Busted On Babes

Our fave three pop lads talk broken hearts, disastrous dates and fit fans..

Charlie

Right, 'fess up! What's the cheesiest thing you've done to impress a gal?
'I dedicated a song to a girl at a school gig once. I was about 15 at the time. It wasn't someone I was going out with, I was just trying to get her attention. I think if you wanna get a girl to notice you, then cheesy chat-up lines aren't going to work. You just have to be yourself.'

Ever had a really disastrous date?
'Erm, I tried making dinner for a girl once. I'm not very good at cooking, though, so she wasn't too impressed. It wasn't anything fancy, just pasta. That's the only thing I can cook!'

So, were you a hit with girls at school?
'I generally did quite well. I only really got into girls when I was about 12, though. It's a lot easier now. We get a lot of girls coming up to us instead of having to chat them up. It's not freaky, it's just funny!'

Ever fancied a mate's lass?
'Yeah, but I never told either of them. Your friends are too important to fall out over a girl.'

Who's your dream girl?
'It would be an exact mix of Britney and Tara Reid from American Pie 2. I think they're both really fit. I usualy go for someone who's cool and confident. It's really great when a girl knows what she wants. I can't stand those dappy ones who don't seem to have a clue. You have to know your own mind. But I hate loud girls, too. They annoy me cos they're just attention seekers!'

Do you think you'll ever get married?
'I'd love to settle down and have kids. Probably about two, but not until I'm 30. I want to experience life first without the responsibility of children.'

What's the worst put-down you've ever had from a girl?
'I wrote You Said No (Crash And Burn) about this girl turning me down at a disco. I was only about 14. I felt really stupid.

Awww! Have you ever had a broken heart?
'Yeah, I have. I was really upset abot it. I was 15 and I used to ring her all the time to try and get back with her. It was really awful. We'd been going out together for about two years.'

So, do you reckon girls make good mates?
'It's weird cos in some ways I can get on better with girls than with boys. The only problem is that I can get too close to a girl and end up fancying her.'

Is there anything lurking in your bedroom that you'd cringe about if your crush found it?
'I used to have this little lion I'd sleep with 'til I was 12 or so. I really used to think I couldn't sleep without it and I'd have to hide it when my mates came round.'

Matt

What's the worst thing a girl's ever said to you?
'When I had black hair, some girl at a bar asked me whether I was Dot Cotton's grandson. I hated that. How cheeky! I also get told I look like the ugly guy from Green Day.'

So, what's your dream girl like?
'I'm loving Lucy Lui at the moment. She's so fine! It's weird cos Charlie likes blonde girls and I'm into brunettes. With James, it doesn't really matter! I've always wanted a rock chick girlfriend, too. Instead, I get townies and those Gucci girls with their Louis Vuitton bags and Prada shoes. I've never dated a cool rock chick, but I really think I deserve to.'

Reckon you'll get married and have kids one day?
'Yeah, definitely. I don't wanna wait too long either. I'm not gonna do it this year, though. I'll probably wait 'til I'm about 25. Girls get all gooey about getting married. My last girlfriend even knew what dress she was gonna have!'

So, c'mon then - are you seeing anyone at the moment?
'I saw a girl for a little while, but it became too much with the band and everything. The only thing you can do is meet someone who works in the same area or industry as you. That's why so many celebs get together cos they all go to the same parties. But even if I did have a girlfriend, I wouldn't bring her up in interviews all the time. That stuff's personal - there's your work life and your private life, two seperate things.'

Have you got any top tips for getting over a broken heart, then?
'I reckon it's best not to see the other person. You can be mates with someone after a nice split. But if someone breaks your heart, you're never gonna wanna see 'em again, really, are you?'

D'you reckon lads find it easier copying with a break-up?
'Erm, it depends. Love is a massive thing. I always thought it was overrated cos there are a million love songs and everything. But as soon as I experienced it for myself, I understood. It's completely uncontrollable and takes over your life. The first time I fell in love was about a year ago, but it just fizzled out. When I split up with her, she didn't really understand. We'd still be arranging to go out and I'd still be doing stuff with her. In the end I said this has got to stop. We weren't gonna get back together - that was hard.'

How d'you handle it if you fancy someone, but they don't like you back?
'Oh, that's a stinker! I'd say stick at it. I did that once when someone didn't fancy me, and suddenly she saw the magnificent world that was me! Of course it's not worth it if you can see it's never gonna happen. You shouldn't punish yourself. I've learned that girls are massive flirts but flirting doesn't always mean that they want you. Girls are sooo rude!'

You what?!
'Well, this one girl flirted with me all night. She was playing with the back of my neck while we were chatting. I was thinking 'I'm so in here, this is wicked!' She was totally gorgeous, too. At the end of the night, I made a move and she said, 'Sorry Matt, I'm with someone.' She'd just spent three hours touching me! I was really embarrassed. She obviously did it so she could turn me down - how rude is that?'

James

Is there anyone you have a crush on?
'Yeah, Avril Lavigne. I met her once, too. She was sitting on a street corner having a drink near Leicester Square in London. I went up to her and said 'Good song, man!' It was when we were doing What I Go To School For so she didn't know who I was. But the funny thing was that the next morning I did CD:UK with her!'

What winds you up about girls?
'I like a girl to be like me. If I wanna go somewhere, I just get up and go. As long as I've got my phone and my wallet I can go anywhere at the drop of a hat. If she had to go home and get ready and stuff it would drive me mental. I like it when girls don't need to make an effort to look nice.'

Were you a babe magnet at school?
'I went to a boys' school 'til I was 13 so I'd hang out with girls after school. I love Michael Jackson and that got me into body-popping. I went to this class that was held at a stage school. That was full of girls, so I knew quite a lot of girls outside school and I was never shy around them.'

D'you chat to your mates about girl stuff?
'No, I'm a pretty private person. I think I understand girls 100% anyway. In fact, when I'm going out with someone, they hate it that I can figure them out straight away. But I don't really date random girls anyway. If I go out with a girl, I have to really like her, so we'll usually be friends first.'

Dating girls must be easy now you're famous?
'It's sooo much easier! I'd never had a girl fancy me just cos she'd seen me walking down the street. But now I get that all the time! Recently, people have been saying, 'Oh, my friend really fancies you cos you're so fit' and that's never happened before! But it's who I am now. I'm in a band and that's what it's about. If it means I can get girls, then I'm willing to take advantage of that.'

So you'd snog a fan?
'Yeah, I would if I thought she was worth it. I haven't snogged a fan yet, but I have met some really fit ones!'

Ever imagined what your wedding would be like?
'Yeah, it's not gonna be in a church, I can tell you that right now. It would be somewhere a bit cool. Not jumping out of a plane or anything cos it's meant to be a really intimate moment. And I wanna have my feet firmly planted on the ground. I'd love to get married looking out over a beach with palm trees. And there'd be a monkey in the tree!'

D'you wanna be a dad one day, too?
'I wanna have a few kids. I think I'll be a good dad cos I was treated really well when I was younger. I'd like my kids to do something together, too. Maybe they could all me in a band with me like The Jackson Five! I definitely wouldn't stop them from getting into the music business, as long as I thought they could hack it. I would encourage anything, just like my parents did for me.'