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love films a lot ! When we decided that we just wanted to put all the money into the DOP ( director of photography ), whoever was doing the photography I was like , just make me look hot ! Authenticity is really important to me , so when we came up with the idea of making me look hot , that really wasn ’ t enough , I wanted to say something as well , so it was my idea to have the kids in the back of the car and the ex in the boot ! It ’ s a joke on that even if you want to leave a man , but you have kids with him you can ’ t , you are stuck with each other forever , even if you ’ re separated . It felt quite important to me and my identity to present myself as a pop star but to also show reality .
I was quite moved as Theo ; my creative directors sister watched it before most people . She has two kids and burst out crying at the end and said , ‘ no one recognises us !’ I think lots of pop stars have had kids throughout time and have kept that part hidden as if it ’ s not attractive , or its not going to be sexy to promote the fact that you are also a woman with children .
I ’ m calling this my ‘ MILF ’ era as a joke , but its also me trying to claim back women ’ s identity . I think society is cruel to mothers and cruel to women getting older in a way that they are past it all , just sitting on a shelf or not sexy anymore .
How do you cope touring and being mother ?
I have scheduled the tour , so it crosses the Easter holidays for school , so that two weeks I have the two of them with me . The little one will be with me for all of it and the big one will pop in to see me , but at the weekends will stay with her dad and then my mum during the week .
I have heard that a lot of people take their kids on tour all the time but that is because private schools allow them to , but state schools don ’ t . That ’ s the punishment I have for being a socialist !
Besides being a musician and mother what fulfils you in life the most ?
I think in hindsight lots of things have happened to me , lots of traumas where I have thought I cant go on stage , I can ’ t do this , and I have to sit and smile with all things that are going on behind
the scenes , things pounding away in my head and I think what has been consistent for me is my career and my friends . When I say my friends , I also mean my sister and my mum , the women in my life have been consistent and supportive . They always step up as I am not very good at reaching out to people but when I ever have , they are there in a flash .
You really are talented ; you are a multi-platinum selling artist , actor , multi award winner , author , the list goes on . Out of all you have achieved what do you consider your biggest career success ?
I think I sometimes feel I am not doing very well , so weird I know . But then I saw something posted online the other day that me and Adele are the only two British female artists to go four times double platinum ! I look at other British artists and think that they are doing better than me , but when I see those facts and figures and I think wow , that ’ s really an achievement , its not until someone writes it down it makes you realise . The public know what they want ; some people can look bigger because of the marketing behind them or whatever , but I am really grateful for the public ’ s choice .
You have a book due out soon too , what has been the inspiration behind this ?
It ’ s about some of the things I touch on this album , it ’ s about female identity post-partum and the expectations of society on women to be a certain way .
When you ’ re not doing anything , what do you like to do most to relax ?
I love the cinema so much . I feel its like real escapism for me , like a holiday for my brain ! I ’ m not a massive party animal , I don ’ t really drink loads , I will have one but I like to drive myself home so I can ’ t have more than one !
Do you have any guilty pleasures ? I try not to feel guilty about too much . I think you should eat all the chocolate you want !
22 wirrallife . com