They were runners up on X Factor and they're hoping to prove they've got what it takes with their first single Beat Again. They discuss what life is like in the public eye as well as the types of girls they attract.

By Polly Weeks

With the letters JLS painted on their faces, thousands of excited teenage girls fill the Royal Albert Hall. Screaming as loudly as they can, they await the arrival of their (latest) favourite band.

Just seven months earlier, none of the girls had even heard of the London-based group JLS and its members Aston Merrygold, 21, Marvin Humes, 24, Jonathan "JB" Gill, 22, and Oritsé Williams, 22.

But that was before they and 10 million other viewers tuned in to watch series five of TV talent show X Factor last year.

Within a matter of three months the band had gone from pop hopefuls to household names and, with the release of their debut single Beat Again this week, have high hopes for their future. But the boys admit that they weren't always so confident.

"It was a goal of ours to get signed, but when we started the show that wasn't our aim," admits JB.

"Our aim was to get through each week. Then, if we did get through to the final, we'd have a one-in-three chance of getting signed."

Eventually, the band finished the television competition in second place, behind singer Alexandra Burke.

They headed out on a club tour patiently waiting for news from their management as to whether they'd be able to secure a record deal. Newspaper reports of an offer from Simon Cowell's label Syco came and went, and then one month later the four received a call.

Marvin recalls: "Our management said, 'You're signed to Epic Records'. We were ecstatic and felt incredibly fortunate."

Their transition from hopefuls to magazine pin-ups has left the boys both amused and excited.

Aston admits: "You can't say you're ever going to get used to girls screaming at you everywhere you go. These days, we get out of a car and for no reason at all girls just start screaming. On stage when the vibe is right it can be 10 times as loud. I don't think we're ever going to be ready for that."

As the youngest, shortest and - some would say - most talented of the group, Aston already had huge amounts of public attention.

"I think it's because he's the youngest and he has the little fringe which all the girls like," Marvin jokes. Aston quickly replies: "Look, if you three want a fringe - then just grow them!"

Yet while Aston may receive the most fan mail, the other members aren't short of admirers.

"The younger girls like me, the mums definitely like Marvin, the wild girls like Oritsé and the polite, well-mannered girls like JB," Aston explains, matter-of-factly.

But whether the boys will have time to take advantage of being heart-throbs is debatable. While they're all single, Marvin explains: "There's no time to have a relationship. We are busy all the time, so we wouldn't make very good boyfriends, we'd never get to see each other. It's hard but we love what we're doing. We'll sacrifice a lot for the band."

The boys have already shown huge commitment to the group. All four gave up careers or university courses to make their pop star dreams a reality.

Oritsé, who formed the band in 2007, says he took the selection procedure very seriously. "When you audition a lot of people it's hard because you think, 'Did I let someone go who should be here?' But I made a firm decision. I knew exactly what I was looking for.

"I couldn't have found three better guys. We work well together and we've all got the same mentality. I think it's so important in a band to have the same focus and be able to listen to each other, that's what makes us work."

While Oritsé may be the brains behind the bands, Marvin has the most experience. Previously in another band called Vs, the group had three chart singles before being dropped from their label.

He says the experience taught him about the fickle nature of the music industry.

"It put me in good stead for JLS because I learnt so much," says Marvin. "I was the youngest member then and now I'm the oldest in this band. I'm very lucky, you don't get too many second chances but I was able to."

It's not just Marvin's experiences which are causing the band to be cautious about the future. Apart from a handful of cases, the majority of TV talent show stars have short-lived pop careers.

Aston explains: "We were cautious coming out of the programme and we didn't want to rush the album just in case it wasn't the right time. Now we feel we're ready for what we're about to do.

"We've got a great team behind us and the label know exactly what they're doing. As a team together, we're very clued up now as to what we're looking to aim for."

They have already had some help from Fame Academy's Lemar. "We went on tour with Lemar and he was like a big brother to us. He's given us a lot of guidance and wisdom. He's an inspiration to us and he's done so incredibly well in his career," says Oritsé.

While there is clearly pressure mounting on the muscular shoulders of the foursome, the band are prepared for a lot of hard work to avoid the pitfalls of instant stardom.

"Success isn't something we can take for granted, we've done the groundwork now and made sure we've got everything in order to go forward. Hopefully the single will do well and then we can work on the album and hopefully do a tour too," JB says.

As for the long-term aspirations? Marvin says: "We just want to be able to do this for as long as possible - to make our families and ourselves happy."

Extra time - JLS :: JLS stands for Jack the Lad Swings :: Oritsé took part in a P Diddy-inspired internship at Deal Real Records. He was then spotted by Trevor Nelson and he went own to perform his own song on MTV's The Lick.

:: Before JLS and Vs, Marvin appeared in Holby City, Grange Hill and the musical Oliver.

:: Aston left school at 16 and presented CITV's Fun Song Factory for three years.

:: JB lived in Antigua before moving to the UK aged five.