Norman cook

Six years ago, privacy laws did not come up in our conversation. At the time, Cook was famed both for his charm - the phrase "nicest man in the music industry" followed his name around regularly - and for a peculiar dichotomy in his character, which he dubbed the "shy show-off syndrome". On one hand, he was much given to protecting his anonymity. When the first Fatboy Slim singles were released, he expended a vast amount of time and energy trying to convince journalists that he had not made them. He hated having his photograph taken and was clearly uneasy as he related how he had recently been recognised for the first time, walking past a building site in town: "It was 'Oi! Fatboy!' " he shuddered.