faces.

Which school rule was made to be broken?
Staying in the school grounds! We weren't allowed to go out without telling a teacher, but we used to sneak out every night!

Did you ever get detention?
I was only ever given it once. It was for taking a friend's guitar out of his locker, playing it and then forgetting to put it back.

Have you ever been in real troub' with the police?
Never, but the police were called to my 18th birthday because my friends were jumping on car bonnets!

Were you a rebel?
At school, I really wanted to knuckle down and be like my brother - I wanted to be head boy. But when he left, I thought, 'stuff this!' Then we did some mad things - like, my friends make me drink from a shoe, and my mate ran into the school chapel naked!

Have you vandalised anything?
No, vandals really annoy me. Somebody broke my car window and it was a brand new Porsche I'd bought for my 18th birthday.

What's the rudest thing you've ever said to your mum?
I told my mum where to go. She said, 'Charles, don't speak such disgusting language!'

When did you last get told off?
When I went out in Germany with Lee from Blue. We got kicked out of his hotel for being loud, so we went back to mine and carried on partying! Then we overslept and missed our flight - and Mattie couldn't wear his socks or shoes 'cause I'd been sick on them!

Do you prefer bad girls to good?
Someone who's a bit of both. I appreciate the good side more, though. I don't see the attraction of girls like Pink - I don't like girls who try to be like boys.

So when did you last get your bum well and truly slapped?
On our latest video shoot, we did a crowd scene and everyone slapped my bum - and that wasn't even in the script!

If you were given a punishment by Miss Mackenzie, what would you like it to be?
I wouldn't mind if she gave me a nice caning!

Who's naughtiest in Busted?
It depends who's feeling naughty at the time, really. We're all stupid to be honest!

Is James smart enough to keep his nose clean?

Hi James - what's the cheekiest thing you did as a kid?
I intercepted a letter being sent home to my parents that said I wasn't doing my work! I waited for the postman and then binned it!

Did you get away with murder?
Well, once in Art class, I drew a picture of a girl but she ended up looking like a pig and got offended. The headmaster called me into his office to have a serious word, but when he saw my picture, he started laughing instead!

Were you a naughty kid then?
I got up to normal, kids' stuff, like someone would knock on a door and run away, and then we'd video the owner of the house coming out looking puzzled!

When did you last get your bum slapped?
Probably when I was young. Hang on, what am I saying? Fans do it to me all the time!

How did you know if you were in troub' with your mum?
Were you on first name terms with your school headmaster?
Yeah, but our school was quite small, so everyone knew everyone. I had a reputation for being a smart kid! I got A grades and never revised for exams.

What's the worst punishment you could ever be given?
I hate wasting time, so I could never go to jail. Even detention wound me up 'cause it was a whole hour wasted when I could have been doing something else instead!

Which rule do you think was made to be broken?
All of them - they're all made to be broken!

Have you ever refused a dare?
No, if I'm dared to do something, I normally do it. I ran down the street in my boxer shorts when I was about 12 for a dare!

Can you get away with being naughtier now you're famous?
Well, some people are like, 'I can't tell him off 'cause he's in a band,' but then others are like, 'Let's bring that guy back down to earth!'

What type of girls do you go for?
I'd like to go out with a girl who's not hung up on being good or hung up on being bad, but I'd like her to be a bit of a risk taker.

Have you ever fibbed to a fan?
Yeah, we were making our video and loads of fans were grabbing my bum, so I told them I was going for a break and never came back. I don't like having my bum grabbed!

What porkies have you told?
I used to lie about my age when I wanted to go to places I wasn't old enough to get into. I look really young anyway - I recently got asked for ID to get into a 15 certificate film!

Who's the naughtiest of the Busted boys?
Matt! It's so obvious - it just shines through. He's by far the naughtiest Busted boy!