To
celebrate Friday's release of new film 'The Princess Diaries 2:
Royal Engagement', I went to meet with Rachel Stevens, whose
song "Fools" is featured on the film's official soundtrack.
To set the scene, I've just walked into Rachel's room in a
luxurious London hotel..
*Sees Ribena*
Olly: Oh you like Ribena?
Rachel: Well, not really, someone bought it for me.
Olly: What, as a present?
Rachel: One of the journalists brought it.
Olly: Oh right, what should I have
brought?
Rachel: Well I don’t know if you could top the Ribena, can you
really?
Olly: Nope.
Rachel: And he brought me Kinder Egg.
Olly: Ahhh, Kinder Shokalade?
Rachel: Yeah, Kinder Shokalade *laughs*
Olly: What, I’m half German!
Rachel: You’re funny
*Sees the Bueno on table*
Olly: Bueno, oh yeah I love those
ones. Anyway. Right okay…
Rachel: You’re well up for a party tonight.
Olly: No, I’m always like this.
Rachel: Are you?
Olly: I own the website I’m from so
I’m self employed so I do go out every night..
Rachel: And you get up at like 11….
Olly: Not today, I was gonna miss
this (the interview), I was like s**t..
Rachel: Really?
Olly: I live over near Guildford;
don’t know if you know where that is?
Rachel: South?
Olly: Yeah, south of the M25.
Olly: So I have got questions, there may be gaps in my
knowledge but you’ll fill it in right? Have you seen the film?
Rachel: I have..
Olly: Oh right okay?
Rachel: Yeah yeah yeah.
Olly: I haven’t seen it.
Rachel: Oh you haven’t?
Olly: No, looks quite good though. I
saw the first one, I loved it. Is that the one at the end
where they have the kiss and her leg goes back and sets off
the (sprinklers)..
Rachel: Yes, they do the same thing in the second one..
Olly: Oh WHAT?
Rachel: Yeah
Olly: Mmmm
Rachel: Yeah well you gotta do that, all the girls love that
bit.
Olly: I love that bit! I love that
bit!
Olly: Your song ‘Fools’ is featured on the OST for The
Princess Diaries 2, what is the song about?
Rachel: “Send me in the fools, throw away the heroes”.
Basically saying…
Olly: You want a bad guy?
Rachel: NO! Like, fools, I kind of interpret it as give me
just a cute guy, I don’t need like a hero guy. I don’t need
someone who is like…
Olly: Like an American dream sort of
guy?
Rachel: Yeah, I just want a guy who is cool and his own
person, a bit quirky…
Olly: Do you know what I think?
Rachel: What do you think?
Olly: I think that good-looking model
types are great to fall in love with but you want someone
that’s got like a look. Like I’ve got a funny nose.
Rachel: I don’t think you’ve got a funny nose!
Olly: It’s funny as in it’s my thing.
Rachel: It’s your thing.
Olly: Yeah. Whoever loves me is going
to love my funny nose. What’s your funny thing?
Rachel: Well, actually I think gorgeous model types are good
to just fancy. But to actually fall in love with someone you
want that kind of individuality and character. Not that
gorgeous models can’t have it.
Olly: So what’s your thing? My friend
has a little mole on her finger. One guy said “oh I love that
little mole on your finger”. She thought that’s really random
but you can tell that he is really into her. Have you got
something random that people say “I love that about you”?. And
you’re like no one has ever said that before but yeah…
Rachel: Errr *thinks* something random…Well no not really, I
haven’t got like a mole on my finger or anything like that.
But, people always say “God, aren’t you tiny”? (she is!).
That’s the first thing that everybody… that’s not random I
guess, that’s not at all but..
Olly: Oh right. Yeah I thought you
were small, but everyone else says that!
Rachel: One boyfriend I went out with, no don’t worry *motions
towards feet*.
Olly: Go on; your little 2 ½ size
feet, I read about them in heat.
Rachel: Just how people can’t believe how small my
feet are.
Olly: My friend said wouldn’t they be
baby shoes?
Rachel: Size 2 ½ is in kids. Kids are up to 3.
Olly: So do you get shoes really
cheap?
Rachel: No, actually. No, that’s quite misleading… ‘cos I
can’t. I have to buy really expensive Italian designer shoes
*laughs* and that’s it. Unless I wore trainers but I don’t
really wear trainers that much.
Olly: I used to have these little
blue thingies, they were really ugly, my mum got me them.
Rachel: When you were a kid?
Olly: Yeah, I kept them on my bed for
years but then I just chucked them out.
Rachel: *laughs*
Olly: Getting back to the film. You
really loved it didn’t you?
Rachel: Yeah. I really loved it..
Olly: I do, well not this one, but
the last one.
Rachel: It’s really funny, you get to know the characters a
lot more than the first one I think. There are two maids in it
that are really funny. It’s really well written, there is
something for everyone. There are all the emotions, you can
laugh. It’s just one of those films that is good for everyone.
All the little girls will love it. All little girls want to be
a princess and it’s just one of these feel good, happy movies.
Olly: So have you seen Sister act 2?
‘Cos I love that?
Rachel: Sister Act 2?
Olly: Yeah, with Lauryn Hill.
Rachel: Yeah, yeah, and Brandy .
Olly: Oh I don’t know... Loads of
young celebs are in it. Whoopi Goldberg when she is a nun?
Rachel: Yeah, yeah *doesn’t sound sure*.
Olly: If not I can send it to you
don’t worry.
Rachel: I have seen it.
Olly: Shall I put you on a lie
detector?
Rachel: Yeah.
Olly: Shall I test you?
Rachel: Test me!
Olly: What comes next.. *sings* "If
you wanna be somebody"…?
Rachel: *confused*
Olly: "If you wanna go somewhere"?
Rachel: *confused*
Olly: Recognising this?
*silence*
Olly: Okay, I’ll come back to that |
Rachel: Be gentle
with me; I got up at 5.30 this morning, for GMTV.
Olly: Julie Andrews stars in the
film..
Rachel: Living legend!
Olly: Yeah, oh good, I’ll put that
down. She also starred in The Sound Of Music, my mate told me,
and Mary Poppins?
Rachel: You’ve seen the Sound of Music haven’t you?
Olly: No, but Mary Poppins I love.
Rachel: You’ve never seen The Sound Of Music?
Olly: Well, I know the line.
Rachel: What line?
Olly: *sings* "the hills are alive
with the sound of music"..
Rachel: Yeah but you’ve never seen the film? God it’s a
classic.
Olly: Might get that then. Maybe we
could watch it together?
Rachel: *laughs*
Olly: Have you ever wanted to be in a
musical?
Rachel: Errmmm.. No, love to do films, love singing, love
performing, love doing live shows but not musicals. They’ve
never been a real passion of mine.
Olly: What about Evita? Have you seen
that? It’s the one with Madonna in?
Rachel: I haven’t!
Olly: Oh my God! Seriously I’ll send
the DVDs.
Rachel: *laughs*
Olly: You have to watch Evita with
Madonna…
Rachel: I know. I’ve never seen it.
Olly: Do you like Diana Ross? That is
an actual question. She’s fabulous.
Rachel: Yeah she is fabulous.
Olly: I was thinking you should
position yourself as a modern day Diana Ross, it’s kinda what
you’re doing anyway?
Rachel: *shocked* Oh you think?
Olly: Yes that’s what I think, what
do you think? All your songs are disco-fabulous?
Rachel: Diana Ross has got that whole kind of…
Olly: Diva?
Rachel: diva… she’s always in the bling dresses. So
yeah, maybe modern day …
Olly: Modern day…
Rachel: Yeah, modern day. That’s cool.
Olly: Oh good. I just love her, she’s
great.
Rachel: Never heard that one before.
Olly: I was gonna ask about S Club,
do you wanna do a generic sentence on how you miss them and
how you speak to them?
Rachel: *laughs* okay. What if I don’t miss them and don’t
speak to them…
Olly: errr…
Rachel: I don’t miss them ‘cos we’re all in contact, like
text…. I haven’t seen them for a while but I know we could
meet up. Do you know what I mean? We’re in contact so that’s
cool.
Olly: You’ve moved on I guess?
Rachel: Yeah, I’m happy doing a new thing, it’s like a new
chapter in my career..
Olly: Do you ever wake up…. (long
pause, Rachel: *confused*)…
and feel lonely?
Rachel: *laughs*
Olly: And think s**t I’ve got to work
all day?
Rachel: I never wake up and feel lonely… I usually don’t have
time to think of much in the morning, I do have days when I’m
just “oh my god”. When it is constantly intense, non-stop, and
the early mornings constantly, it gets so hard. Do you know
what I mean? You get to the point where you can’t have another
early morning... errrm where was I going with that?
Olly: I think you were saying you
wanted to come out to Heaven (a club) with me? Have you ever
been there?
Rachel: I’d love to come out with you to Heaven but I’m
working all night. I don’t have the luxury of going out all
night.
Olly: We better talk about your
single quickly, 'More More More'. I was out in Heaven on
Wednesday, wasn’t very busy.. you have been there before
though right?
Rachel: I have never been to Heaven.
Olly: They have a pop room and they
were playing your song and I was dancing to it and I thought ‘ohhhhhhh’,
it was freaky.. cos I love the song..
Rachel: What song?
Olly: 'More More More' and then I was
like “I’m going to be meeting her”. Tell me about the single..
Rachel: It’s just real 70s. Do you remember the original?
Olly: Yep, I wasn’t around I don’t
think.
Rachel: No, nor was I. How old are you?
Olly: 22. How old are you?
Rachel: 26. So yeah it was made a year before I was born. It
is just one of those tracks that people can get up and sing
along to, do you know what I mean? It stays in your head, very
catchy. I think that is the good thing about covers, it brings
it to a new generation. People who wouldn’t have known the
track before.
Olly: Do you use Dermalogica
skincare?
Rachel: Yes, I had a facial last week and it was
amazing.
Olly: I have spot-prone skin and I
use their oily one ‘cos you can buy it for home use. Olly: My
mate wants to know “what do you use at home”?
Rachel: I use Yves Lome cleanser.
Olly: Okay, I’ll let her know, she
says you have perfect skin.
Rachel: Ahhhhhhh
Olly: *looks at questions* Nah won’t
ask that.
Rachel: *laughs*
Olly: Do you have a motto, like
something that you say to yourself when you want to psyche
yourself up?
Rachel: No.
Olly: You don’t have one when you’re
feeling down?
Rachel: No, I don’t. I think I’m quite a positive person. If
I’m feeling down I’ll hang out with friends or call..
Olly: Do you say like “pull yourself
together”?
Rachel: Laughs yeah I have said that.. *laughs* Pull yourself
together girl.. but err it doesn’t work *laughs*.
Olly: Oh right, okay, but you try at
least.
*publicist enters to signal the end of interview*
Rachel: Thank you
Olly: That’s alright. I’ll send you
those DVDs. Sister Act 2 and what was the other one?
Rachel: You still don’t believe me…that I have seen Sister Act
2.
Olly: I’ll send it just in case maybe
*laughs*
Olly: Nice to meet you.
Rachel: You too.
Rachel: Have fun tonight.
Olly: And you, whatever you’re doing.
Sorry; I talked so much about me I
don’t know what that is! Bye.
'The Princess
Diaries 2: Royal Engagement' is out in UK cinemas from October
22nd. Rachel's single 'More More More' is out now.
Return to the music zone >> |
