British pop idol overcame speech impediment

Behind the phenomenal recent success of teenage pop sensation Gareth Gates is an open secret that would have stopped many people even considering a career in the public eye. But Gareth has never tried to hide the problem that afflicts him and in many ways he has turned this difficulty into a strength that has driven him to the top of his profession.

Gareth sings in front of thousands of fans with all the confidence and style of a true top-class professional. But when the lights dim and the sound systems are turned off, verbal communication becomes very difficult for the young singer.

Gareth speaks with a stammer, a condition when the words that you want to say sometimes refuse to come out of your mouth. Since he became famous, giving interviews and talking to the press have been a nightmare for Gareth, but he has never let his stammer stop him and he has never tried to deny that he has difficulty with his speech.

Therapists say that stammering is probably hereditary. Gareth's father spoke with a stammer until he was 21, and one of his three sisters also suffers from the condition. Gareth works with a speech coach and recently there have been signs that his stammer is improving. It may take a long time for it to disappear altogether, or it could vanish overnight.

Over the last two years, Gareth's invasion of the world pop music scene has been extraordinary. He was born in Bradford, a city in northern England, in 1984. His father was a postman and his mother a care worker.

When he was at school, Gareth appeared in a production of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and everyone was amazed at his confidence when he opened his mouth to sing.