Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has revealed that the band have begun a strict diet after Mani, the bassist in Primal Scream, ordered them to lose weight.

Martin said that Mani told the group that “nobody wants a fat pop star” after they put on weight recording their new album, 'Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends'.

"It happens whenever we have some downtime, usually between albums,” Martin said.

"We get very hairy and kind of morph into Bill Oddie - we stack on the weight.

"He (Mani) was eating a sandwich and I asked him what was in it. He told me it was salad and that I should eat the same."

Coldplay album is currently number one in the UK.

(by Jason Gregory)