The first words Sophie Ellis-Bextor said to her future husband, Richard Jones, have been immortalised in neon, and are proudly on display in his studio. “It’s embarrassing,” she says with a laugh. “I said: ‘Nice amp.’” It was 2002, they were both in their early 20s, and Jones, a bass guitarist – who would go on to form the band the Feeling – was auditioning for Sophie’s new tour band.
They met in a rehearsal studio in north London, Richard remembers. “I was like, wow, look at this ethereal, beautiful woman that is way more beautiful in real life than I expected.” (Sophie was, of course, already a super-successful pop star.)
