Richard Abidin Breen
Richard Abidin Breen, better known as Abs, may look like a hard nut to crack - but scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find 5ive’s most reflective and thoughtful member.
A Londoner, born in Enfield on 29 June 1979, he was raised alone by his half-Irish mother, Kay, and as a child, saw little of his Turkish father, Turan.
Polite to a fault, with manners that would impress even the Queen, Abs is wise beyond his years - but beneath his mild exterior lies a determined and very focused individual.
As he’ll tell you, there’s more to Abs than meets the eye...
“ It’s always been just me and my mum. I was raised as an only child in a single-parent family. My childhood wasn’t what you’d call conventional. My mum and dad were never married and dad’s always been in and out of my life. I’ve only really got to know him over the last two years and we get on well, but obviously I am much closer to my mum.
Mum says she knew I’d end up performing because I was singing and dancing as soon as I was physically able - I used to have glittery socks and white gloves and I’d impersonate Michael Jackson day and night. I never used to walk around the flat we lived in - I’d moonwalk!
I got really into tap dancing when I was a kid after I went along to watch mum doing a class. She asked me to join in and I was reluctant at first because I thought it was a girl’s hobby, but once I got into it I loved it.
Needless to say thought, tap class wasn’t something I asked other kids in our estate to come along to. Where we lived was rough. Often in the middle of the nigh there were police sirens going off and people swearing and screaming, but somehow I always manage not to get involved in any trouble.
School was fine for me, I never loved it but I certainly didn’t hate it and I got reasonable exam results. I very rarely bunked off and if I did it was only to go out with my cousin who had a car, which I thought was really impressive. We’d spend all day driving around listening to jungle music thinking we were really cool. Sad I know.
I’m quite close to my cousin, even on my dad’s side, but I must admit I find it a bit uncomfortable visting my Turkish relatives because I have to get into ‘ Turkish Mode.’ I find it difficult because I don’t know as much as I should about the history and culture. I can hold a conversation in Turkish - but apart from that I’m pretty ignorant.
When I left school I knew I wanted to either sing, dance or act, so I auditioned for a scholareship at the Italia Conti Stage School, where people like Louise, Naomi Campbell and Martine McCutcheon studied - but they turned me down. Determined not to be defeated I started attending their Saturday school and auditioned again a year later, when I was finally accepted. I was so happy. I felt that, at last, I’d found my niche in life.
I met some great people at Conti’s - including my girlfriend, Danielle - but I was only there for three months before I joined 5ive. I’m still with Danielle and I know she likes me for me, not just because I’m in a band. She’s my first serious girlfriend and she makes me smile - but I don’t get to see her as much as I used to.
I don’t know if what we have will last forever because we’re still both so young, but I don’t think I’d know how to go about being single again.
The thought of chatting anyone up a girl fills me with horror. I’ve never chatted anyone up in my life and when I see other blokes doing it I cringe. I know Ritchie is rubbish at pulling, but even he would look good next to me!”
Name:Richard Abidin Breen
Born:June 29 1979, Enfield, London
Love is:Being able to tell that person absolutely anything and wanting to be with them every second
Smooch status:I’ve never been in love **Oh really Abs? What about your girlfriend Danielle? Isn’t it you who always goes on about being in love?**
Abs in one word:Romantic
Abs loves it when:When my girlfriend whispers in my ear and kisses it - I go all wobbly!
Best chat up line:Did it hurt? What? When you fell from heaven!
Any tattoos or secret piercings:I really want a tattoo just below my pec or above my groin. Some kind of dragon’d be nice. Although my mum’d kill me!
Last telling off:I’m never naughty! **Pull the over one Abs!**
Abs’d write a fan letter to:These days I don’t really idolise anybody but when I was seven I wrote a long letter to Michael Jackson. I hadn’t heard of stamps so my letter cam back to me a few weeks later!
Ideal woman:Blonde hair, green eyes and adventurous. Someone who likes bungee jumping!
Dislikes:Smoking while eating, drugs and fake people
Five fact:I have two cockatiels. One’s called Kiwi, the other called Banana!