Katherine Jenkins

October 2009

She has been everywhere of late promoting her latest album Believe but nowhere more so than on Twitter. Katherine Jenkins, the girl-next-door with the multi-million pound voice, loves to Tweet.
Her followers get daily updates as to her whereabouts, including photos. There she is getting into a helicopter. At the Pride of Britain Awards. Dressed in a rubber outfit with hundreds of Swarovski crystals glued to her skin for a performance at G-A-Y... Even her attempt at making a lemon drizzle cake.
Many send her messages and sometimes she'll respond. But not to me.
A few weeks ago Katherine Tweeted to all her followers asking what they were up to. I, as @thesimonwilson, replied: "I'm sat in my underpants, eating Pringles, waiting for the missus to come home from the bingo."
"I read that!" she laughs.
You remember it?
"I do!"
And immediately notified the authorities?
"Nooo. No that's fine," she says, inadvertently giving me the green light for more inappropriate Tweets.
The Welsh beauty has more than 7,000 followers but only follows around 90 people on Twitter. There are a few Welsh celebrities and sports folk but The Osbournes – Ozzy, Sharon and Kelly – is a surprise.
"I've met Sharon many times and had lunch with her and she's just lovely."
Does she understand Andrea Bocelli's Tweets (they're in Italian)?
"I've only recently started following him and I'm not convinced it is him. I'll ask him when I see him."
She also follows Piers Morgan. Was she worried about the TV interview – broadcast last weekend – for fear of him being too probing?
"Well, yeah, because his style of interview is almost like an interrogation, so it was quite frightening. But I enjoyed it once I got in to it."
There was nothing in the programme about her relationship with former Blue Peter presenter Gethin Jones. Did he try and get something out of you about that?
"Of course," she giggles. "I explained why I didn't want to talk about it and I think he accepted it."
Another person she's following is TV psychic Sally Morgan. Does she believe she can talk to the dead?
"I believe that she's got a gift."
Has she "done" you?
"She has done me. And it was absolutely fascinating. Lots of things she said would happen did happen."
Was she a believer before the reading?
"When you've lost a close family member, I think you always want to believe they can contact you. So I went to see if there was any contact with my dad." He died when she 15.
"Then she talked about other stuff which blew my mind."
Always keen to put my subjects at ease, I blurt, "I saw you yesterday!", referring to her appearance on BBC current affairs yawner The Andrew Marr Show. Was it intimidating?
"I've been on it a few times."
(Note to researcher – must do better.)
(Note to self – hire a researcher.)
"I am interested in politics, it's just not something I choose to talk about because I think it's something to keep to myself."
David Cameron was on the show and there was a photo in the nationals of Katherine looking as if he'd said something outrageous. So what did he say?
"(Laughs) I think he did say something shocking. I can't remember."
I bet you can remember really and it was a mucky joke. There's another chuckle but nothing more.
An interview with Katherine Jenkins from her website:
The 29-year-old has been using Twitter to plug her new album, another collection of her take on rock and pop songs, film themes and classical pieces. I call it popera.
"I call it popular, because it's not pop music but it's easy listening, accessible music. It's the album I always wanted to make, in that it's still classical. It's what people expect from my singing but it's my most commercial album."
Which is odd considering you want to move away from that and in to "proper" opera.
"No, I don't want to move away from it completely. When I'm 30 I'd like to start doing opera but also my CDs and live concert work."
Katherine reveals her top three favourite songs, both new and old:
Songs on Believe include Til There Was You (The Beatles), Who Wants To Live Forever? (Queen) and No Woman No Cry (Bob Marley). The toughest challenge was Bring Me To Life by Evanescence.
"It's a rock song and to try to adapt it and make it sound believable was quite an undertaking."
Was she a pop fan as a teenager?
"Yes. I loved people like Madonna and Take That and, I'm embarrassed to say, New Kids On The Block. And I loved Kylie and Jason."
Did you cry when they got married?
"Yes."
And you were 20.
"Yeah (laughs)."
She promises to "look me up" on Twitter and encourages me to "keep Twittering."
I promise I wasn't sat in my underpants or eating Pringles.
"I'm sure you weren't."
Katherine Jenkins is still not following me on Twitter.

Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kjofficial.