Sam Fender has the ultimate response to former classmates who beg him to play at their weddings: ‘F**k off.’
The Hypersonic Missiles star, 27, has revealed he was bullied by his peers while at a sixth form college in a wealthy part of Whitley Bay in the North East of England, near to where he’s from in North Shields.
However, now he absolutely relishes how much the tables have turned.
The Brit-winning, chart-topping rock star – who is known for singing about his working-class background – told the Sunday Times Culture magazine: ‘There was a corner of the common room that they used to call peasants’ corner, and that’s where I used to sit.’
‘But they’re all asking us to play their weddings now. And I subsequently tell them all to f**k off. It’s wonderful.’
Too right, Sam.
The singer-songwriter, who rose to fame in 2018 when he was on the BBC’s Sound Of… poll, also revealed that when he was 20 and trying to make it as a musician, he was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.
However, he stressed that he doesn’t want to identify it because ‘it’ll just become the story of everything I do’.
The illness did spur him on to create his debut album Hypersonic Missiles, though, the hit LP released in 2019 to great fanfare, hitting the top of the charts.
‘I was, like, ‘Well, that’s great – my music’s failed and I’m probably going to die. [I thought] If I’m going to potentially die young, then I’m going to release an album that actually means something before that,’ he said.
Fortunately, Sam made an unexpected recovery.
He went on, referring to his debut album and its 2021 follow-up Seventeen Going Under: ‘And now I’ve released two albums that I like. Well, one that’s alreet, and one that’s f**king good.’
The star went on to say he’s in ‘near remission’ and although he undergoes regular tests and takes medication, he is able to lead a ‘completely normal’ life.
But he conceded: ‘I should probably look after myself a bit more.’
Sam’s had a brilliant year so far, winning the best rock/alternative gong at the Brits in February, before hosting a mega star-studded party that same night in Peckham.
He then went on to win the best album in the world gong at the NME Awards earlier this month.
Days after the big Brits win, Sam put his newly-acquired prize to good use by smashing a pinata of Boris Johnson to absolute smithereens.
In a video shared on TikTok, Sam was seen rocking up to his local, The Low Light Tavern in North Shields, greeted by cheering friends and family – and a pinata of the Prime Minister’s head.
He made short work of the Boris mock-up, before throwing his arms in the air in triumph, and joking in the caption: ‘Put my BRIT to good use.’
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