With the voice of an angel, millions of devoted fans and the adoration of at least two of the world’s most beautiful women, it’s pretty good to be Josh Groban.
To top it all off, the pop-opera superstar is heading to our shores next month for a one-off gig – and it turns out New Zealand holds a special place in his heart.
“I’m so excited to be coming back,” he tells the Weekly from his home in Los Angeles. “New Zealand was one of the first countries that I got a gold record in. I still have the plaque. But audiences there are so fantastic. I love that you can’t go there without bringing a little bit of humour, and there’s this great looseness to the fans. You’re laid-back in all of the right ways!”
This “laid-back looseness” might come as a welcome reprieve for Josh, as his fans are some of the most, er, enthusiastic on the planet. The most die-hard devotees dub themselves “Grobanites”.
“It is interesting when you look at fandoms around the world. No matter what the differences are, the energy is still the same,” he says. “I mean, we’re in the midst of a pretty insane election process here in America, and all day long you hear about people’s differences, countries at war, religious tensions… But everywhere you go in the world, music is the same.”
Perhaps one fan he’d like to forget about is former flame Miss Piggy, who last year battled for Josh’s affections on The Muppets.
“I’m one of about five humans who went there,” he laughs. “[Between Kat and Miss Piggy], I’m the envy of the world! But she was the most difficult girlfriend I ever had. There were demands that I just couldn’t keep up with…”
Josh with partner Kat Dennings.
In reality, Josh (35) is currently dating 2 Broke Girls star Kat Dennings (29), after they were introduced in 2014 by Kat’s co-star Beth Behrs.
While she might not be set to accompany Josh to New Zealand, he is planning plenty of activities on his days off either side of his show, where he’ll be performing hits from his number one musical theatre-inspired album Stages. He says that a jaunt to Waiheke Island is a possibility.
“You guys have the best sauvignon blanc on the planet,” he enthuses. “I hope to stick around,” the crooner says.
“I’d love to explore Middle Earth a little more. I wish I was there more, actually, but considering how long the flight is, I think I’ve been there enough to see the sights!”
Josh Gorban performs at Auckland’s Vector Arena on April 30
