Matt Goss reveals that he just wants his brother back

Life-changing decisions can often sprout from the most innocuous things – like the one that prompted singer Matt Goss to move back to his native UK last year after living in America for a quarter of a century. ‘I was playing frisbee in the park here and I had this moment where I realised that I just loved the way it felt, that I loved being here,’ he recalls. 

It’s a far cry from Las Vegas, where the 54-year-old has had several sell-out residencies. His first performance at Caesars Palace in 2010 led to a local news site calling him ‘the leader of a new Rat Pack’, comparing him to Frank Sinatra.

‘That was a real honour, but there will only ever be one Sinatra,’ he says. ‘The beautiful thing about Vegas is that it forces you to burn your ego. 

‘You’re doing shows to people who may not know a lot about you. You’re part of the schedule for their trip. 

‘So it reverses your career all the way back to the days where you had to just entertain.’ 

The irony is not lost on him that while he’s walked in the footsteps of Ol’ Blue Eyes, in the UK many just think of Matt as the singer in Bros, the phenomenally successful 80s boy band he formed with his twin brother Luke, who played drums. ‘It is frustrating,’ he says. 

‘Sometimes you get compartmentalised. I just hope I get to the point over here where I can be seen again as a multi-dimensional, intelligent human being.’ 

Perhaps that’s the thinking behind his new UK tour, during which he’ll perform his hits, new music and a tribute to legendary songwriter Cole Porter, all accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and a big band. A new album will follow in June. 

‘I’m looking forward to creating an experience, not just a gig,’ he says. ‘It’s going to be such an immersive thing, even the intermission.

‘I want it to be slightly boozy, where people meet and have chats and fun.’ 

The US enabled Matt to emerge from the shadow of Bros. ‘America has been great to me,’ he says. 

‘I was able to become a man there. I discovered a new side of myself, and I’ve achieved incredible things there. It was a big decision to move home. I was jumping off the cliff. 

‘I think what I discovered at the end of my time in the US was that as a man, as an entertainer, as a human being, I have charged through my grief.’ He pauses, clearly struggling for words. 

Matt (left) and Luke Goss of the British band Bros performing on stage during their ‘In 2 Summer’ concert at Wembley Stadium in London, England on 19 August, 1989

‘Even now, just saying this makes me feel emotional.’ Matt has been through much personal tumult. 

Bros may have sold 16 million records, but Matt has spent the 30 years since the band’s acrimonious 1992 split trying to shake off the legacy of being a teen heartthrob. 

Part of the tumult lies in his relationship with Luke, who’s older by 11 minutes. This was brought to the fore in the infamous 2018 documentary Bros: After The Screaming Stops, filmed for their reunion shows at London’s O2 Arena, 28 years after their last performance together. 

It put their relationship under a spotlight, with Matt storming out of a dressing room after a row with his twin. 

Today Matt admits moving across an ocean (Luke still lives in LA, where he has a thriving acting career) has helped. ‘Luke is everything to me; there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him,’ he says. 

‘We’re in a calmer place now but we still push each other’s buttons.’ 

The grief he referred to is for his losses. In 1988, when Brosmania was at its peak, Matt and Luke’s 18-year-old sister Carolyn was killed by a drunk driver. 

They barely had time to mourn her, such was their punishing schedule. Not long afterwards, Matt’s bodyguard died of a brain tumour, and in 2014 they lost their mum Carol to cancer.

‘Me and Luke were there for her last breaths; that was a very bonding moment,’ Matt says. ‘I know we love each other with every fibre of our being. 

‘But I just want to get to a place where we are… I just want my brother back, I want to go down the pub, watch a game with Luke, have a pint. I don’t want to talk about work, I want to be brothers for a second. That’s what I want.’ 

He says he would give ‘everything’ in return for another minute in Carol’s company. ‘She lit up the room. 

‘Her laugh was so infectious. She was the one person that would get me through anything.’ 

Although she’s buried in the States (she followed her sons there), he has no regrets about throwing himself back into British life. Last year he took part in Strictly, and was the third voted out. 

‘It was so far out of my comfort zone,’ he laughs. ‘But it was an incredible experience, I’m really glad I did it.’ 

He’s also dating jewellery designer Chantal Brown. ‘She’s a really kind and humble person,’ he says. ‘It’s early days, but I feel very optimistic. She means the world to me.’ 

New home, new love, new work – Matt’s certainly ringing the changes. ‘My life here is fun,’ he says. ‘But I don’t take anything for granted.’

• Matt’s 2023 UK Tour with the MG Big Band and Royal Philharmonic begins on 27 February. For tickets visit MattGossTour.com