Chris Martin is known for being the frontman of Coldplay, who are one of the biggest British rock bands of all time.
The group are currently on their Music of the Spheres world tour and the 46-year-old Yellow singer shocked fans when he arrived in Cardiff via train on Tuesday ahead of their two nights of gigs at the Principality Stadium.
The father-of-two, who is known for being a very humble popstar, brought a fan up on stage on the first night after spotting his emotional poster in the crowds and sang Everglow with him in honour of the man's friend, who had passed away.
However, Coldplay were not always as famous as they are now, with Martin and his bandmates having to work their way up to success.
There are not many bad things that can be said about the Devon-born star, who is loved by millions around the world and even still has a close relationship with his ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow for the sake of their beloved children.
Although the star has recently come under fire after he controversially revealed that he only eats one meal a day on a podcast after he was influenced by one famous rock star, experts have deemed Chris' lifestyle as 'unhealthy'.
Here we take a closer look into Chris Martin's personal life including his past and new love life, his unconventional eating habits and how his globally known rock band Coldplay rose to fame.
Love life
Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow were one of Hollywood's hottest couples at one point before they ended their marriage in 2014 after over 11 years together.
They first met in October 2002 when Martin was just 25 and Paltrow was 30, two months after the release of Coldplay's second studio album A Rush Of Blood To The Head.
The Iron Man star was a big fan of the rock band's music and recalls meeting her future husband backstage, who she described as "sweet" and “was like Tigger the tiger bouncing around" on the Call Her Daddy podcast.
The pair knocked it off straight away and were wed a year later in a secret ceremony in Santa Barbara, California, with no family members present, according to People magazine.
In 2004, the couple welcomed their first-born daughter Apple Blythe Alison Martin followed by their son Moses in 2006.
Martin, who famously wrote his iconic song 'Fix You' for Gwyneth after her father died, previously compared his marriage to the Avengers star to "winning the lottery" so it came as a real shock to fans when the couple announced they were splitting up.
In their 'conscious re-coupling' statement at the time, they wrote that they are "parents first and foremost" and have remained very close friends years later.
Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Paltrow said that her relationship with Chris, who she now describes as a "brother" to her was "very deep", when they first met and she said that she "knew he was going to be the father of her kids".
The couple continue to co-parent their children together and shared a sweet family selfie from Apple's High school graduation last year.
Most recently, Gwyneth wished her ex husband a Happy 46th Birthday on Instagram with a picture of the two of them and a caption which read: Happy birthday to the sweetest father and friend. We love you, cajm"
Despite their close relationship, Paltrow and Martin have both moved on with their love life with Gwyneth tying the knot with Brad Falchuk in 2018.
Martin has been dating Fifty Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson since 2017 with rumours circulating since last year that the couple are now engaged but nothing has ever been publicly confirmed.
Johnson and Paltrow are close friends and the two couples have even been on family holidays together over the Christmas period.
Controversial diet
Martin has recently opened up about his unconventional eating habits as he told Conan O’Brien on his podcast ‘Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend’ that he only eats one meal a day.
The Coldplay frontman revealed that he had been inspired by rock legend Bruce Springsteen to completely change his diet after meeting with the American musician, who only eats once a day.
Martin said: “I actually don’t have dinner anymore. I stop eating at 4[pm] and I learned that from having lunch with Bruce Springsteen."
Speaking of what caused his decision, he said: " I was on a really strict diet anyway. But I was like ‘Bruce looks even more in shape than me’ and Patti [Springsteen’s wife] said he’s only eating one meal a day. I was like ‘well, there we go. That’s my next challenge'”.
The dad-of-two did not detail what his meal usually consists of but joked that Springsteen's is a “flank of buffalo with a steroid sauce”.
According to the Daily Mail, there are a number of studies dating back at least a decade that claim intermittent fasting may lower your risk of Alzheimers, result in significant weight loss and increase lifespan.
However, his controversial confession sparked some online backlash by critics who deemed his extreme intermittent fasting diet as extremely "restrictive".
Health experts agree that the Viva La Vida singer's diet is "worringly unhealthy" with bulk.com nutritionist Abigail Roberts urging fans not to be influenced by Martin's diet as she explained the dangers of only eating one meal a day.
With the recommended adult calorie intake being around 2,500 each day for men, Roberts said that just eating once per day is unlikely to be good for your body unless you are cramming in all the nutrients and calories you need into one meal.
Gut health expert Marilia Chamo also noted that it might be quite difficult to reach your calorie intake without splurging on fast food and said this often leads to "disordered eating".
Roberts echoed this claim as she said: "Eating one meal per day may increase the risk of binge eating during that meal, causing digestive discomfort such as bloating and constipation."
She added: "Research has shown that consuming only one meal a day can lead to inadequate nutrient intake, causing deficiencies that may lead to various health problems such as fatigue, weakened immunity, and impaired cognitive function."
Career
Coldplay's history as a band dates all the way back to Martin's university days where he studied alongside Guy Berryman, Will Champion, Jonny Buckland and Phil Harvey at University College London.
The Viva La Vida singer formed the band 'Starfish' with his four pals and in 1996 they began making music together with no idea that one day they would be known as Coldplay, one of the biggest rock bands in the world.
During the nineties they played small gigs and did not receive much attention for their efforts but, by chance, one night a scout for Universal Music was one of the few people in attendance.
Coldplay landed themselves a deal with the German-British record label Parlophone and their success kick started from there.
Their first few songs did not do well in charts but everything changed when Chris Martin wrote and released Yellow in 2000.
From there their careers skyrocketed and according to a Times article, Martin is now worth £160m with the band having sold an estimated 100m albums across the world.
Coldplay's co-manager and creative director Phil revealed that his friendship with Chris dates back as far as when the two men were 13, with the other four band members all meeting at university.
He previously told Music Business Worldwide: "After school, Chris went to University College London and I went to Trinity College, Oxford.
"He met Jonny, Will and Guy in his first year there and he shared a flat with Jonny on Camden Road where I could come and stay with them.
"I was aware that they were starting to write songs together and were talking about getting a band together."
During a 2020 interview on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ellen surprised a mortified Chris with an old clip of himself from 1998 telling the camera that by 2002 Coldplay were going to be one of the biggest bands in the world.
The footage was taken two years before their debut album Parachutes was released and the band became known globally for their hit song Yellow.
A young Chris Martin with a spotty face and braces can be seen confidently telling the camera how successful he will be in the future with everything he ever manifested turning out to be true.
In the clip, he says: "Act of the Coldplay, they're going to go on to be such a huge band.
"This will be on national television within four years, four years. It's now the 26th of June 1998.
"By the 26th of June 2002, Coldplay, or the band, whatever they are called then, will be known all over, man. We're going to be so big."
In 2002, Coldplay won their first Grammy award for Best Alternative Music Album award and have since gone on to win another seven.
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