Mika - My London

10 April 2012

Mika attended Westminster School and the Royal College of Music. He won four gongs at the World Music Awards in 2007 and a BRIT Award in 2008.

Home is...
A flat near Gloucester Road. I was born in Beirut, but we were evacuated because of the civil war, then I lived in Paris and, eventually, London.

What was the last show you saw in London?
La Clique, an anarchic variety show at the Roundhouse; it was hysterical.

What advice would you give a tourist?
Take a cab to Borough Market on a Friday; have a coffee at the Monmouth Coffee Company; walk past Tate Modern, along the South Bank, over Waterloo Bridge to Covent Garden and then down The Mall to Buckingham Palace. Then stop off at the smallest pub in London, The Grenadier in Belgravia.

Which London shops do you rely on?
Homebase. Whenever I am depressed I go there. I am rubbish at DIY but I love buying bits of wood. C Rassells garden centre on Earls Court Road is like a movie set. Unconditional Clothing in Soho is a tiny boutique and a brilliant place. Whole Foods if I am feeling decadent - you need to remortgage for that place; otherwise Sainsbury's.

What's the best meal you've had in London?
I go to Lucio's on Fulham Road once a week. My favourite dish is the handmade pasta with veal ragu. For dessert they do a great affogato: homemade vanilla ice cream with a shot of espresso. They have such a weird collection of people: old English families next to Alan Yentob and Jemima Khan.

What's your earliest London memory?
Living in a cramped B&B in Pimlico. We stayed there for a year and it was difficult for my parents, but we had fun hiding in the elevator shaft.

What would be on your tombstone?
Live every day as if it's your last. My accountant doesn't really agree with me.

What are your guilty pleasures?
Buying three of everything is a compulsion I've had since I was a kid. I put them in different places so if I lose one I don't lose all of them. I have a white Fiat and eight pairs of keys dotted around my house, and the worst part of it is that I don't even drive.

What are you most afraid of?
Fish - they're disgusting things. But I like eating them. My aunt was once attacked by a shark.

What would you do as Mayor for the day?
I'd take pride in walking my sheep across town.

What animal would you most like to be?
A duck. When I was a child I was obsessed with them. They get fed, they don't have money problems and they go on holiday for free in big groups of friends.

What was the last album you bought?
Stoned Soul Picnic: The Best of Laura Nyro.

What would you save from a fire?
My original Mr Benn and Tintin illustrations. When I made my first bit of money I bought a £400 piece by the Seattle comic-book artist Jim Woodring.

What are you wearing?
A Thom Browne white shirt. It's made from a thick tablecloth material that never needs ironing, which is ideal for me. All my shoes are made by Christian Louboutin - we are good friends. He told me to stuff veal down my shoes to stop my toes from hurting when I dance on stage. It works but it starts to smell eventually.

What's the most romantic place in London?
Eel Pie Island near Twickenham, the only residential island on the Thames. It's like you're in another world.

What's your favourite London pub?
The Phoenix near Cheyne Walk is small and cosy.

What is your favourite London discovery?
The downstairs members' bar at Bob Bob Ricard. It's based on an old speakeasy diner with leather booths and art by Peter Blake. The floor is like a giant backgammon board inlaid with different pieces of coloured wood. It's the most beautiful bar in London.

Where did you last go on holiday?
In one week I flew to Sydney, where I closed Australian Idol, then Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo then back to London. Fortunately, I got to see a bit of each place. Also, I've just been to Sri Lanka for the first time for an eight-day holiday.

Have you ever stolen anything?
I used to steal computer games when I was a kid and useless items that made me feel alive.

Mika will be playing at Hammersmith Apollo on 28 February and 1 March 2010, as part of his The Boy Who Knew Too Much UK tour (0871 2200 260; seetickets.com). His single 'Blame it on the Girls' is out on 15 February

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Alan Yentob

Mika - My London

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