Facebook 'boy band' sign £1m album deal

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Now Blake, a fourpiece of rugged ex-choristers, have signed a £1million, five-album deal with record giant Universal.

They even count Pirates Of The Caribbean actress Keira Knightley among their fans.

The four - Stephen Bowman, 25, from Bath, Jules Knight, 25, from Sussex, Dominic Tighe, 24, from Devon, and Oliver Baines, 24, from Wiltshire - met via Facebook three months ago.

They had mutual friends but had never met as a group. After discovering a shared background in classical music - all four are music or drama graduates - they decided to put their own act together and track down a manager they had heard of, ex-Blue supremo Daniel Glatman.

After they messaged him on Facebook, he agreed to an audition and signed them on the spot. Glatman negotiated the Universal deal following a bidding war. "They have an unbelievable combination of talent, looks and chemistry," he said.

Blake, named after poet William Blake, are now recording their debut album, set to include covers of Moon River, Hallelujah, Swing Low and Jerusalem.

Knightley introduced herself after hearing them sing the Beach Boys' God Only Knows while she was recording voiceovers in the same studio.

The four insist they have more gravitas than previous classical crossover outfits such as G4 and Il Divo. Baines said: "We've been allowed a huge amount of creative control."