Preston's back with a new track

Former Ordinary Boys frontman Preston talks about his new album, his "surreal" past and "crushing" divorce from ex-wife Chantelle, and why he reckons he's a changed man.

Preston's appearance on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006 propelled him to stardom

Welcome back... what's it like back on the promotion trail?

It's great, I'm seeing people who I haven't seen in six or seven years. I'm aware this is a second chance. I hate the idea of a comeback - I hate the word. I'm very aware that people haven't been up all night thinking 'when's Preston going to come back with another record'. It's been a struggle, but I feel like I'm clearing my name a bit.

We have to talk about the past because I guess you wouldn't be here without the Ordinary Boys and Big Brother and Chantelle. How do you look back at that era now?

Preston walked off Never Mind The Buzzcocks when he lost his temper

I was so young and naive. I don't regret the decisions themselves, I just regret the way I handled myself. I think I tried to put on this persona of a moody, sulky, indie rocker. I just really hate those sort of people anyway, I don't know why I thought it was a good idea. At the time I was really enjoying myself - but in the same way people look back at old photos of themselves, it's very embarrassing.

What about the marriage - you were on the front of OK magazine and married to a beautiful model, I imagine it was a crazy lifestyle?

It was surreal. I remember it as a series of facts, rather than something that actually happened to me. Then I got divorced - that is a crushing, heartbreaking thing to go through. Whether you get married in OK magazine or not, it's still horrible.

Are you still in touch with Chantelle?

Yes, I am now. When we got divorced I went off travelling. I think she fell in with a bad bunch who told her to speak badly of me. We weren't in touch. She's changed agents and she's apologised for being horrible. We're friends again - which is probably what we should have been all along.

Did you describe yourselves as a Primark couple?

Chantelle Houghton and Preston met on Big Brother

You know what, if you are doing a lot of interviews, you sometimes start to believe the hype. It's such an unattractive thing to happen to someone. We were masquerading as a rockstar and a super model - but I was in a little snotty indie band and she was a page three model - it was a mickey mouse version!

Are you still in touch with the Ordinary Boys?

We're still in touch, still friends. I would have carried on, I was having a ball. But the guitarist wanted to go to university. We'd been a massive success - our last four singles were in the top 10. We thought this can't last, we can leave this now and stand proud as a successful band, or we can go down with ship and die an undignified death - we didn't want that.

Now you are back - does it feel like you have a mountain to climb?

I was naive about how much I had to clear my name, but I'm perfectly willing to do that. I think my album is good enough to take me though the other side and establish me. People are starting to respond to the music. I got my name known through surreal ways - now I'm reading stuff that's about my music, that's a bigger rush.

How would you describe your sound?

I guess it's an electric pop album. I've always loved pop music - and it's really exciting that pop and electronic music is the music that exciting creative people at the moment. I play the guitar and piano so it's got a lot of instrumentation in there, it does hark back to the indie of old. There's some slow gloomy ballads too.. I was pretty heartbroken towards the beginning of it.

You've smartened up a bit too, was that a conscious decision?

Yes, I looked in mirror and thought no-one's going to buy record from you. I stopped drinking and knocked sleeping pills on the head.

What's your goal?

Music is going through see change - I just want to earn the right to make another record. I want to be forgiven for the sort of loopy things I might have done in the past and for people to remember I am a good song writer - I want to be acknowledged as a good lyricist. I want to do some sweaty gigs. I don't want to take any cheap ways out, I want to do it the hard way.

Preston's new single Dressed To Kill is released on 23 August