The best and the worst is a regular interview in which a celebrity reflects on the highs and lows of his life
Paloma Faith is best known for her singles, including Picking up the pieces and only Love can hurt so much. She grew up in Stoke Newington, London, and was once invited to join Amy Winehouse’s backing band, but decided to write her own music. Faith, 42, has also appeared in films such as Saint Trinian And The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassusand recently appeared as a judge and mentor on The voice. She lives in London with her two daughters.
What’s the best song you’ve ever heard?
I think my favorite song ever written, lyrics-wise, is: In my arms by Nick Cave. There are few songs whose lyrics have really touched me as much. I love the darkness of it, plus that undercurrent of romance.
What is the best song you have released yourself?
It depends on what mood I’m in, but right now I feel like God in a dressfrom my new album, The glorification of sorrow, is up there. It gives me strength, and that’s my mindset right now, that’s what I need.
Which celebrity have you ever met?
Sally Hawkins. She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, someone with the most fantastic energy. She has a way of embodying those kinds of characters in the roles that she plays. You know how magical she is in The shape of water? She is the same in real life, she is so magical. Sometimes I think she is not really acting in those great roles of hers. There is something deeply moving about her existence, she just radiates kindness. I have met her a few times and she is always so sweet.
What is the best music venue?
There are so many in London that I love, London is iconic for music venues. I’ve just started a music tour of London in partnership with GetYourGuide where I’m going to be the real guide to people, which I can’t wait for. That includes some of my favourite places like Wilton’s Music Hall where I performed with the Whoopee Club, who started the British burlesque revival in the early 2000s, the Kit Kat Club where Cabaret and Flashback Records, one of the true original independent record stores.
What is your fondest childhood memory?
I was on the back of my stepfather’s motorbike when I was very young, maybe five. In my mind we were riding through Hackney and because I was so small and light he didn’t notice that I wasn’t holding on. I had my arms out and I could feel the wind rushing past me. It felt so great, but thank God I didn’t fall off!
What’s the best party you’ve ever been to?
The theatre company Punchdrunk, which No more sleeping And The Burnt City, did a one-off performance with Louis Vuitton to mark the opening of their new store in London. It was an immersive theatre where you walk around and see all the artists around you. I had had a fight with my boyfriend at the time, so I went by myself.
I was all dressed up and it was a unique experience. You have all these interactions with artists and you feel like you’ve gone down a rabbit hole. There was a pregnant artist and she kept giving me dead bees. At the end there was a dinner and I was sitting between Gemma Arterton and Anjelica Huston; it was crazy, I had just been out by myself and I was standing next to these two iconic women, who were both so lovely.
The best day of your life so far?
I would love to say the birth of my children, but my first birth was just so awful, so I have to say the birth of my second child. It was so much nicer in comparison. I had a planned c-section, so I was able to do all my make-up and I looked so beautiful in all the pictures from that day. During my first birth, I looked like a bloated turkey, I was completely fucked up by the whole thing. However, I remember my second birth and I felt like Beyoncé, I even put my hair in rollers.
What’s the worst vacation you’ve ever had?
When I was 18 I went to Thomas Cook with £150 and said, ‘What can I get for a week’s holiday in the sun?’ They sent me to San Antonio in Ibiza to stay above a 24-hour off-licence with no double glazing. I didn’t sleep for a whole week. That place was hell on earth for me, and with less sleep than normal? Awful. The beach we were next to was full of jellyfish so we couldn’t even sit down. I think I got my money’s worth; £150 including flights for a week isn’t that bad, even if it was awful.
What’s the worst lie you’ve ever told?
I find it hard to lie, so I’ll tell you the saddest lie, although I don’t regret it. When I entered the music industry, I lied about my age. I said I was four years younger than I was. I find it tragic that I had to lie about that, because of the misogyny and patriarchal ideas that still dominate the music industry. The truth is that women are only seen as valuable when they’re young. So I lied and got a contract. I don’t regret it.
What’s the worst encounter you’ve ever had with a fan?
I once had a terrible family crisis and I was on the phone, so upset, panicking, wondering what I could do to help, and someone came up and asked for a selfie. I said, ‘Sorry, not right now, I’m in the middle of something,’ and then they went on Twitter and wrote a million tweets about how awful I was. Through therapy, I’ve come to realize that people’s reactions to us are usually their own thing, not ours, so I try not to let it get to me.
What’s the worst celebrity you’ve ever met?
This is really bitchy and not from me so I won’t mention the name. It was one of the years I was nominated for a Brit Award but I didn’t win. Another artist who was also nominated that year Real thought they were going to win, but when they didn’t, they went backstage and threw their shoes, their bag, their jacket and everything at their manager in the hallway.
I yelled weakly, “It’s okay, I didn’t win either, don’t worry,” and they turned around and yelled, “F*** off!” That reminds me, when I was recording The voicei was obsessed with The Jeremy Kyle Show and I saw his dressing room and knocked on the door. He just went “f*** off!” He didn’t realise it was me, so I slipped a note under the door – because I don’t drop stuff – and I wrote something like, ‘Hi Jeremy, it was Paloma Faith, I’m a big fan, hope you’re okay!’ He never responded again.
The worst of all
Netanyahu. He is committing genocide and everyone is watching and denying the fact that it is genocide.
Online travel experience platform GetYourGuide has partnered with Paloma Faith to create a tour that ventures into London’s iconic music and theatre scene. The singer will take travellers from her hometown in the east to her playground in the west. Enter the exclusive lottery for your chance to be there.