EXCLUSIVE: Matt Goss was one of the biggest heartthrobs of the 1980s, but he’s ready to settle down – and perhaps even tie the knot, with his girlfriend of three years, he tells us exclusively
Matt Goss, the heartthrob from the iconic pop band Bros, still has that star quality as he enters the room, leaving no doubt you’re in the presence of pop royalty. Swapping his 80s ripped jeans and peroxide hair for a more refined look, his striking cheekbones and piercing blue eyes remain unchanged. The 56 year old singer, who became a teen sensation alongside his twin brother Luke and Craig Logan, is not just resting on his laurels; he’s busy with new music and an upcoming film project with Stephen Dorff. But it’s not all work for Matt; he’s also gearing up for a nostalgic tour filled with Bros classics like When Will I Be Famous?.
Catching up with Matt, whose personality is a captivating blend of reserved and magnetic, he’s keen to chat about his musical journey. He candidly shares insights into his personal life, the losses that have deeply affected him, and some wild fan moments. “I’ve been touring my whole life, I love it,” he reveals, discussing his much-anticipated tour, ‘Matt Goss: The Hits and More’, set to start in March. “This time, I wanted to do a show of all the hits. Every single song you’ll know. I just want people to dust off their gladrags and have a really fun night out.”
Now based in London, Matt spent 17 years in LA, including 12 years with his own live show in Vegas, which initially left him “petrified”. “I was scared. Everyone said Vegas is a tough nut to crack. But I did it,” he says, reports the Mirror. Having previously performed in front of nearly 80,000 adoring fans at Wembley Stadium in 1989, Matt believes those experiences have become ingrained in him. “Those experiences become a part of your DNA,” he says.
In his personal life, Matt has been dating model-turned-jewellery designer Chantal Brown for three years. He beams with pride when talking about her, saying, “She’s kind, funny – she says life with me is like flying by the seat of your pants. She always has to be make-up ready! ” Amidst engagement rumours, Matt thinks Chantal could be the one to make him settle down. “Absolutely, I do,” he says simply. “I love her, isn’t that what it’s all about?”
As for his devoted fans, many of whom have grown up alongside him, Matt notes that their expectations have changed over time. “Once upon a time, female fans wanted a hug and a kiss,” he says. “Now, they want everything! It’s a… sexier place. When you’re older, you know exactly what you want. My older fans do – and it’s not just a hug and a kiss any more! “Matt recalls a particularly zealous fan who hid under his hotel bed while he was on tour.
“Yeah, they grabbed my ankles and let’s just say, I did not react in a cool way. I screamed my head off and shot off my bed,” he confesses. Matt also shared another shocking experience where he found a naked woman waiting for him in the shower of his hotel room.
“When I told my mates, they laughed and asked, ‘Did you have a good time? ‘ I was like, ‘No! This person’s been waiting in the shower anywhere between two and five hours to meet me. That’s not someone I want to be getting involved with! ‘” Although Matt seems to take it in stride, the incident has left him cautious, admitting, “I’ll still check the shower and under the bed on tour.”
However, fame can also have a more sinister side, as Matt recently discovered when someone began impersonating him online. Fortunately, the Met Police were “brilliant” and the catfish has been apprehended, but the experience left Matt feeling unsettled. “I’m sympathetic to the person who was duped, but it started to make them very angry, then they began to show up at places I frequent,” he explains. “At one point, it was a restaurant near my house.”
Matt’s appearance on Strictly Come Dancing with Nadiya Bychkova in 2022 introduced him to a new audience, although his time on the show was marked by mixed experiences. When asked if he’d consider participating in another high-profile show, such as I’m A Celebrity, Matt jokingly replied, “I would genuinely go to a jungle and hide out there to avoid doing a show like I’m A Celebrity. I’m too shy to do all those things.”
Despite his bubbly persona, he shared his deeper side with us: “I have a good laugh and I like a good time, but it doesn’t mean I can be ‘that guy’ all the time. Sometimes I feel crushed by self-consciousness, sometimes I feel like a king. But a show like that would strip me down in all the wrong places, I think.”
Matt has been in the limelight long enough to rub shoulders with legends including the unforgettable Muhammad Ali and the people’s princess, Diana. Recounting Princess Di’s charm, he said: “She knew how to make you blush,” and expressed how touching it was that she followed their career. “She had such a light. She told us she was following our career. I was doing promo in Germany when she died. I cancelled it and came home. I was devastated.”
Through his incredible journey, Matt has also faced profound sorrow. The loss of his sister Carolyn in a tragic accident with a drink driver in the late ’80s and his mum’s battle with breast cancer which took her away in 2014 were pivotal moments. He confessed: “My mum and sister not being here leaves me feeling orphaned. Those losses had a huge impact,” and continued to remember his sister’s virtue: “Carolyn had such a generous spirit and heart. Maybe she was taken because she was so ahead of the game. She was such an emotionally intelligent woman.”
Matt has opened up about the complexities of relationships, hinting at his estrangement from his twin without directly mentioning it. He reflects on the effort to mend bonds, saying, “You turn yourself inside out to try to find solutions. But if I can look in the mirror and say I’ve done everything I could, that’s enough. That philosophy has saved me. You can’t make people love you.”
He shares a sense of peace, influenced by his late mother’s words: “Yes, but our time here is finite. Before my mother died, the last thing she said was, ‘Please surround yourself with people that can see your heart.’ And sometimes, that’s not family. But I’ve got my wing-men.”