Nathan Sykes: Cyber bullies are cowards

Nathan Sykes of The Wanted has hit out at online bullies – having seen first hand how savage some Twitter users can be.

The 20-year-old has seen both the good and bad side of fame but does not like to let internet trolls get the better of him.

‘I’m in a position where I’ve seen hate from people who maybe don’t like the band,’ he told Guilty Pleasures from America, where the band are currently out performing.

‘When the One Direction argument, or whatever it was, was going on between a few of the boys, for no reason I was suddenly getting death threats and stuff off young girls and I was quite confused by that.

‘I didn’t know what I’d done but then realised they associated me with the band. But the way they say things – the fact people can hide behind a computer screen, they’d never say it to your face.

‘They have that power, almost, of hiding behind a computer so they can be more expressive and a lot nastier.’

The We Own The Night singer does has some sound advice for anyone who is suffering from abuse online.

‘You can block these people, you can remove them from you’re time-line, you can unfollow them. You don’t have to be “friends” with these people and you can ignore them,’ he said.

‘That is the best way of dealing with it. And also speak to your friends and keep on interacting with your friends as much as possible and that will make you feel a lot better.’

Sykes also revealed that The Wanted fans were supportive – even when it came to his bandmates’ girlfriends, Kelsey Hardwick, who dates Tom Parker, and Nareesha McCaffrey, who is seeing Siva Kaneswaran.

‘On the whole they’re great and look out for them and defend them. I think a bit more with the reality show [The Wanted Life], Nareesha’s quite opinionated and there are obviously people who disagree with her opinion.

‘So you’d get people who are like “Oh you’re out of order”, but it’s a reality TV show so people will side with her opinions.’
And while Sykes told us he and fellow singleton Jay McGuinness sang All By Myself while in the car together, would-be girlfriends will be sad to here he doesn’t have time for dating himself.

‘I’m not really looking for a love-life at the moment. I’m very focused on what we’re doing and we’re so busy over the next few months so I think now would be a stupid time to start looking for a girlfriend,’ he explained.

‘I hold huge respect for Siva and Tom who have managed to hold down such strong relationships. It is hard in this line of work.’

The band released their new single We Own The Night this week, have an album due this autumn and will then be heading on their first world tour.

[Originally published Metro Guilty Pleasures 12 August 2013]