'I WONDER IF I DESERVE IT'

Superstar tenor Andrea Bocelli opens up about his stellar career, his friendships with the royals and his top priority – his family

- REPORT: KATIE DALY

The opera singer Andrea Bocelli has shared a stage with Luciano Pavarotti, Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand, performed at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and sold more than 90 million records worldwide over the course of his 31-year career.

But as a new documentary about his life is released, the Italian tenor remains remarkably humble. “It wasn’t something I had dreamed of doing. In fact, whenever I see so much attention placed on me, I can’t help but wonder if I deserve it,” Andrea exclusively tells HELLO! from his home in Tuscany, where he sits alongside his wife of 11 years, Veronica Berti Bocelli.

“There is no perfect moment to tell one's story, [but] after more than three decades on the world's concert stages, I feel it is the right time to take a deeper, more nuanced look back,” he says.

Andrea has been performing across the world (he says that New York is his favourite destination) since his breakthrough in 1992, alongside stars such as Celine, describing time spent with her as “nothing short of a joy”.

ROYAL REQUEST