Hawkins: 'I sang better than Bono on Band Aid single'

The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins is still furious with U2 singer Bono for usurping his vocals on last year's Band Aid single, insisting that his singing voice is stronger.

The star claims Bono cut his contribution to 'Do they know it's Christmas?' and re-recorded it singing in a whisper, because he couldn't outdo Hawkins' powerful voice.

Hawkins says: "I'm the first to admit that in a few years time I'm not going to be able to sing as well as I do now. Your voice changes.

"They slid in his original vocal from before, and that didn't work, mine was still better.

"So Bono actually flew in to redo it. He practically whispered the line because if he was to compete with me as a rock singer, belting out something nowadays, he'd lose.

"And that's not arrogance, that's a fact."