Q And A with Clare Grogan

Scottish pop legends Altered Images will be warming up New Year revellers in Edinburgh as special guests of Sophie Ellis-Bextor. In our Q&A, iconic singer Clare Grogan discusses haunting Boris Johnson, rebirthing as a dog and being mistaken for a certain pint-sized Aussie

Who would you like to see playing you in the movie about your life?

Me please! I love making movies and I’d probably need the job.

What’s the punchline to your favourite joke?

Because I love you!

If you were to return in a future life as an animal, what would it be? Can we go backwards with this?

A dog living in the Doris Day pet sanctuary in California.

What’s the best cover version ever?

The Slits’ ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’.

Whose speaking voice soothes your ears?

Stanley Baxter.

If you were a ghost, who would you haunt?

Boris Johnson. I’d make sure he never got a good night’s sleep ever again.

When was the last time you were mistaken for someone else and what were the circumstances?

On a visit to NYC, they closed Prada so that I could shop in peace because they thought I was Kylie. It got a tad embarrassing in the end.

Tell us something you wish you had discovered sooner in life?

It wasn’t necessary to try and please everyone.

Describe your perfect Saturday evening?

It would have to involve a big gang of family and friends at one of our restaurants.

If you could relive any day of your life, which one would it be?

The first Christmas I had my daughter Elle and both my mum and dad were still alive when we were all in Glasgow with my sisters and their families.

What’s your earliest recollection of winning something?

Primary 1. Best smile.

Did you have a nickname at school that you were ok with? And can you tell us a nickname you hated?

Tallulah was and is my nickname.

If you were to start a tribute act to a band or singer, who would it be in tribute to and what would it be called?

Boney M, just for the outfits. I’d call it Bonnie M.

When were you most recently astonished by something?

We are living in astonishing times, so most days.

What tune do you find it impossible not to get up and dance to, whether in public or private?

‘Crazy In Love’ by Beyoncé.

Which famous person would be your ideal holiday companion?

Ryan Gosling.

As an adult, what has a child said to you that made a powerful impact?

‘Mummy, stop singing’.

Tell us one thing about yourself that would surprise people? I’m six foot tall.

When did you last cry?

Today. It’s a daily occurrence.

What’s the most hi-tech item in your home?

My BeautyCam light.

What’s a skill you’d love to learn but never got round to?

Tap dancing.

By decree of your local council, you’ve been ordered to destroy one room in your house and all of its contents. Which room do you choose?

Easy, the really messy one upstairs.

If you were selected as the next 007, where would you pick as your first luxury destination for espionage?

The Highlands of course.

Altered Images, Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, Friday 30 December.