Michael
Parkinson meets Charlotte Church, ´óÏó´«Ã½ ONE, Saturday
23 November at 10.45pm
International
singing sensation Charlotte Church talks exclusively to Michael
Parkinson about her relationship with her mother, secret smoking,
being a millionaire and falling in love.
In
a frank and honest interview with Michael Parkinson, 16 year old
Welsh vocalist Charlotte Church puts the record straight on a number
of recent 'sensational' stories about her.
Dressed
in a sophisticated white suit with black bustier and ornate cross-necklace,
Charlotte also sings a beautiful rendition of Bridge Over Troubled
Water.
Michael
asks Charlotte about the negative publicity she has received in
the last few months, in particular, the story that she has 'fired'
her mother as her manager.
Charlotte
answers, "That's not true. My mum was never my manager. She's
still involved in my career but just at a lesser level because that's
what my whole family decided."
She
continues, "I was growing more independent and [my family]
wanted to give me a bit more freedom."
Charlotte
describes her relationship with her mother when she says, "Mum's
more like my sister because she's so young and so gorgeous - and
she borrows all my clothes."
Michael
then asks Charlotte how she felt about being caught smoking by a
photographer.
Charlotte
states, "I got a lot of hassle for it. I don't smoke and as
soon as my mother found out, she went mad. My whole family just
went (in very shrill voice) 'what are you doing, you're a singer.'
So I stopped straightaway because I knew my life was in danger -
from my family that is!"
She
continues, "I was trying it because that's what 16 year olds
do. At least I'm not doing the whole showbiz star thing and all
that kind of stuff… it's hard, it's confusing being a teenager."
This
leads the interview to the subject of Charlotte's boyfriend, who
has been labelled a 'bad-boy' by the press.
Michael
asks Charlotte what she thinks about the stories. She answers, "The
press couldn't print 'Charlotte's going out with a nice boy.' He's
really, really lovely and we get on really well. And the stories
that he's a bad boy, and he does this and he does that are just
not true."
Michael
then asks the singer if it's true that he tried to sell his story
about their relationship. Charlotte replies, "I don't believe
he did that."
She
continues, "Nobody else knows him. I know him well and I just
think the press can say things to make someone react. I was in LA
and it was really distressful for me at the time. I was freaking
out, but I really don't think he did that. I know all his family
and they seem like really nice people. I've asked him, and he's
said 'I just wouldn't do that to you, blah blah blah.'"
She
pauses and then says, "Maybe I'm just young, and being naive,
being in love and all that good stuff but I don't believe it. But
maybe it will come back and bite me on my bum."
Michael
then asks her if she is in love with her boyfriend. Charlotte giggles
and says, "I don't know! I'm only little. I think so, I think
so. It's the strongest I've ever felt but then I’ve only had
16 years of experience."
Michael
jokes back, "I think you'll get over it," and then says
"But that's a terribly patronising thing to say." Charlotte
replies, "No, it's OK. You're older than me, you're allowed
to be!"
Michael asks Charlotte if her mother approves of the singer's relationship.
She replies, "No not really. But there are so many parents
who don't agree with their daughter's boyfriends. And I accept it
because there are fantastic sides of fame and downsides of fame
so I do accept it … the pressures sort of blow up my situation,
so they make it much more than it is. When it's not really anything
bad - I've got a boyfriend."
She
continues, "My mum's worried for me. She’s really protective."
Charlotte
then explains that she won't allow her fame to 'dictate' the way
she lives.
She
tells Michael, "I always said that when I became famous that
whatever the press said that I would live my life the way I wanted
to live my life, and not let them dictate how I had to live [it]
and having to keep my nose clean the whole way through. I wasn't
going to be like that. Even if it means my career forfeits, I still
want to live my life as a person, and not just as a singer."
She
continues, "[Singing] does mean the world to me, I love singing,
but there are so many things I still want to do. I want to travel,
I want to meet loads of people and I don't want fame to dictate
how I live."
Michael
then asks Charlotte about her wealth. He says he has heard stories
that she is worth £15 million.
Charlotte
laughs, "Oh no, that's just paper money! It's all in a trust
fund."
She
continues, "Even when I reach 21, I want to keep it in a trust
fund so if I had a boyfriend and I wanted to give my boyfriend a
million quid, the trust wouldn't let me. I would have to justify
why I want to do that and how it would be beneficial for me so there's
always someone who's looking after it so I don't screw it up."
And
if she had the money now, what would she spend it on? "Lots
and lots of clothes, make up and shoes!"
Charlotte
then tells Michael how the rumours about her buying her boyfriend
a £40,000 car are untrue. She says, "It's a lie. I don't
get my money until I'm 21. My mum doesn't approve of this boy and
so she's going to let me buy a £40,000 car? I don't think
so! It's his father's car and it's been sitting outside his house
for eight years."
Michael
then asks Charlotte if she gets more privacy when she is working
in the USA. The singer replies, "The American press report
news rather than gossip - you only have the National Enquirer or
things like that. There's more privacy, because there are 250 million
people and not many people recognise you. But in Cardiff where there's
250,000 people, everybody recognises me. I have quite a lot of privacy
in America."
Michael
then congratulates Charlotte on the success of her GCSEs and asks
her if she has considered further education.
The
singer tells him, "I do really want to go to university. I'm
not sure whether I want to go to it in America or here, because
I love Britain."
She
continues, "I like America, but I love Britain because it's
home and I'm not sure if I could move from here. But I am seriously
considering going to university to study clinical psychology or
philosophy."
Having
spent much of her career travelling to the US, Charlotte has sung
in front of two Presidents.
Michael
asks her what she thought of Presidents Clinton and Bush. Charlotte
says of Clinton, "He was really cool. Really talkative, really
warm and easy to get along with."
She
continues, "Sometimes when you meet really important people,
you just freeze up. What am I supposed to say to the Pope? 'Nice
day isn’t it?' You just don't know what to say to these people.
"They
have no interest in me whatsoever - they're looking after what Russia's
doing or your Afghanistan and they just don't want to meet me. But
Clinton was really easy to get along with."
She
says of President Bush, "He was really nice, but he just wasn't
as comfortable as President Clinton, so President Clinton was my
favourite."
Charlotte
also jokes with Michael about one of the times she met Prime Minister
Tony Blair.
She
tells the host, "I've met him quite a few times and he's always
been really, really nice to me. I'm 16, I haven’t got any
right to vote, and I have to pay 40% tax.
"I
know loads of people in the audience will say 'oh so you should'
but I don't even have the right to vote. So I just said to him 'I
think it's really wrong that people under 18 who don't have the
right to vote and don't have the right to do a lot of things have
to pay tax' and he just kind of went 'haha'."
Michael
Parkinson's other guests in the studio are veteran broadcaster Michael
Aspel and legendary singer Lionel Richie, who also performs a medley
of his greatest hits including Hello, Easy and All Night Long.
Parkinson,
´óÏó´«Ã½ ONE, Saturday 23 November at 10.45pm
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