Edward Watson on becoming a star in a rented room in Ealing

In today's The Sunday Times the Royal Ballet's Edward Watson talks about his ten year stay in a rented room:

When a couple of friends, Neil and Michelle, retired from the Royal Ballet in 1996, they rented out their spare rooms — they had a big house in Ealing, west London — and my flatmate, Matt, and I moved in. We thought we'd stay for a year. Ten years later, I was still there, a 30-year-old living in one room …

… Over 10 years, I went from the corps de ballet to the cover of Sunday Times Culture, but my life hadn't changed. Stupidly, I decided not to involve myself in all the attention. I wish I'd enjoyed it more and been more proud of myself. I freaked out when I hit 30. I realised that this career isn't for ever, and I had to move. The kids were going to be teenagers, thinking, “Who the hell is that old man living in one room?” So I've been in my own flat in Waterloo three Christmases now. I can walk to Covent Garden in 20 minutes. Having my own place has made me calmer and more confident. But I'm really grateful to Neil and Michelle for giving me such an amazing home to discover myself in.

Gramilano( Editor )

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.

His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.