Sophie Ellis Bextor
There are a lots of clowns in our family - our house is a fun house.Collection: Family
On my wedding day. I didn't want a natural, blushing-bride look - I had a full-on hairdo and red lips. I thought it would be disingenuous to do the whole virginal look, so even though I had the white dress, I had pink net underneath.Collection: Wedding
I used to be hung up on my figure, but it's a waste of time. I don't believe in diets. Have four pints one night, be healthy the next.Collection: Diet
I try not to wear anything I have to fidget with - there's nothing worse than wearing something and pulling down the hem and re-adjusting the top. My pet hate is when girls wear those strapless dresses and spend the whole night yanking them up.Collection: Pet
I'm a sucker for sad disco pop.Collection: Sad
I get really frustrated if people don't smile.Collection: Smile
I'm the messiest person I know.
Being a chef would be too much hard work.
Trust your instincts: they tend to see you right. By listening to them, at least you can sleep at night.
I'm all for consumer rights. I get very aggravated if I don't get a good service.
I'm always sticking up for other people.
Yes, being educated is definitely an advantage. But having said that, I've met so many people in life who haven't done very well at school but who are still really bright.
I had my autograph down by the age of 13. I used to sign it everywhere.
Writing songs about fancying people in dance clubs is all very well but it's not the be-all and end-all. There are other topics.
'The X Factor' is great entertainment, but it doesn't prepare people for getting chewed up and spat out by the music industry.
I do find it a bit disconcerting when your name becomes a brand.
Some people are really good at packaging themselves, but that's not really me.
You need to have a life outside your career.
I can definitely tell when mum has got money because then she likes to go shopping to spend it, whereas dad is steadier and avoids splurges. I like to think I've inherited both sides.
My parents are good role models because they've worked hard and gave me a happy childhood.
I'm too frightened of confrontation, so I will always tip - even if the service has been really shoddy.
I love getting dressed up. Being a pop star is the most brilliant job for that. A lot of girls love shopping, but they might see the most amazing outfit and think, 'When am I going to wear that?', so it's my duty to exploit the fact I do have events I can wear these things to.
I've got quite a curvy shape so I try to wear stuff that's tailored.
A career in entertainment has a lifespan, like one in sport.
Yeah, I'm not really a morning person.
I don't want to sound like an old grandmother but actually it's quite nice when you get up early and then, by the time it gets to 10am, you're quite perky and already quite switched on.
Turning the thermostat down is something that I do pretty reluctantly. I like to be able to walk around in whatever I fancy at home.
Come rain or shine I walk short distances rather than taking my car.
It's hard to feel comfortable in your own skin when you're younger.
I tasted huge success with my first album, and when it's happening it feels like a roller coaster you can't get off. You should be very careful about wishing for success on that scale.
I'm big in Russia, but no one's quite sure why.
You should make an effort on stage because it's a performance. The stage should be glittery and camp, but I don't go down the shops in full stage gear.
When it comes to my family I never quite know how protective I have to be, or what I should or shouldn't say.
You learn that, when your children are all right, everything is right in the world.
A good song is a good song whatever your age.
In terms of influence, my style icons have been a mixture of Julie Andrews and Olivia Newton-John. When I was little I used to watch 'Grease,' 'Mary Poppins' and 'The Sound of Music' a lot. If you put all those things together you do kind of get my outfits. A slightly tarty nanny in a second-hand outfit. That is pretty much what I wear.
I'm really interested in fashion but at the same time I find it quite competitive. Second-hand stuff leaves you more open to whatever your own personal style is rather than feeling dictated to by shops.
Everybody remembers Robbie Williams said I had a face like a satellite dish.
When I first started out, I got criticism for the way I looked. I think, now, it's a good thing because, why would you want to look like everyone else?
I've got a thing for footwear; I have about 200 pairs of shoes from all over the world.
In real life, I'm not super-posh but if that's the stereotype, I really don't care. It could be worse.
The NHS is a bit iffy when you sprain an ankle, but when it's a high-priority issue, it's fantastic. They don't mess about. They're incredibly efficient when things go wrong.
I never manage to get to bed early on Sunday night but this doesn't matter, as I don't know one level of exhaustion from another.
Some people can get away with being very sexy to men and not looking like a complete cow, but I didn't think I was in a position where people knew me well enough.
For every person that says I'm the new Audrey Hepburn, someone else says that I look like an alien.
I'm a sucker for good black skirts and pretty little shirts and kooky tops. I have to admit that shopping satisfies my craving for immediate gratification.
I think there's quite a lot of cowardice in music. I don't mind if it goes wrong, I just want to go for it.
There's so many singers, you watch them and a lot of it is waving around. You don't get this feeling that they're really thinking about what they're saying.
I don't know why people think I'm polished - I often leave the house with buttons missing and ladders in my tights.
Having a successful first album is one thing, but a successful third is another.