‘At 45 I have nothing to prove anymore’

It’s a pleasure to see you again… Where were you during all those years?
Oh dear! The question! Let’s just say I have done lots of things…

Like…
I got married, had two children… I haven’t wasted time.

What is your husband like?
Exceptional! He is a poet, slightly out of control and he loves people. He always considered me as a woman, not as a star. For me, it’s very important. Do you want to see what he looks like?

Why, do you have a picture with you?
No, but he appears at the end of my new clip, ‘You came’.

You had enough of the showbiz, of all the tralala?
Yes, it’s true. At some point I started not enjoying myself anymore. The first ten years were fun: I had a ball and lots of energy. But then, I got the impression I didn’t have time for myself anymore. I lost myself.

During such conditions, it’s hard to understand why you’re coming back…
Four years ago I stepped out again and reprised all the old hits. And I had forgotten how much I really loved those titles. Bit by bit, the idea of doing an album reappeared. Here’s the result of it, and I am proud of it.

Do you think it will do well?
Yes, the new album may do well. And if not, it’s not too bad. At 45, I have nothing to prove anymore. For me, it’s just a matter of following my own desires now.

From all of your hits, which is your most favourite one?
I have a soft spot for ‘Kids in America’.

Can you tell us if the eighties were really ‘sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll’?
(She smiles) Er… You know, I’m always a wise girl!

It would be necessary to know: five minutes ago you said you were “fofolle”. You could tell everything in an autobiography, couldn’t you?
Yes, I have already thought of writing, but it remained a thought. But I already have thought of a title: “Never say Never” (The title of the album). But I don’t have any desire to say with whom I spent my nights and how I spent them!

You would make people too jealous?
Maybe…

While we are talking about nights, do you remember the song by Laurent Voulzy, ‘Les nuits sans Kim Wilde’?
Sure, I love that song! I am always in contact with him since he lives in England. (She speaks in French:) Laurent, enlève tes lunettes!

Has Laurent had a chance to spend a night with you?
No! I went back to the hotel after a very nice dinner in a restaurant…

Is he your favourite French artist?
Together with Etienne Daho, who has a true universe. I can tell you an anecdote about him… Once, Etienne gave me a very nice object: a little man with an enormous erection who made love to a woman. It was really nice.

It’s funny. Did you return to school during your ‘break’?
Exactly. I started learning about things like history, fashion… and most of all I studied horticulture.

Sorry?
You heard me. Today it’s my biggest passion. Did you know I won a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show, a big festival in England? It’s one of the most beautiful moments of my life.

Was it more important than earning your gold records?
Sure! I don’t know where I have my gold records. They are more or less put away in a chamber. But my gold medal is proudly standing in my salon. And no-one may touch it!

Is it your specialty now?
I work with plants a lot now. But I don’t talk to them. Or rather, just sometimes!

So for your children you are a gardener, not a popstar?
No, not that. It wasn’t so long ago that they saw the video for ‘Kids in America’ on TV. They immediately cried: ‘But that’s mommy!’ They know my career as a singer. But since I had them they never saw me as a blonde…

What? You’re not a natural blonde?
I stopped colouring my hair after I did Tommy, based on an album by The Who.

What does one do as an icon?
I never considered myself to be an icon. When I went on holiday in the Dordogne, people didn’t recognise me. Today, people are more likely to ask questions to people like Paris Hilton.

Do you like what she does, musically?
I didn’t know she recorded a song and I haven’t yet heard her album! I am a fan of Lily Allen. She is very nice and talented. For me she is the popstar of the moment. In England, she is all the rage.

Of the new generation men, who do you like?
I think they are all a bit insipid. I do like Justin Timberlake, but I saw his clip and I find that he really does not have a beautiful back, which is annoying enough…

Ah. And Robbie Williams?
Not bad, it’s true that he’s sexy enough. But he still lacks something. Pete Doherty is the only guy who pleases me: he is beautiful, sincere, talented and a real rebel. I love rebels, always have. But the most beautiful of all is my husband, by far!

Your father Marty was a famous rocker, you’re a pop singer… would you like your children to make music?
They have already started at a very young age. My son most of all: he loves rock band like Guns ‘n’ Roses and Metallica. I love them too.

For you, the most important moment in your life was the birth of your children?
Sure. But also meeting my husband. With him I discovered love. An essential trick, don’t you think?