If you wanted a popstar to do you a favour - lend you a tenner perhaps, or look after your kids for the night - Lemar would be your man; he's a jolly pleasant chap who has plenty of time for fans, journalists and just about anyone who wants a piece of him. Given that he's an artist with a couple of Brits, seven top ten hits and three multi-platinum albums to his name, you could forgive him a few diva strops. A little bitterness would also be excusable when you consider the lack of recognition he's received for achieving all this off the back of being trumped by dour old David Sneddon on Fame Academy. But Lemar is neither bitter or stroppy. He's ploughed on regardless with four albums of soul, R&B and pop, the highlights of which have now been packaged together on this Hits comp.His quality control may fall short over the course of these 15 tracks, but this isn't to say that there aren't some notable high points here. Lemar's greatest trick is penning and performing tracks which sound like covers of forgotten '70s R&B gems.

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• Lemar The Hits Album Youtube

You could easily be fooled into believing that 'It's Not That Easy' and and 'Someone Should Tell You' were chestnuts from a dusty old Classic Soul comp. Elsewhere, his debut hit 'Dance (With U)' and follow-up '50/50' open the record with a neat pop one-two - a sax-filled party track and, if you excuse the Smashy and Nicey-esque description, some seriously laid-back grooves.Sadly, such tracks are outweighed by dreary Heart FM filler and cringey boyband-style ballads. Lemar's vocal talents are unquestionable. It remains one of the biggest outrages in reality TV history that he didn't run away with Fame Academy and if he were to enter The X Factor today, his soulful tones, smooth sex appeal and impressive falsetto would warrant nothing less than the winner's crown. However, lyrically and musically his palette isn't varied enough to sustain an entire album that claims to be a 'Hits' collection. For instance, you can enjoy his vocals on the reality audition staple 'If There's Any Justice', but sandwiched between the slushy 'Lullaby' and beige ballad 'Time To Grow', the skip button too easily becomes your friend.The list of credits and thank yous in the liner notes testifies to the friendships that Lemar's made over the past decade. Including the entire Fame Academy cast, pretty much everyone who's ever worked at Sony and the entire staff of his local Waitrose, the list is extensive.

It's an obvious cliche to say that nice guys often finish last, but in the case of Lemar, he does look in danger of slipping off the musical radar if he doesn't up his game. The final track on the CD is a re-recorded version of 'What About Love?' Featuring JLS, the group he gave a leg-up by inviting on tour last year. Aston and co. Clearly wanted to return the favour, but one suspects that this stinking Camembert of a track wouldn't get anywhere near their next album. A case, perhaps, of Lemar willingly settling for second best - something which probably explains the distinct averageness of much of The Hits.

Are you a spender or a saver?I’m more of a saver although there are moments. When I did finally start earning decent money through music I was like, “Oh my god, I’ve got some money,” but then you pull in the reins when you’ve done what you consider to be extravagant.

It’s not that extravagant but you think, “Should I be doing this?”When was the first time you earned any money growing up?My first job was terrible. I was working for a newsagent doing the paper round. The first guy gave me seven quid, which was like a quid a day so I packed that in very quickly. Then the guy at the end of the alleyway where I used to live in Tottenham gave me around £20 a week but they made you work for it.

I had to deliver a load of papers.After school I got turned down for a job in McDonald's then worked in Sainsbury’s for years doing everything from being a trolley boy to working on the cashier’s desk. I took home about £700 a month including overtime. I liked the social life and the sense of financial independence.When were you first paid for performing?I didn’t get paid for my first gig supporting Usher Raymond in the Temple in Tottenham when I was 17 or 18. I bugged the promoter to let me play and it went down a storm.

And after that I got loads of gigs, which were paid.I got about £300 for the second gig which was when I supported Destiny’s Child at the Hippodrome but it took me years to get my first proper record deal. I signed to what was then Sony BMG but the guy who signed me left the company and after lawyers fees, the signing-on fee was negligible. I just carried on working all the way through to the moment I appeared on Fame Academy in 2002 aged 24.You finished third but how did your life change financially?Massively.

I remember leaving Fame Academy, coming home, not knowing what the future would be. I was at home for a good month or two. I’d given up my day job because suddenly I was too well known to walk down the street and it was nicer to stay indoors. After about a month I started getting gigs so I’d do like three gigs a week.Presumably you upped your rates to at least a grand a show?No, less than that but the volume increased.

I managed to pay off the debt I’d taken to buy a Renault Clio, which felt great. It was brilliant to be debt free and even though I’ve made a lot more money since, that was probably the most fulfilling moment.Sony then signed you on a five-album deal allegedly worth £1mThat wasn’t a million to me.

They just spend that on marketing, but it was certainly good money and somewhere between £70,000 and £100,000. I saw it as more of a bonus as by the time I was signed I was already doing three well-paid gigs a week.

The main comfort was in knowing that I had a big team behind me.Lemar's £1m, five-album deal with Sony may not have netted him seven figures but it was still lucrativeDid the record company give you any financial advice or did you just follow your prudent instincts?I got some advice from the bank years later when I needed it but I used to have conversations about money with the management, who were quite wealthy. I think they could also see from my attitude that I just wanted to work hard to earn as much as possible because I wanted to save up.What advice would you give to tomorrow’s overnight pop stars about the financial implications of sudden fame?You can’t predict tomorrow. And because you can’t predict tomorrow, you have to be realistic with what you have today. It doesn’t mean don’t enjoy yourself but enjoy yourself at the right time. I’m a great believer in everything at the right time. Go on a crazy spree if it’s the right time to do it but choose your moment carefully and beware of impulse buying.

Let the fame calm down first and then do something. I don’t act on emotion, I don’t spend on impulse.Have you ever broken that rule?I did once buy a fairly expensive car but not before speaking to a lot of people about it.

Then a few years later I took my family on holiday to Spain to stay at a friend’s place and the person opposite was selling their place and I thought, “This is all right, only a few hours from London, sat by the water, how much is it?” And it was almost half the price of the car and I suddenly thought, “I could have put my money over there and by now it would have gone up whatever percentage instead it’s probably halved, and it’s a car that I’m so busy I don’t really drive.”That hurt a bit but at the same time it’s something that I wanted and it felt good. And sometimes you don’t get the value of the art or the painting you buy. The value you get from it is on the wall and you’re looking at it. It’s the same with your car. You’re using it, so it goes down in value but you’ve used it.Does money make you happy?No, but it helps. The freedom it gives you to make decisions in your time or based on pure emotions or pure feelings is what is nice about money.How has having a young family changed your attitude to money?Majorly. They’re my focus now.

I feel like I’ve ticked a lot of the boxes in my life as to what I’d like to achieve, financially at least, so my main focus now is to provide for them for the future.Are they old enough to have inherited your financial sense?We try to do the whole, “nothing’s for free” thing. We tell them if you want something, do something and you can have something but don’t just ask for it and expect to get it. And when you do get some, put some away in the money box and then you can spend it.

It will get them used to that invisible man, Mr Tax, a bit earlier.Do you manage your own finances or have an accountant?I have an accountant who deals with the intricacies but I just make sure that they take whatever needs to be taken, then I see what I can go wild with. Or not so wild in my case.How do you prefer to pay; cash, card or cheque?I used to prefer cash but I’m more and more drawn to cards because with certain cards you get the full lists which you can then pass on to your accountant so you don’t have to do the whole receipt, receipt, receipt thing as it’s all itemised.

I’ve got a couple of credit cards, which I pay off regularly and they never get out of control. That’s the one thing with me. I hate any kind of owing of anything.

That’s why I was so happy to pay off the Clio. I just need to clear the mortgage now. I’ll be happy when that’s disappeared.While Lemar may have come third on 'Fame Academy', he went on to sell more than two million albums and had seven top 10 hits Photo: PAAre you a generous tipper?I try to be but I wish they’d just leave the thing in the bill. When I go to America it’s like I’ve got to do the maths every time I eat. I have no problems tipping and I’ll tip 20pc, 15pc, whatever it is, but I just wish they’d include it in the bill.Are you comfortable with online banking?I prefer it. Being able to check your balance on the phone is the best invention ever.What are your financial plans for the future?Just making sure that I’ve provided enough for my two little ones so that if I, God forbid, do go they’re in a position where they’ve got something they can start with.What do you like least about money?Nothing really. I think money is pretty straightforward.

Lemar The Hits Album Youtube

Get some money in; pay off what you owe, the rest is yours.Lemar’s new album, The Letter, is out on October 9th on BMG Records.