Bohemian Rhapsody Interview Interview From a Beirut War Zone to the Top of the Uk Charts, Pop Sensation Mika has Taken an Unconventional Route to Musical Stardom. He Tells Peter Ross About His Childhood, Inspirations and Why He's Determined to Remain an International Man of Mystery

Summary

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IF ever an artist seemed tailor-made for pop success, cut from the gaudy cloth of the mainstream, it is Mika. So it feels right that I meet him in Savile Row, London, where his publicist has an office.

At the start of the year, within the media and entertainment industry, a consensus built around Mika 2007 belongs to him. What's surprising is how quickly that prophecy has proved true. His single, Grace Kelly, rose to number one on downloads alone, and remains at the top of the charts. In less than a month, Mika has gone from a whisper to a star.

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Bohemian Rhapsody Interview Interview From a Beirut War Zone to the Top of the Uk Charts, Pop Sensation Mika has Taken an Unconventional Route to Musical Stardom. He Tells Peter Ross About His Childhood, Inspirations and Why He's Determined to Remain an International Man of Mystery

"I feel giddy, " he says. "I giggle in radio interviews, and my friends tell me off because my laugh embarrasses them." He has a shrill titter somewhere between Kenneth Williams and a six-year-old with a naughty secret, and his ambiguous accent a real posh spice reflects his multicultural background. His father Michael is American, his mother Jonny is Lebanese. He was raised in Paris and London.

Goofier and younger-looking in the flesh than in his male- modelish official photographs, at 23 Mika retains the newborn-foal awkwardness of a teenager reeling from a growth spurt. Six foot two in tight blue jeans, white trainers, a red jacket and two scarves, one grey wool, the other striped silk, he resembles a French exchange student circa 1986. Somewhere in the office a phone is ringing; it's probably th...

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