Aaron Renfree: “I was the one in S Club Juniors with puppy fat and braces”

S Club Juniors member turned dancer and choreographer Aaron Renfree took home a very respectable 26th place in our Hot 100 this year – up from 50 the year before. While his awkward teen years were on public show thanks to his position in the group, he’s blossomed into quite the hunk. Here Aaron, who’s previously opened up to Attitude about coming out, talks about growing up in the public eye, his first male crush and the pressure to look good.

Well done on your Hot 100 place!

It feels pretty good as I used to be the one with puppy fat and braces from S Club Juniors, so I’ve done pretty well being alongside these other handsome men.

Who was your first male crush?

My first male crush was Zac Efron. What’s even more embarrassing is that I danced at the High School Musical premieres back in the day re-enacting some of the routines from the film! And he’d be there, front row, watching me pretending to be him with a basketball!

Do you feel a pressure to look a certain way?

Being on stage and TV does put the pressure on you. With social media being able to capture so many moments, you don’t want to get the shot of you not looking your best. At college I was told to buff up because it would help me get better jobs because male dancers get asked to take their tops off all the time – that’s what it comes down to sometimes… Who has the best body. It sounds extreme but you have to look camera ready all the time.

Do you think there’s an emphasis on achieving the ‘body beautiful’?

It’s one extreme to the next. It’s so hard with what we see on social media now; so many beautiful people with incredible bodies from all over the world posting stunning pictures everyday. I can understand why everyone wants to achieve the ‘body beautiful’. I don’t see anything wrong in trying to achieve that but I think there is more to life than looking good.

You can read our full interview with Aaron – alongside other out stars of the Hot 100 including Duncan James, Charlie King and our winner Simon Dunn – in our current Hot 100 issue, available now in shops. You can download the digital mag from Pocketmags.com/Attitude or grab the print version from newsstand.co.uk/Attitude. You can also grab our special Love & Marriage issue – with Lance & Michael on the cover – at newsstand.co.uk/LoveMarriage.