Mika looks back: Nowadays you wouldn't get away with the things journalists said about my sexuality in the noughties'

"Born in Beirut in 1983, Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr, otherwise known as Mika, was raised in Paris and London. He attended the Royal College of Music, before his breakthrough in 2007 with debut album Life in Cartoon Motion and its No 1 single, Grace Kelly. He went on to sell 20m records, and worked as a presenter and judge on TV shows such as Eurovision and The Piano. Mika now lives in Italy and in Hastings, East Sussex, with his partner."

"It doesn't surprise me that I am covered in chocolate. My earliest memories are of being on the floor surrounded by delicious food. I don't remember who I was at that age, but I know I had a strong sense of when I wanted to go to sleep. I would often eat a lot, then when I'd had enough, tap the person next to me, and stroll off to bed."

Born in Beirut in 1983 and raised in Paris and London, Mika attended the Royal College of Music and achieved a breakthrough in 2007 with Life in Cartoon Motion and the No 1 single Grace Kelly. He sold 20 million records and worked as a presenter and judge on television shows including Eurovision and The Piano. He lives in Italy and in Hastings, East Sussex, with his partner. His first English-language album in six years, Hyperlove, is due on 23 January. Early memories include evacuation from Beirut during the civil war and a multicultural Paris upbringing filled with family, music and food.

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