THEY say revenge is a dish best served cold – and for former pop sensation Chesney Hawkes it has only taken 33 years for him to fight back.
But after decades in the music wilderness, the mild mannered singer has finally unleashed his anger on those who poked fun at him after he dominated the charts in 1991 with his one hit wonder, The One and Only.
Chesney, now 53, was just a teenager when his marmite track propelled him to overnight stardom and exposed him to criticism from the likes of disgraced This Morning host Phillip Schofield and ex-Good Morning Britain anchor Piers Morgan after he topped the charts for five weeks at the height of the 90s grunge era when bands like Nirvana were normally the ones making headlines.
But as he prepares to mount a chart comeback with his first new album in 10 years, Chesney has not forgot those who laughed at him for not “fitting in” during the decade that brought us Cool Britannia when his global hit – penned by Eighties star Nik Kershaw – rattled the Nineties music establishment.
Hitting back at his haters for the first time in years, Chesney remembers: “Phillip Schofield…B*stard. I remember he once did a (jokey) sketch at [these] awards in 1991 where he pushed me into Hell with a pitchfork. I remember that moment as I was only a kid, I was 19.”
The awards do in question was the 1991 Smash Hits’ Poll Winners’ Party.
“At first, Phillip was one of the first people who was very nice to me,” recalls Chesney. “We did all the TV shows like Live and Kicking in those days and the Radio 1 roadshows. And suddenly they turned against me.
“I remember it well. I watched [the show] that year with my parents at home and they did this horrible thing where Phillip pushed me to the gates of Hell with a pitchfork. They had this guy dressed as me in a blonde wig with a mole. It was awful.”
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Today, in the wake of the Liam Payne tragedy when the importance of men’s mental health is paramount, Chesney says it’s vital for critics to learn how their actions could affect child stars later on in life.
Chesney, who was just a teenager when he became famous, says: “How does this happen? They were all old enough to know better.
“I think those moments, they were really difficult. I kind of had to push it down and tighten the lid on it and had to think it was just water off a duck’s back. I just thought I would write a few songs and carry on but it is not until later on that I thought it was proper sh*t and it is not acceptable to do that.
“It is not responsible and it keeps happening. Piers Morgan also had a go at me during that time but my dad once poured a pint of lager over him at the Ivor Novello awards in London in 1992.”
Chesney spoke out this week as he teamed up with 90s comic Richard Herring to record an episode of the alternative comedian’s podcast which will be released in the new year.
And it seems Chesney is not shying away from speaking out after he recently shot the video for his comeback single Get A Hold of Yourself completely in the nude in homage to Gen Z cult movie fave, Saltburn.
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