Gareth Gates will be donning a red nose for his return to the charts in the first few weeks of the new year.

And it won't be the only change fans can expect from the new-look Bradford star.

The singer will be releasing the Comic Relief charity track in aid of the annual fund-raising spectacular. But details of the song remain a secret - after Gareth snubbed his record company's choice of a classic cover version.

Instead, he might choose to pen his own song as part of a new look for 2003.

The Telegraph & Argus can reveal that the singer has bought a new drum kit and is planning to write most of the tracks on his next album.

And gone is the trademark spiky hair, which has been replaced by a longer, 'messier' style. After spending Christmas with his family in Bradford, the star is back at his London home working on new material.

Today his mother Wendy said fans could expect a fresh look - with his new sound looking to win an older generation of fans. "Gareth is more than capable of playing instruments and is a fantastic song writer," she said. "He is looking to bring his instruments in on his songs and he has bought a new drum kit and hi-tech keyboard.

"I think his music will change a bit now. The big ballads are really Gareth, but he is classically trained and has got really into the swing stuff as well. The next album will be a total mixture, I think he has grown up a lot and it will reflect that.

"He does want to win the hearts of fans of all ages," she added. "But there are a lot of young girls and teenage fans that like Gareth. Although they do tend to change their interests very often, I hope they stick with him."

And it's not just the music which is changing. "There'll be a new look as well," explained Wendy. "The spikes have gone, and his hair is quite long now. When he came home I said it needed a cut, but he told me he was going for a new style. I think it looked lovely; it is a more messy look than the old spikes."

After taking a month off over Christmas, Gareth will make his return to the charts with the Comic Relief song.

"It is absolutely wonderful that he has been asked to do it," said Wendy. "It is great that his next single will be for charity because he has a big heart for good causes and was thrilled to be asked."

As well as the record, learner driver Gareth will also be taking part in an edition of Celebrity Driving School to be screened on Comic Relief night on BBC One in March.

l Gareth was the most written about male celebrity in the past 12 months, according to a survey by a top selling magazine. He featured no less than 60 times in Now magazine - beating off the challenge from his Pop Idol rival Will Young. The most written about female celebrity was Victoria Beckham.