Ricky Wilson, the energetic frontman of Kaiser Chiefs, has revealed he once tried to retire from music but found it wasn't for him. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, the 48-year-old admitted: "I tried to retire in 2012 but it didn't work out. I didn't like retiring, so I got dragged back into working. That's when I did The Voice. But I thought I was going to live quietly by the coast in Cornwall."
Why He Almost Quit
Explaining his decision, Ricky shared: "I kind of was over it [being a star] a little bit. I think you can get too used to anything and not appreciate things as much." He admitted to being 'brattish' about his success, saying: "For the first half of my life, being a musician was all that I ever wanted. But then I got it and I was a bit brattish about it."
Reflecting on his change of heart, he added: "I wish I had understood that it was actually everything I ever wanted and just really enjoyed it. So I ended up pulling myself out of retirement because it made me realise that I do enjoy working more than I thought I did. We really do take things for granted, though."
Celebrating Scenic Routes
With 20 years of Kaiser Chiefs and 1,500 live shows, Ricky has teamed up with Tempcover to celebrate Britain's best scenic road trips and launch the Scenic Route Finder, a new tool helping Brits discover the UK's best scenic spots for staycations. The tool also highlights 'swap spot' locations for drivers to pull over and share driving duties.
Speaking about the campaign, Ricky said: "Some of our best moments on tour - like all of us jumping out of the bus to check out Stonehenge - only happened because we took a scenic detour. Now with four-year-old twins, pit stops are non-negotiable, and swapping grey motorway service stations for incredible scenic spots is a game-changer. We've had some legendary detours over the years, and taking the scenic route turns a boring drive into part of the holiday."
