At one point in her son’s journey through the X Factor talent machine, Simon Cowell pointed out to Anne Twist that mums can be a bit biased when it comes to their children’s talents.
‘He said, “Mums don’t always know,” ’ Anne tells me, smiling. ‘But I always thought he had something.’
‘He’ is Harry Styles. The ‘something’ is a charisma that made him such a global superstar that he might easily be known by his Christian name alone – were it not for a certain royal prince.
The now solo artist and former member of One Direction has sold millions of records, become the first man to appear alone on the cover of American Vogue and has even kick-started a film career, making his acting debut in 2017’s critically acclaimed war epic Dunkirk.
He also has a fanbase as broad as it is international, featuring everyone from goggle-eyed teens to pensioners.
