Before boy band's Antony was a star

Antony Costa is in no doubt that 2001 has been the best year of his life.

The past 12 months have earned him fame, fortune and a Number One hit with Britain's current biggest boy band Blue. All in all, not a bad year.

"I'm doing a band with my friends that I've always wanted to do since I was little," said Antony. "I'm living a dream basically, and I just can't thank people enough for letting me live this dream."

Antony, from Edgware, first featured in the Times Group in 1997 playing Danny from Grease and Liam Gallagher with Flash Musicals.

"They're contrasting characters but I want to show people I can be versatile," the fresh-faced 16-year-old told us.

Since then his career has included stints in Grange Hill and performing Robbie Williams songs at the Mill Hill Music Festival.

Now 20, Antony has wound up in Blue, with fellow Barnet boy, Duncan James, 22, from Finchley. And it appears fame has come naturally to him.

His conversation peppered with darlin', love and babe, Antony attempts to explain the band's soaraway success.

"We're doing something different from the other bands out there at the moment," he said.

While he couldn't quite say exactly what, Antony believes Blue's strong friendships, formed before the band, might have something to do with it.

"Me and Dunc met about two years ago on the audition circuit. About a year and a half ago we really got friendly and we just decided to form a band," he said.

"Then we got a manager, and our manager was having talks with Virgin and then we got a deal."

It almost sounds too easy but Blue have faced all the pressures of a young band and come out smiling. Many others are not so lucky.

Antony, a former student at Hendon School in Hendon, also insists Blue co-write all their own songs, something not every boy band can claim.

His favourite singer, perhaps unsurprisingly, is George Michael.

"He's a Barnet lad, he's been my hero since I was a kid, and Robbie Williams as well," he said.

December 28, 2001 13:30