IT HAS been more than a year since the break-up. But for pop superstar Mick Hucknall, the wounds of his split from blonde Wonderbra beauty Adriana Sklenarikova have yet to heal.
The collapse of their secret, three-year romance left the 38-year-old Simply Red singer at an all-time low, his trademark self- confidence shattered.
Now, as he slowly recovers from the heartbreak, he has given himself an extraordinary two-year deadline to find the true love of his life and start a family.
In an exclusive interview with The Mirror, Mick admits: "I fell in love for the first time and I blew it. I made a massive mistake - I threw away a love that was so good for me it was verging on perfection.
"It was one of the most stupid mistakes of my life and I've spent a lot of the last year trying to come to terms with it."
Czech-born Adriana, a stunning, 26-year-old six-footer, is now married to France and Real Madrid soccer star Christian Karembeu.
Mick first met her backstage at a Paris fashion show in 1994 where she was modelling Gucci. The attraction was instant but they conducted their relationship away from the limelight.
But Mick was still obsessed with his career and his gruelling work schedule coupled with a marathon world tour put an impossible strain on their romance. Adriana eventually forced him to make a choice between her or his career.