I'm your FAN

These women reveal the passion that lights up their life

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‘THEY TAKE ME BACK TO WHEN I HADN’T A CARE IN THE WORLD’

Anita Prosser, 52, a fitness instructor, has been an avid Duran Duran fan for more than 40 years. She lives in Kingston upon Thames with her two teenage children.

I first saw Duran Duran on Top of the Pops in 1981, when I was 10. They sang Planet Earth, and I thought they looked beautiful with their New Romantic floppy hair and pirate shirts. I was smitten from that moment onwards and blew all my pocket money on the single.

After that, every time there was a new release, I made my mum and dad drive me a dozen miles to a record shop where sales counted towards the pop charts. At 13, I went to the hairdresser clutching a picture of bassist John Taylor, my favourite, and said, 'I want that.' My waistlong hair was chopped, and I emerged with a mullet like my heart-throb.

But it didn't stop there. I saved up to see the band play every time there was a tour and spent ages hanging round stage doors to get a glimpse of my idols. Even after the original line-up did their final concert for Live Aid, I stuck with them. I just never grew out of them.

When the internet arrived, I realised it wasn't just me who was besotted with the band. I made friends from around the world in fan chat rooms.