Tony Hadley says it’s "impossible" for Spandau Ballet to be the same again without him because there is "only one" him.
The 59-year-old former frontman walked out on his bandmates – Gary Kemp, Martin Kemp, Steve Norman and John Keeble – two years ago because they weren’t keen on him doing solo work in between their group projects.
And now Tony has admitted he knew they would never be able to recreate the same magic with another singer fronting the group, after West End star Ross William Wild joined the ‘Gold’ hitmakers for a few shows last summer, before the band decided it wasn’t working out.
Tony told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I saw clips, and the guy’s got a good voice and did a pretty good job … but it looked a bit odd.
"He wasn’t me.
"That’s impossible, there’s only one me. They don’t make two of me!"
And despite Martin recently admitting the band is over until Tony returns, he has ruled out rejoining the band to mark their 40th anniversary next year.
Tony insisted: "It’s too late."
Martin had said: "The band stopped playing and we thought it would be really cool if we took out Ross William Wild, he’s a lovely man, lovely singer. We tried that for about six or seven shows through Europe and it was great fun. But what I kind of started to realise what people really want is the five of us together. And I think what we should to do to be fair to that is to put it into a box and let it sit there until that happens.
"And if one day the five of us can talk and get back together it would be wonderful."
Asked if the ‘Through The Barricades’ hitmakers had decided to end touring, he confirmed: "Until Tony comes back … until the five of us come back. It’s not just Tony, all five of us. Listen, my band is so volatile, one minute we are the best friends then we fall out, it has always been that way.
"I would love it to happen because it is part of me it is part of my soul. But it means all five of us saying yes at the same time."
The group reunited in 2015 for a world tour and have split up on-and-off over their career.
Tony was the lead vocalist throughout the 80s, but his relationships with his bandmates hadn’t always been plain sailing.
In 1999, Tony, drummer John and sax player Steve were embroiled in a lawsuit over royalties with chief songwriter Gary, but they failed in their efforts.
Tony Hadley says Spandau Ballet will never work without him
