HE MAY have failed to walk away from the Brits with a single award, but Craig isn't the sort of person to get down-hearted.

In fact, one of his main characteristics - and something that comes as a refreshing change in today's cynical pop environment - is his amazing positivity.

And, in a wicked world fuelled by headlines about excess, egomania and of course Eminem, squeaky-clean Craig seems to be able to do no wrong.

In the space of a few months, he has seen his first two singles, Fill Me In and Seven Days, slam straight into the number one slot, while his first album, Born To Do It, sold 225,000 copies in its first week.

Then there were the six MOBO Awards. (Who needs Brits?)

Yet Craig takes it all in his stride. I caught up with him as he prepared for the new UK tour which brings him to the Bournemouth International Centre on Sunday.

The Southampton-born singer admits that things have happened very quickly indeed.

He's playing some huge dates. Indeed, the 3,500 seat Bournemouth gigs (there's another one on March 16) are among the smallest on the tour.

"It's a very surreal thing for me to be performing in arenas, let alone selling them out, but I'm certainly not getting complacent.

"I always remember that whatever success you have, it can be taken away from you just as quickly."

Craig reckons the answer to longevity in the fickle business of pop is to keep both feet planted firmly on the ground.

He certainly seems to practise what he preaches. Although he tends to live in hotels these days - "It's more convenient for my working schedule" - he still considers the Holyrood council estate in Southampton, where he grew up, to be home.

He talks to his mum several times a day on the phone and visits whenever possible.

"I try to be true to myself. I don't want to end up being one of those people who come out of their front door and immediately have to put on an act. If you're dishonest people find out eventually."

Unlike many stars, he is happy to answer seemingly petty questions from fans about how long it takes him to trim his beard and even his recently revealed penchant for stamp collecting.

"It's always nice to answer serious questions but the others are OK too," he says. "People are just curious. I've been a fan and I can understand that."

If in Craig David's case that portrait doesn't look too much like that of an archetypal rock'n'roll rebel, then he's clearly not overly concerned.

"I'm not interested in following trends," he says. "I just want to have the space to be creative in my own way."