Black Text = Cameron Adams from The Herald Sun
Blue Text = Victoria Beckham
Herald Sun, Thursday, October 25, 2001
Q&A
A down-to-earth Victoria Beckham tells CAMERON ADAMS - and anyone else who
cares to listen - how it really is.
How do you deal with bad press about you and your singing?
I'd like to think I didn't care what people think, but I do. I'm human.
David (Beckham) lives in Manchester most of the time, I live in London. I'm
bringing up a baby (Brooklyn) on my own a lot when he's away. I'm working my
bollocks off here. I'm not going out every night getting pissed, sleeping
with different men, so give me a break. I don't think I'm a bad role model.
Is music really your passion?
I love music. We always have music on full bore around the house, Brooklyn's
always dancing. He likes my music. David likes it. I came home from work
early the other day, he wasn't expecting me, and he had my album on full
blast. This is a guy who likes hip-hop, R&B. He's convinced he is 2Pac!
Do you have people around you who would say what you're doing is rubbish?
A lot of celebrities surround themselves with "yes" people. I've never
wanted to be like that. I'm quite down to earth, I tell people how it is and
I expect them to do the same to me. Same with David, same with my manager
and my record company. There are no airs and graces, I say to them, "Tell me
how it is, because if you don't tell me there are a million people who
bloody well will! I'd rather hear it from you now so I can correct it, go
back to the drawing board". I'm not perfect, I'm not the best singer or
dancer, but I'm doing the best I can.
Do you secretly enjoy being in the media all the time?
Um. I don't wake up in the morning thinking "God, am I in the papers today?"
Everybody moans about it, but let's face it, when you've got a record out
everyone loves being in the papers. That's why I'd never whinge too much
about what people say because you need it, don't you?
Did you read the Andrew Morton Posh and Becks book?
I read it in the lawyer's office. It's a cut and paste. There's a difference
between a journalist and a cuttings collector. I think it's unfair when
people try and say things about you that aren't true. He's doing one about
Madonna now, I wonder how she feels about it?
So why write your own book?
I'm setting the record straight. People are obviously interested because if
we didn't sell papers they wouldn't put us in them.
Are you aware of the public perception about you and David?
What, that he's got no brains and that I boss him about and go shopping
every day, swanning about and doing nothing? I laugh at that. It's like at
our wedding where we sat on the thrones. It's funny. We're living a
fairytale life. There are a lot of downsides but there are a lot of upsides
as well. If we can't laugh at ourselves then you'd go mad. If people don't
like us, that's fine, but we're not hurting anybody.
Do you use nannies?
No. When Brooklyn's not with me he's with my mum or David's mum. When I go
to pick up Brooklyn and he cries for my mum it's not the end of the world,
but I'd be devastated if he cried for his nanny. I couldn't trust anyone
either. We've had death threats, it opens your eyes.
Have you, er, had work done upstairs?
That's a polite way of saying, "Have you had your tits done?" This is the
person who, the week after having a caesarean, had arrows pointing to her
body saying, "Needs to lose weight here, here and here". I'm used to having
my body scrutinised. That's the society we live in, image is important in
this job.
So, have you?
The answer is if I'd had them done I would have had them done a lot bigger
than this. People will say what they like when they see your pictures. If
they get you at the right angle they can say whatever they like: you look
thin, fat, busty, flat-chested ...
Are you aware when paparazzi are following you?
If you're coming out of Gucci, yeah, you might expect a photographer. But
often I'll be walking out of the supermarket and see someone and go, "God,
I'm not really dressed for this". I see pictures of me in the paper that I
didn't even know had been taken. Then people say, "God, she looks bloody
miserable" and it's like, "Hangon, I was walking on the street, I'd look
more ridiculous if I walked around with a big smile all the time ready to
have my picture taken".
Is David Beckham really obsessive compulsive?
He's crazy. We've got three fridges which is funny considering I apparently
don't eat, but food is in one, salad in another and drinks in the other. In
the drinks one everything is symmetrical. If there's one extra can of Diet
Coke David will put it in the cupboard, so it doesn't look out of place. It
has to be an even number. Brooklyn's the same, he'll line all his toys up.
You've written songs about David and Brooklyn.
Yeah. Obviously everything can't be autobiographical. Celine Dion didn't go
down with the Titanic, but she still sang that song. I want stuff people can
relate to. Whatcha Talkin 'bout says "Sittin' at home watching a DVD". I
want people to say, "Oh yeah, I do that".
Were you really up for Lucy Liu's role in Charlie's Angels?
I got down to the last two, it was between me and Lucy Liu and that was bad
luck. I'd love to have done it.
What's your favourite Spice Girls song'?
Er, 2 Become 1.
What's your favourite Geri Halliwell song?
Er. You've got me there. I don't know. I think she's doing really well.
Has Brooklyn got a Posh Spice doll?
He's got the whole lot. I bought him the 'N Sync dolls. My sister's (child)
has a Britney doll, she sings. Brooklyn really likes it, but it's not
particularly masculine and I didn't think his father would like it so I got
him 'N Sync instead.
- Victoria Beckham (Virgin) out now.
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