I caught up with him during half time at a charity football match to find out how it feels to support one of his inspirations, his hopes of appearing on the silver screen and the all important question - is he still single?

How is it going?

Good, it's been mad today I'm playing a charity football match, it's half time and I'm on for a hat-trick.

You are coming to Doncaster on July 12, have you ever been here before?
No never. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm going to be performing lots of new stuff from my album 'Neon' and it will just be really exciting and hopefully people will come along and enjoy it.

How does it feel to be supporting Elton John?

It's absolutely amazing, it's surreal. He was a massive inspiration to me growing up and I'm a really big fan so the fact that he has the faith in me to support him is awesome, and I'm the only support act. He is a legend and I can't wait to work with him.

What is Elton like?

I haven't actually met him yet but I've spoken to him a few times on the phone and he's really nice. He's been very charming.

Do you plan on going back to acting or focusing on singing?

I'm still acting as much as possible. I'm balancing the two really. Music is just what I've always done. I was doing that even before acting so it's nice to be able to do both.

You've just finished your own solo tour how was that?

It was my first tour. It was absolutely amazing. It's just been a blur really of tour buses, hotels, performing. Your mind just goes blank. I love performing though and I really enjoyed it.

It was a big decision. I was dubious about it just because of the nature of these kind of shows but it was really exciting and the exposure was fantastic. It's not very often you get to perform for 10 million people and I knew I'd never get that kind of opportunity again.

It was a massive show. And I raised £200,000 for charity and not many people can say that.

Do you think it is difficult making the transition from soapstar to recording artist - is it difficult to be taken seriously as an artist?

There are some negative responses but it's just what I always did even before acting so I just do my own thing and when you get people like Elton John thinking you're good enough in their eyes it's absolutely fantastic. It's not something I rushed into - I looked around for the right deal and I think the timing was right.

Do you think it made it easier to break into the entertainment industry as your mum and dad have experience?
I don't think it made it any easier but definitely made me want to get into the industry and it was nice to be able to turn to them for advice.
What can people expect from your album 'Neon'?

I wrote it when I was 17 so it's all sorts of things that I was going through at the time, it's a mix of everything rock, American rock, acoustic.

Do you get nervous when you're performing?

I definitely get nervous but I think it's good. I think if you don't get nervous it's because you don't care enough. So it's a good kind of nervous.

I'm sure all the ladies in Doncaster will want to know if you are single?
No I'm not.
So you're off the market?
(laughs) Yeah.

There was a lot of media interest in your relationship with actress Roxanne Pallett was that difficult to deal with?

It was strange but I think it comes with the territory. We were always careful not to put ourselves in the media spotlight and it's just part of the industry. Relationships are hard enough as it is without that but it's not something I would complain about, it's just one of those things when you're in the public eye. We're still friends but I don't really talk about it now, it was such a long time ago.

What music are you listening to at the moment?

Coldplay - I really love their new album. I like all different kinds of
music really.

What are your plans for the future?
I've got quite a lot of acting jobs coming up. I've just finished a new series for ITV and got a few other projects lined-up. I can't really talk about them at the minute but it's really positive. After the massive tour it will be nice to do some acting.

I've heard you're eager to do a film.

Definitely. I think films are something every actor would love to do. It's just a case of waiting for the right part but it's something I would love to do and I'm sure there are things on the horizon.

A lot of actors who have made the transition into the music industry have done cover versions of covers - you write a lot of your own stuff is this important to you?

I'm not judging anyone who does covers or doesn't write their own stuff but writing is important to me and it's something I've always done.


*Richard Fleeshman will support Elton John at the Keepmoat Stadium on July 12. Contact the box office on 0844 8471731 or 01302 762560 to book tickets priced at £60 and £40.
www.keepmoatstadium.co.uk