United Kingdom, Oct. 20 -- AJ McLean learned his pop persona is "just a character" during a stint in rehab.

The Backstreet Boys star - whose full name is Alexander James McLean - spent years battling substance abuse issues but he's been sober for four years and he's now revealed his most recent "mental health retreat" taught him to separate his boyband persona from his real self and he now wants the world to "get to know Alex".

During an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, he explained: "[I went on a] little mental health retreat ... What I got out of that was understanding that AJ is a character in a band.

"It doesn't define me as who I am. I want the world to get to know Alex . I want everyone to kind of get to know me as me. The...