Charming Lee Mead has gained fame, fans and a family since shooting to stardom in 2007's Any Dream Will Do (BBC1), Andrew Lloyd Webber's national search to find the lead in his production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

As well as winning the series and subsequently enjoying a successful run in the hit musical at London's Adelphi Theatre, Lee also bagged himself a wife in the form of TV presenter, West End star and Any Dream Will Do panellist, Denise Van Outen. The couple are now proud parents to daughter Betsy.

"She'll be two in May and she keeps us very busy, as you can imagine," smiles Lee. "She's simply wonderful though.

"It's surprisingly easy to balance work and family life, even though both are so hectic. It's all about working together. Denise and I communicate all the time and keep a diary religiously, so we work around each other.

"At the end of the day, most couples have to work, so like them we're just getting on with it. And what's lucky for us, is that we both have periods when we are not working and can spend that extra time together as a family."

The perfect family set-up has been accompanied by a successful career for Lee, which continues to be in the ascendant.

Since Any Dream Will Do, Lee has starred in West End musicals Wicked and more recently Legally Blonde. Putting his acting skills to the test, he has also appeared in a national tour of Oscar Wilde's Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and recently made a guest appearance in Casualty.

"It's all happened so quickly," says Lee. "I've been given these amazing and diverse opportunities and I hope I can always do what I'm doing.

"But it's a funny old industry, so you have to appreciate and embrace everything you've got and treat every job as if it could be your last."

Lee now embarks on The Love Tour to perform a collection of love songs and hits from his new album, The Love Album.

"A few months back, when we first decided to record a new album, we sat down and thought about what songs we wanted to do," Lee explains.

"I knew that I wanted to do songs that I don't often have the chance to sing live and songs that I really love – and it turned out that most of them happened to be love songs.

"I'm really happy with the album and I'm looking forward to performing these songs live on tour."

Accompanied by Lee's band, the varied programme will include such hits as Your Song, She, Hallelujah, Fix You and Any Dream Will Do.

The album and live show are sure to be a hit with Lee's loyal fanbase, which has seen numbers swell following his recent concert tour of Japan.

"Japan was crazy!," he laughs. "I did 12 shows in four weeks, so it was pretty full on. I was exhausted by the end – but it was a brilliant experience.

"I'd never been to Japan before and I can't speak Japanese, so I was a bit concerned about how I'd go down over there. Luckily, they really took to me. We sold out the whole tour, and it looks like I'm going back there next September.

"The people were lovely, although three weeks of sushi was hard.

"Now I'm looking forward to playing the UK," he continues. "We're playing much bigger venues this time around, which I'm very excited about. Many of these venues are places I've performed at in the past, but in the background as part of the ensemble in musicals – now I'm returning with my own show.

"That feels very surreal and very special. I can't wait."