In an age of guilty pleasures and 1980s nostalgia no pop star is exempt from rehabilitation, not even Rick Astley. There is, however, an exception to the rule. He sits in the conservatory of his Surrey mansion and sips a cappuccino as he contemplates the hostility he provokes.

“I fully understand why I’ve alienated many people,” Mick Hucknall admits in his soft-spoken Manchester accent, “but while I have certain regrets, I can’t honestly say that I think I’d be able to do it another way. I can’t imagine that I’d just be able to lay down, shut up and stay in my little box and be the smooth soul guy and just talk about the ladies.”