Charlotte Church: ‘The worst job I’ve done?
orn in Cardiff, Charlotte Church, 36, found fame in 1997, at 11, after she sang Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Pie Jesu over the phone on ITV’s This Morning. The following year, she became the youngest artist to top the classical chart with her debut album, Voice of an Angel. In 2005, she released her first pop album, Tissues and Issues. On 23 July, her Late Night Pop Dungeon is at Kaleidoscope festival at Alexandra Palace in London. She is married with three children and lives in south Wales.
When were you happiest?In the first lockdown. Obviously, there was terrible grief and sadness and fear around, but there was also this reclaiming for nature. I was constantly at my allotment with the big kids and my husband.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?Procrastination.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?Weakness – not to be confused with sensitivity, which is a superpower.
What was your most embarrassing moment?Probably one of the numerous times that the Sun tried to shame me for something I didn’t do.
Describe yourself in three wordsFull of wonder.
What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?“Don’t worry, love, I can’t dance either,” said a guy in a club.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?Fuck and lush.
Who would play you in the film of your life?Elizabeth Taylor in her prime.
What is your most unappealing habit?I pick my nose, I bite my nails. I do them with great glee.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?A barrister, a vet or a singer.
Would you choose fame or anonymity?Fame.
What do you owe your parents?I don’t believe we owe our parents anything.
What does love feel like?A shimmering bioluminescence that lights up each cell.
What is the worst job you’ve done?It was a double-edged sword, but being a major-label artist, I felt like a commodity, a thing to be sold.
What has been your biggest disappointment?The outcome of the Leveson inquiry.
If you could edit your past, what would you change?Trusting some men.
If not yourself, who would you most like to be?A revered oak tree.
How often do you have sex?I can’t possibly answer that.
What is the closest you’ve come to death?Birth.
What single thing would improve the quality of your life?Discipline.
Would you rather have more sex, money or fame?Sex.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?Be gentle.
Tell us a secret
Magic is real.