Joe McElderry looks forward to Birmingham Symphony Hall

It's been a whirlwind two years for Joe McElderry. The talented singer shot to fame on the 2009 X Factor, winning the series outright and hitting number one in the UK charts with The Climb.

He was also crowned the winner of the second series of Popstar to Operastar, in 2011, and has released two UK top three albums.

On Wednesday, he'll headline a major gig in the West Midlands, when he takes to the stage at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham.

He tells the Express & Star about his X Factor experience and how his life has changed since:

From the first audition to the final show, it's a long time.

There's so much going on all the time you don't really have time to properly think about everything. I just had to go with it and focus on my live performances.

How was your relationship with your mentor Cheryl Cole?

It was a good relationship with Cheryl, we were from the same place. I think especially because she'd been through the process herself and she understood how you were feeling throughout the whole competition.

How did you cope with the sudden rise to fame?

It was a shock going from no one knowing your name to having photographers chasing you but I dealt with it all by surrounding myself with family and friends. I didn't think about the fame and just focussed on my job as an artist. Even now I don't go to celebrity parties because I think that's how you can get wrapped up in fame.

Whats your favourite part of producing an album?

The whole process is really exciting but I find the music videos really fun because it shows it's close to release date. The videos and also the photoshoots I think really set the theme of the album.

At the start of 2011 you went on Popstar to Operastar. What did you learn from the experience?

I realised when I did the show I didn't know a lot about my voice and it was a real learning curve in my career. And I also learnt about a whole new side of music, I didn't know anything about classical music. Being on the show encouraged me to include that style of music on my latest album, but to interpret it in my own way so it was still my voice and my music.

What can we expect from your Classic tour dates set?

The tour is going to be a kind of telling a story, going from before Popstar to Operastar up to my second album release. It's going to show all the different times throughout my career – I love touring and being on stage.

* Tickets for Wednesday's Classic show by Joe McElderry at Birmingham Symphony Hall start from £27. Visit www.thsh.co.uk to book.