X FACTOR winner Joe McElderry says a disturbing experience with a stalker has
made it hard for him to trust and find love.
The 21-year-old was tracked to his home by obsessed fan Ennis McBride – who
also followed his mum, turned up in the front row of one of Joe’s shows and
bombarded him with tweets.
Finally, in September, bearded McBride, 53, was found guilty of harassment and
given a five-year restraining order, preventing him from contacting Joe or
his family.
It marked an end to a gruelling year for Joe, who has just released his fourth
album, Here’s What I Believe, and has been coping with the pressure of
penning his own songs for the first time.
He said: “It started when Ennis came to my house and asked to speak to me
urgently. My best friend answered the door because I was in the bath and
obviously said I wasn’t available.”
But McBride, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, then went to the singer’s old
house, spoke to his mum Eileen Joyce and accused Joe of being a liar.
The singer added: “I was shaken and creeped out. Mum sounded very alarmed and
distressed and told me to lock the doors. A few weeks later I was doing a
show and he was there, in the front row. Obviously that spooked me but I
just had to carry on performing.
“We called the police but while Mum gave a statement in the house we saw him
outside, stood on the corner in the dark. It was creepy, it freaked me out.
It isn’t pleasant knowing someone is doing that to you and your family.”
Joe is now enjoying happier times as the new album is doing well. He said: “I
wrote about friends, break-ups and relationships on the album. I am single
but everybody has had a break-up by 21, haven’t they?”
But Joe is adamant he is not yet ready for a long-term commitment and is now
wary of trusting people after his scary run-in with McBride.
He said: “I have to be careful when it comes to trust. I’ve got good judgement
but you need some guard up when you meet someone.”
Home for Joe is still South Shields, Tyne and Wear, but with his workload he
is spending most of his time in London. He said: “I am too young to settle
down. And I’m never in the same place for more than two days.”