Were you popular at school?

AJ: No, I didn't hang out with the cool people. I was kinda quiet and turned into myself. I was Mr. Comedian when I was with my own friends, but otherwise I was mostly quiet. I got pretty good grades though.

Do You worry that what happened to New Kids On the Block (long gone '80s boy band who shared the same management company) might happen to you?

Brian: No, we're not worried-well, I'm not anyway. Granted the New Kids are not around now but they were very successful and very popular. I think any group would like to have their level of success. As a band, we're a lot tighter, we're closer. And if it did all end tomorrow, I'd go back and finish school.

When you see an attractive girl what's the first thing you look at?

AJ: (looks mischievious) Do you want me to be honest or should I lie? If she's looking at me then her eyes, but if she's not looking at me then, erm...her booty. I watch it go from side to side. It doesn't matter what size it is but...(half ashamed) Yeah, I know. I'm a man. I'm sorry.

Does someone make you wear stuff with Backstreet Boys logos on all the time?

Brian: (looks a bit hurt) We own Backstreet Boys underwear, but we're never made to wear it. We had Backstreet Boys tour jackets but it made sense to wear them if it was cold, didn't it? The merchandise is provided for us but we don't have to wear it.

Would you show your privates for the right amount of dosh?

AJ: Why do I get all the nasty questions? Well, hell no. That's why they call 'em privates. Uh-uh. I don't think so. (Long pause) Wee-ell, it gets technical. If it's for tv, it's one thing. If it's in a public place, it's different. It would have to be a lot of money cause that private stuff.

What wouldn't you do to further your career?

AJ: I wouldn't...

Brian: (raises eyebrows) Show your privates in public?

AJ: I wouldn't change my personality. I wouldn't try to be something I'm not and go off and be crazy.

When will you stop calling yourself Backstreet Boys and start calling yourself Backstreet Men?

AJ: When Nick turns 18!

Brian: I don't think we'll change it. When we picked the name Backstreet Boys, we intended it to last us forever. When we get older, when we grow up, we're gonna keep it, like the Beach Boys did y'know. If we felt it necessary, we could drop the Boys and just be Backstreet.

Do you dress in disguise when you go out?

AJ: Well, we don't put on false beards and mustaches, but we know girls recognize us by our jewellery and my sunglasses. I take them off maybe put on a baseball cap and wear things fans wouldn't normally see me in. I try to dress a little bit differently. I try, but it doesn't work.

Who was the last person you kissed properly?

Brian: Tonsil hockey? Um, I dunno. Some girl.

AJ: Let's hope so.

Brian: (gives AJ a warning look) Just some girl. A chick in the U.S. How long ago? Well, we were on tour so it's been about a month.

Do you give money to homeless people?

Brian: (seriously) I do donate money, mostly to church causes and things like that so they take care of the distribution. I have given money to homeless people in New York. If I had more money, I'd give more, y'know?

What did your school report cards say?

AJ: Usually pretty good stuff. I never had bad report cards. I always got good grades except once I got an F for pre-algebra. I hated math. English was my favorite, and I was good at it.

Describe your ideal Saturday night?

Brian: My ideal Saturday night would be to go to the park, play some basketball for about an hour till it gets dark then go back to my house and have a shower. After that, I'd go and pick up a friend, not anyone in particular, and we'd go to the movies or out for dinner, like a date.

Doe you believe in life after death?

Brian: I do.

AJ: Me too. I think life would be the same as it is now, except whatever you died of, whatever injury you had would be gone, and you'd be whole again. You're just normal and healthy but instead of being here, you'd be there. (points heavenwards)

How many girls in total have you kissed?

Brian: Properly? (counts on fingers) Umm....20? My first kiss was when I was about 10 in fifth grade, and the girl that I kiessed-her name was Michelle-she stuck her tongue in my mouth and I was like uurrgghh!! She was in sixth grade, an older, experienced woman.

What's the worst thing you've ever got up to in a hotel?

AJ: Well, I'm the king of hotels when it comes to not paying my hotel bill. I'll go through my mini bar, take all the cokes and orange juices and tell them I've not had anything at all when they ask the next morning. I do end up paying for it in the long run. I got away with it for a while and then they caught on.

Have you ever cried over a girl?

Brian: Yes! When? Oh April 2...(pretends to break down)...Oh, I don't know when. It was a while ago, probably, um...1992. She broke my heart because she wasn't the person I thought she was. I liked her for a long time and when we finally started dating, she turned out to be someonw I didn't like. She wasn't what I expected.

Are you upset because you've yet to crack it in America?

AJ: Oh yes, I am. Oh yes. We are actually gonna fix the situation by y'know, maybe having a single out there before I'm 25! No, we've had one single out and we're trying to find our second right now. I'd be more upset if we'd had more singles out and they's all bombed.

Have you ever broken the law?

Brian: I did get a speeding ticket once. That's what I did to break the law. And I was only going about 20 miles an hour so I wasn't exactly racing aroung the place.

What do you remember about the house where you grew up?

AJ: I just saw my old house recently and it's changed. When I lived in it, it was a house with a Spanish tile roof. It was brown and white, there was a foyer inside and my grandparents' room was on the left, my room was at the back opposite my mom's. Now it's got a bug circular driveway and they've ruined it. Crushed my dreams of childhood, they did.

What's the most embarrassing thing you've done in your career?

Brian: I must have done something. We were on tour in the States, and I forgot the words to a song on stage. The audience didn't really know but I was just going, "Wooh, wooh," instead of singing the words. I totally blanked.

Do you feel jealous that Nick seems to get the most attention?

AJ: (faking anger) Yes I do. All my life I've had to take second place...Nah. Everyone appeals to different people. Obviously Kevin, cause he's 24, is gonna attract an older crowd. Brian's baby face appeals to a wide age range. I don't think any of us are jealous of Nick cause he gets attention. I think it's really good for the group.

What's the most sensitive part of your body?

AJ: I'd say his nose cause he's always sneezing and it always bleeds.

Brian: Not that kind of sensitive! (squirms a bit) Probably my hair. I like a girl to play with my hairm y'know, rough and tumble my head.

How old were you when you first performed in public?

Brian: I was five in a school play. I was a little paperboy and I sang (starts singing) "Extra, extra, read all about it, news for sale..." I don't remember what the show was called. It was 15, 16 years ago.

What's the worst thing that's ever happened to you on a date?

AJ: I think it was this time when, for one thing, I didn't have enough money with me to pay, and for another, we went to a theme park. The girl I was with wanted to go on all the scary rides and I didn't, but I went to prove I was macho. I hadn't eaten anything beforehand and ended up being sick in the car on the way back.

Who is the band member most likely to go solo?

Nick: (who's just walked into the room) Robbie Williams

AJ: (snorts) Nah, I dunno. I don't think any of us are thinking about it. It's like the whole New Edition thing that's going on, somewhere down the line we could all go solo but then we'd get back together again 10 years later and be even better than before