Michael Ball desperately sought his partner Cathy McGowan’s blessing while writing his novel

Michael Ball says the only person whose approval he sought while writing his first novel was his beloved partner Cathy McGowan.

The singer, 60, has written a book about a young soldier returning from war who reinvents himself and embarks on a vaudeville career at the fictional glamorous Empire Theatre.

And the performer says he was relieved when former TV presenter Cathy, 79, who he has been with since 1992, described his first draft as a “page turner”.

He told the Mirror: ‘He’s the person whose approval I want above all else.

‘I only showed her what I had written at the end… she looked at me, slightly surprised, and said: “You can do it!”

“She called it a page-turner, which is a compliment.”

Michael went on to say that his partner has been there at every stage of his music career to support him.

A dedication to Cathy at the start of the novel reads: “To Cathy, for running the engine!”

He explained that he told Cathy to “keep the engine running” every time he took the stage in case the couple needed a quick getaway after their performance.

The pair met after interviewing him on his former pop music TV show Ready Steady Go! when he was on the West End show Aspects of Love.

They moved in together three years later and have been together ever since.

And, while some people notice the age difference between the two, Michael insists he doesn’t notice.

He said she taught him a lot about life and how to be himself and have fun.

“She taught me so much and made me laugh like a drain,” he said.

“People sometimes ask about the age difference, but it’s irrelevant. Nobody would mention it if I was the eldest. Why does it make a difference?