Music star Lemar _460

LEMAR is hiding a dirty secret. Well not exactly hiding, it’s more that everyone has forgotten.

Despite two Brit Awards, four albums and numerous Top 40 singles – he didn’t win, you know.

In the 2002 TV talent contest that made his name, it was Scottish singer David Sneddon who carried off the gong. But while few Fame Academy fans have followed his career, Lemar (who came third, by the way) has enjoyed incredible success.

Even so, the highlight of the past few years took place outside the musical arena. In January, 2008, his long-term partner Charmaine Powell gave birth to a baby girl, Nyiema.

“It’s amazing. It’s another little person to get to know, who shows you an immense amount of love,” he says in his upbeat Tottenham accent.

“It gives you another reason to come home.”

The 30-year-old soul singer, full name Lemar Obika, is not hoping his daughter will follow his own chosen career path, however.

“I hope she does whatever it is she gravitates towards naturally,” explains Lemar, who is playing the Philharmonic Hall next month. “I wouldn’t push her into music. As much as it is fun, there’s a whole bunch of behind-the-scenes stuff that no-one ever gets to know about that is slightly more intense than people imagine.”

He had almost given up on becoming a professional musician when he applied to take part in the BBC TV show. A previous recording contract with BMG fell through within 12 months, due to a restructuring, and he was considering a computer programming degree.

“I’d been doing it for eight years and there were no more people to see so I thought (cue silly voice) ‘maybe they don’t want me, maybe I’m not good enough’,” he says, admitting that some people were sceptical about his decision to try out for Fame Academy.