Katherine Jenkins opens up about those David Beckham comments, baby number two and breaking into the West End
KATHERINE Jenkins has never felt happier and it’s easy to see why.
Her skin has a definite yes-I’m-just-back-from-Dubai glow after holidaying there with her family – 18-month-old daughter Aaliyah and husband of two and a half years Andrew Levitas.
Her career is hotter than ever, too. The 36-year-old classical singer is currently rehearsing for her stage debut as a leading lady in the role of Julie Jordan alongside Alfie Boe in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical Carousel.
“It’s exciting and terrifying!” Katherine laughs.
“But I put my mind to these things and give it all I’ve got.”
There’s a smile on her face throughout our shoot, and she has kisses and cuddles for the entire team.
This is despite Aaliyah’s 3am wake-up call and the prospect of a two-and-a-half-hour acting lesson (and perfecting an American accent) that evening.
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Her smile doesn’t even slip when addressing the elephant in the room.
Five years on from taking to Twitter to deny “horrible rumours” that she and David Beckham had an affair, last month Katherine was again front-page news alongside the former footballer when she was dragged into his hacked emails scandal.
In messages to publicist Simon Oliveira, David claimed Katherine didn’t deserve her OBE, which she was awarded in the 2014 New Year’s Honours for her musical success and prolific charity work.
Today, Katherine opens up about it for the first time.
“I was actually in New York because, as I’m going to be tied to the UK for Carousel for the next few months, I wanted to take my daughter to see her family [on US-born husband Andrew’s side]. So I felt detached from it. It’s not my story and I really didn’t want to get involved. It was quite fortunate that I was out of the way and able to carry on as normal.”
Understandably, she admits it hurt to read David’s callous comment of: “Katherine Jenkins OBE for what? Singing at the rugby and going to see the troops, plus taking coke. F**king joke.”
Becks was of course referring to the singer’s 2008 confession to having taken cocaine 11 years ago while studying at the Royal Academy of Music.
She laughs: “I’m a human being. Of course something like that would be hurtful. But at the same time I’ve learned that when you’re famous sometimes you get dragged into things you shouldn’t be involved in.
“Sometimes people feel like they know you, but actually they know nothing about you. I go home and have this adorable daughter and amazing husband and at the end of the day that’s all that matters. Receiving my OBE was one of the proudest moments of my life. At 36, I know who I am, I know what I’ve done, what I’ve achieved and I also know what really matters. It’s somebody else’s problem to deal with.”
Katherine says she’s unsure whether it’s changed her perception of David.
“It is what it is. [To her publicist] What do you think? Has it changed yours? I don’t know.”
So does she forgive him?
“[Laughs and turns again to her publicist] You know exactly what I’m thinking!”
Ahem, we suggest that we’re probably all thinking the unprintable now about Mr Beckham…
“All I’d like to say about this is…,” Katherine says, choosing her words carefully.
“I’m living my life with my family and I only wish them joy and happiness.”
You get the impression Katherine would like to say far more, but instead has chosen to rise above it and hope it just goes away.
She’s a consummate professional and humble to boot. So much so, in fact, that even after having sold over 10 million records, she was unable
to get her head around being decorated at Buckingham Palace.
“I was so stunned to receive [an OBE]. I always thought that even if I were to receive one it wouldn’t be until much, much later in life. What
was also lovely is that I received mine from Princes Charles and he’s the patron of the British Forces Foundation.”
Rather than simply put her name to things, the singer has risked her life to enter war zones to raise morale among British troops.
Katherine performed in Iraq in 2005 and 2006, in Afghanistan and Cyprus in 2007, and Kosovo in 2009.
“I was thrilled to receive it because of my connections with the military as well as for music. That meant just as much, if not more. No one can take that away from me. Obviously we hope that there isn’t a [future] situation to go out to, but if and when they need me to go I will. Our forces and their families don’t get a say, so wherever they go I’ll follow.”
Her own family plays a huge role in her life, after giving birth to daughter Aaliyah in September 2015.
“[Becoming a mum] is a reality check and gives such a sense of perspective. My daughter and husband are the centre of my world. They’re both the best thing,” she smiles.
“When anything happens – good or bad – I just want to be with them. A lot of my day-to-day job, while it can be fun, there can also be fickleness and rubbish that goes with it. Aaliyah’s amazing at cutting through that. If I get the opportunity to be with her for bath time, that’s all I want.”
Katherine is certainly very much in the honeymoon stage with artist and filmmaker Andrew, 39, who she married at Hampton Court Palace in September 2014.
“I read a quote somewhere that said you should always be your husband’s girlfriend and I live by that. It’s always making sure you have the same laughs, conversations and interests, and developing those.”
It also means Andrew – who she’s writing a music-based children’s cartoon Symphony Street with – is still learning things about her.
“On the last night of the tour [in Japan] I took everyone to karaoke. Out of the blue I put on Empire State of Mind and smashed the rap. The whole room looked at me and even my husband went: ‘I had no idea you could do that!’ The world isn’t ready for my Jay Z impression yet. I think I’m going to perform it one time. I’m looking forward to shocking people with it.”
Katherine currently schedules her work commitments around her role as a mum, with the help of a nanny and both grandmas.
The longest she’s spent away from Aaliyah was a week while touring Japan last September.
“The perception is that I’m working a lot, which I am, but also that I don’t spend much time with my daughter – I get so much time with her.
“I don’t tour abroad in the same way I used to because if Aaliyah isn’t able to come with me, then I don’t want to be away for long. I went to Japan again to sing on New Year’s Eve and took the latest flight I could, got there, sang, and then came back.”
Katherine is also determined that precious mother and daughter time won’t be affected when she treads the boards in the English National Opera’s production of Carousel for eight weeks beginning next month.
“I’ll have the days free and go off late-afternoon. I hope to have Aaliyah come and watch all of the matinees, and I can have dinner with her between performances. I’ve been taking her to shows since she was born, so she takes it all in her stride.”
Katherine whips out her phone to share sweet family snaps, including one of Aaliyah and the singer wearing adorable “Me” and “Mini Me” tops.
Although with Aaliyah’s dark hair and big brown eyes, she hasn’t taken after Katherine in every department.
“She’s a clone of my husband, it’s unbelievable!” she laughs.
“If I didn’t give birth to her, there might be some doubt! But Aaliyah’s got my sunny [personality] and wide smile. She’s an amazing age where the humour and sassiness are coming out.”
However, don’t expect to see these cute snaps on Katherine’s Instagram as she refuses to show her daughter’s face on social media.
“I’ve always tried to draw a line with my privacy. It’s purely for my own sanity, and it’s my choice. Equally, Aaliyah isn’t old enough to tell me what she wants,” she says firmly.
“If she gets to 10 or 15 and asks: ‘Mummy, why haven’t I ever been on a red carpet or gone to a premiere with you?’ Then by all means, she can be who she wants to be. But it’s not my decision.”
The former choirgirl’s humble beginnings saw her grow up on a tough council estate in Neath, South Wales.
But by 2003 she’d signed a six-album deal with Universal, reportedly worth £1million, making it the most lucrative in UK classical music history.
The mezzo-soprano went on to have six No.1 albums and perform in front of the Queen and the late Pope John Paul II.
Katherine’s considerable success means Aaliyah will have a far more privileged upbringing, but she’s already preparing to teach her the value of hard work.
“That was one of the reasons for going back to work, leading by example and because that’s what my mum did. There were lots of things I became aware of when I was having a daughter, one of them being to always applaud successful, powerful women. It terrifies me the things I see on social media and what young girls are exposed to. You have to teach self-respect. My husband is very much a feminist, so he’s going to be great for giving it from a man’s point of view.
“When people say ‘she’s so cute’, I try and tell her that I want her to be smart and kind. Kindness is the thing I wish for the most.”
With a glint in her eye, Katherine reveals baby number two is on the cards.
“For sure! It would be lovely to have another one because it’s been such a great experience. People don’t tell you the good things enough. Women will say ‘this bit hurts’ or ‘this bit is hard’. I want to tell you how much you’re going to love this child and the bad stuff is worth it.
“But I think it would need to be better timed – I found out I was pregnant with Aaliyah about a week before I went on a massive tour. It’s on the cards, but we’ve got to time it well – if you can do that!”
There was one aspect of motherhood that Katherine did struggle with: keeping her identity as a stage diva.
“I was more nervous getting back on stage. It took longer to get the performer out because I still felt like Aaliyah’s mummy.
“Your body has been given over to your child, especially if you’ve chosen to breastfeed. To then find the person who goes on stage, when all you really identify with is ‘mummy’ at that time, it’s a struggle.”
Behind Katherine’s almost-angelic look of blonde hair and blue eyes, there’s a hell of a lot of grit.
This is her sixth Fabulous cover and it’s a very different KJ to the one who was in front of us three years ago.
On that occasion, she welled up as she recalled how she was so fraught with constant negativity (such as reports speculating she was wearing make-up while running the London Marathon in 2013), that she was contemplating quitting the limelight.
“I’m glad it didn’t beat me!” she says firmly.
“When I felt like things were being misrepresented, it was taking the fun out of it. My mum has always got wise words and she told me to stick it out a bit longer then make a choice. I did, and then I got my OBE and everything changed. It ended a cycle.”
It’s not the only change in how Katherine now handles negative situations.
“If something like that were to happen today, it would be very different. I’d take my daughter and my husband [away] and sing
to her all day long. That’s really why I do this.
“There are always things that people are going to think and I can’t spend my life challenging them. I have really gone past the point of caring.”
And with that her smile turns into one of contentment, knowing she’s finally found her happy place.
Katherine will make her West End debut in Carousel at the London Coliseum, April 7–May 13, 2017 ().