Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson on how he 'wanted to hide' over media criticism of his appearance

“I can remember when I’d be in the paper, and they used to be able to say what they want about the way you looked,” he recalls. “Now, I think it’s great that the press doesn’t focus so much on the way you look, they focus on your behaviour and what you’re creating. But there was a time when I didn’t really like reading about myself, because they would focus on the fact that I wasn’t the thinnest person in the world, they would concentrate on the fact I had a bit of rosacea.

“It used to be really bad. I can remember one article called me ‘the porky popster’, and ‘jowly frontman’. They’d photoshop pictures of me, put my head onto different people’s bodies. I was terrified to open the papers.” That must have affected his self-esteem? “Yeah,” he agrees. “It was really bad. I just wanted to hide.”

Reading those things also impacted his motivation for self-care. “You can get yourself in a real bad cycle of feeling a little bit like, well there’s no point, is there? But if you can get yourself out of that, then the benefits [of looking after yourself] are brilliant. I feel better, I’m not as nervous all the time. I feel that I’ve got more energy about myself and I’m happier.”

You won’t find him in the gym – “I’ve got a dog and a pair of trainers, that’s all I need really” – but his school friend, Craig Rose, who founded Dr Seaweed’s Weed & Wonderful supplements range in 2018, got him thinking more about nutrition. Wilson is an ambassador for the brand (which has just also launched in Boots) and has been a fan from the start.

Back in January, the singer joined Virgin Radio, hosting the weekday drivetime shows. In some ways, he’s busier than ever (he recently took part in the BBC’s The Masked Singer too, making it to the final) – but this has brought some surprising wellbeing benefits too.

“It’s the most structure I’ve had in my life...I do like the routine, because I’ve never had it before. “Also, now I’m really busy, I don’t really stew on things as much, I just get on with it,” he reflects.

Wilson’s perspective on the success of the Leeds band has shifted too. “I think that’s probably because I’m not as worried as I used to be. I don’t really think that if we release something that doesn’t do well, then it’s the end. Because we’ve got to a point now where we’ve made mistakes in the past, but we always come bouncing back.”