After coming fifth on "Fame Academy" he took part in a tour of the UK together with other finalists and was given a solo recording contract with Mercury. In March 2003, '"Keep Me A Secret" sung by Ainslie Henderson, a song that he co-wrote on the show with Henderson and Sinéad Quinn, charted at no 5 in the UK. His debut album "Malachi", (released on the UMTV label) consisting mainly of covers and songs he had sung on the show, came out in March 2003, and was the first solo album to be released from any of the "Fame Academy" contestants. It reached 17 in the UK charts and sales topped 100,000, for which he received a silver disc. The first single from this album, the self-penned "Just Say You Love Me", failed to chart significantly in the UK but reached number 1 in Thailand. In November 2003 he visited Bangkok where he performed at several concerts, met fans and took part in radio and TV interviews.