Daniel Bedingfield has revealed his time out of the spotlight was ‘wonderful’, 22- years after the release of his chart-topping debut single Gotta Get Thru This.

The New Zealand-born singer, 44, who recently announced a comeback tour, became a household name in the early-2000s  with a string of hit singles that included two number ones, and a bestselling debut album.

Speaking on Friday’s BBC Breakfast Daniel said how he made the most of his time away from the public eye, during which he turned his hand to farming. 

Telling hosts Charlie Stayt and Rachel Burden: ‘It was wonderful, nobody recognised me and I could just chill out and write songs, farm’.

Explaining: ‘Chicken, bees and fruit trees, I’m a Kiwi!’.

He went on to say how Los Angeles was now his base with his farm on a mountain top overlooking the ocean.

Daniel recently announced the news of his tour on Instagram writing: ‘I’m so excited to announce a run of UK shows this April to celebrate over 20 years of ‘Gotta Get Thru This’… Register now for pre-sale access via the link in my bio!’.

In addition, the website gigsandtours.com has shared an ad where people can sign-up for Daniel’s pre-sale tickets.

The ad features a smouldering new snap of the star where he is sporting trimmed facial hair and a white top. 

The surprise news received a positive from fans, among them fellow singer Pixie Lott, who responded with an emoji. 

The singer and musician will perform tracks from the album – which includes the hits James Dean (I Wanna Know) and If You’re Not The One – in London, Birmingham and Manchester throughout April. 

The mini-tour – comprised of three shows and featuring a yet to be disclosed special guest – will be Bedingfield’s first since 2005, undertaken little more than a year after a car accident almost cost him his life.

Bedingfield was left with series head and neck injuries following a collision in his native New Zealand while he was visiting his parents over Christmas. 

He was driving a 4×4 vehicle near Whangarei in North Island when the accident happened.

A spokesman for the star’s record company Polydor said at the time: ‘Daniel was on holiday in New Zealand when he was involved in a car crash.

‘He suffered head and neck injuries and remains in hospital for observation. He is conscious and chatting and the doctors say he will be fine.’

During his recovery time he  began co-writing for other artists, including American Idol finalist David Archuleta, X Factor winner Ben Haenow and Pixie Lott.

Bedingfield returned to the UK in 2016, when he joined the cast of the West End production of Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds alongside the likes of Jimmy Nail, David Essex and Heidi Range.

However, despite positive reviews for his performance as the Artilleryman, he quit the production after just a few weeks.

Making a rare TV appearance on ITV breakfast show Lorraine that same year, Bedingfield revealed he had relocated to the United States and embraced a holistic lifestyle. 

‘I’ve been there (in America) eight years, and I enjoy not being depressed,’ he said. ‘It’s never grey, it rains eight days of the year, I just go to the beach every day, and do acrobatic yoga on the beach, it’s like doing yoga poses on each other. Lift each other in the air. I giggle all the time.

‘I do it every Sunday, I do it all the time. The acro community is growing! I’m not really doing much for myself, I’m enjoying being a human-being, its so fantastic.’ 

Despite putting his own music career on hold, Bedingfield has recently worked with British DJ Fred Again…  and also featured as a judge on The X Factor in New Zealand.