Michael Ball has learned to "care less" about what people think of him.

The 61-year-old star - who made his name starring in West End musicals like 'Les Miserables' and 'The Phantom of the Opera' - was asked what he has learned since hitting his milestone birthday two years ago and admitted that he now feels he has a "wisdom" about life that he is happy to share with others.

He told Woman's Weekly magazine: "The good side is that I care less about what people think of me. You feel that you have a wisdom and experience that is really useful to share."

However, the Olivier Award-winning actor joked that the only "downside" to getting older is that weight does not come off as easily as it used to.

He said: "Your metabolism is shot. What happened to the days where I could go 'If I don’t eat for three days, I’ll lose a stone'? Not any more. It sucks!"

Meanwhile, Michael is gearing up to go on his first solo tour in a number of years and even though he has performed with fellow West End star Alfie Boe as part of the double act Ball and Boe in recent times, he admitted that there are still so many songs he has never performed before.

He said: "I'm really excited because it's a while since I've done a solo tour, and I've got a load of stuff that I haven't ever performed live. I've done gigs with Alfie and he'd just finished his solo tour, so I thought, 'Right, I better get myself out there. If he can do it, I can do it!'.

'We will be back together at some point soon, I'm sure, but this is me reconnecting with the fans and doing my own thing.'

'The Michael Ball: On With the Show' tour runs from March 11 - 30, with tickets available from LiveNation.co.uk.