Rick returns to the hits

Rick returns to the hits Paul Taylor (24/3/2008): IT ALL goes to prove that you should never say never. Year after year, Rick Astley said he had no desire to get on stage and sing the likes of Never Gonna Give You Up in the time-honoured fashion.

There was a tentative return to the performing fray three years ago, with Astley singing smoochy standards, but he fought shy of reprising his old hits in the bouncy Stock Aitken Waterman style.