Russell Watson: ‘My friend and I text Bible verses to each other every Sunday’

The world-renowned tenor explains how a near-death experience led him to faith, and why he’ll never tire of bringing joy to others through his music

Russell Watson was in his mid-20s when he was “plucked from obscurity” and thrust into the spotlight. He never planned to be a recording artist, instead dreaming of football stardom as a young boy. “It was daydreams really. I was never any good,” he confesses. His rise to fame saw him move from imitating crooners in backstreet pubs and clubs to belting out classical hits and musical theatre favourites at stadiums and concert halls around the world. The unexpected invitations to sing for the Pope, the late Queen Elizabeth II and two US presidents are what has made his career so exciting, he says.