Highly-strung: Coldplay frontman Chris Martin walked out of a BBC interview when questioned about the band's new album Viva La Vida

It's tough at the top. The new Coldplay album may be steaming towards number one but the pressure is telling on Chris Martin.

The notoriously highly-strung frontman always makes clear he will not discuss his famous wife - Gwyneth Paltrow - or their children.

However, when lobbed a straightforward question on the inspiration for Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends on Radio 4, the singer lost the plot.

'Did you start with the song Viva La Vida and the idea within that song of the disposed dictator looking back at his life?' asked John Wilson, the Front Row presenter.

To which Martin replied: 'I'm not enjoying this. Can I have two minutes?' and walked out of the studio.

The presenter pressed him for more. 'Are you feeling under pressure?' The singer replied: 'I just don't like talking about things.'

The interview continued with Will Champion, the band's drummer, who insisted his colleague was not upset.

But when Martin returned, he refused to give full answers and little more light was shed.

This move comes after a revealing interview with Rolling Stone magazine where Martin admitted he still could not deal with the fact that wife Gwyneth Paltrow used to be engaged to Brad Pitt.

Chris Martin giving his wife Gwyneth Paltrow a kiss in New York. The coldplay singer has admitted that he can't get over the fact that his wife used to be engaged to Hollywood heart-throb Brad Pitt

He said: 'If your wife went out with Brad Pitt, you'd want to prove yourself, you know what I mean?'

He also revealed that it drove him to make a success of his life.

The walk-out is not the first. The 31-year-old star gave The Guardian similar treatment in the run-up to the record's release.

Backlash: A critic has declared Coldplay the worst thing to ever to happen to rock music

Martin's reluctance to talk could have something to do with the amount of backlash the band have been receiving.

A rock critic recently declared Coldplay as the worst thing that's ever to happen to rock music.

However this is unlikely to deter fans. Since going on sale yesterday, the album has sold 125,000 copies.