Sally Churchward put your questions to Craig...

Q. When you became famous and started to earn money, what was the first thing you went out to buy and how much did it cost?

Laura Hale, St Denys, Southampton

A. I think I went out and bought myself a laptop which cost about £1,500. It was the first thing I could take on the road with me and write songs.

Q. Who is the most down-to-earth star you've met?

Janine Dixon, Lordshill, Southampton

A. Probably Sting, to tell you the truth. I think he's a very cool guy - very humble for someone who's had decades of hits. I saw him on Jonathan Ross and it was really cool because he was talking about the whole process of how I went to the studio with him and he was like, 'Yeah, Craig was teaching me how to do this', and Jonathan Ross picked up on it and he was like, 'Craig was teaching you? What's going on there?'. So he's a nice guy and I can call him whenever and he calls me to see how I'm doing.

Q. How has your close relationship with your mother helped you get where you are today?

Emma Thompson, Harefield

A. You know what, thinking back, it was just her allowing me to do what I wanted to do. I mean, being responsible as a parent but at the same time, because I was so passionate about what I wanted, she allowed me to go and DJ when I was 14 and 15 when I shouldn't even have been in clubs. So I think that all helped. It allowed me to mature a lot more quickly. I think I never betrayed her trust because it was something I really wanted to do and I thought, 'If I play around and take advantage of it, I won't be able to do what I want'.

Q. What do you do to impress a girl on a first date?

Lynne Madgwick, Fareham

A. I think you should just be yourself, really. If you try too hard you set a precedent of where you have to go from there and everything else is so low. I just go for something very chilled - a drink, not necessarily a slap-up meal - and just vibe with each other. I kind of do the gentlemanly thing and pay but I like the girl to at least say, 'Thank you'. If she takes it for granted, you're like, 'OK, I can see where you're coming from'.

Q. What's your favourite food? Liz Chant, Portswood, Southampton

A. Fettuccini carbonara. I have no clue how to make that myself, but I guess putting pasta in a bowl isn't too hard, but the rest of it....? A ready mixed kind would be pretty cool. I don't really do any cooking but I can do amazing beans on toast and fried eggs.