Paloma Faith thinks her pop career is over after welcoming second baby
SHE has spent 12 years as a major force in British music but Paloma Faith fears her pop career is dead and buried after having her second child.
The singer, with ten Top 40 hits and ten million record sales, confessed she felt lucky to have been able to carry on after having her daughter in 2016, but senses the “end of an era” following the arrival of her latest baby last month.
She makes the revelation in her BBC Two documentary Paloma Faith: As I Am, which airs at 9pm this Saturday, saying she felt “concern” from record label bosses.
In the documentary, shot in 2018, Paloma explains: “I did have a dinner (with them) and there were signs of concern when I mentioned that I’d like another child.
“It was uncomfortable. It’s not a very child-friendly industry. It’s OK with one but I feel like two, then becomes something different.
“I feel like I’ve cheated death in a way, in terms of the death of my career, with one. And I feel like maybe you can’t cheat death twice.”
Paloma has released five albums – three of which have been certified double platinum – but recently made a move into acting.
She plays villain Bet Sykes in US crime drama series Pennyworth and is relying on that going forward, rather than making music.
Looking upset, she explains: “It feels a little bit at the moment like it’s the end of an era for me.
“I feel like when I started I was a really creative person and over the years I’ve taken a trajectory that has been geared more towards commercialism.
“It feels demoralising. It’s a moment of feeling nearly 40 is what it is.
“I’ve had a good run by modern standards – ten years – but I need to think about how I’m going to reinvent myself.
“I’m glad I’m doing Pennyworth. Maybe I just need to focus on acting and then sing for love and do more projects that aren’t so commercial. I might enjoy it then.”
She added: “We don’t know whether my music career is going to exist at the end of the year, really. So I’m trying to line up other options.”
And we’re unlikely to hear her on any more dance hits, as the singer has admitted she finds it “embarrassing” when asked to do big pop collaborations.
The big DJs may not be so keen to work with her either now she’s said that.
Gaga fur Gucci
IT was a bright and early start for Lady Gaga on the set of her upcoming film House Of Gucci, but even on a bleary-eyed Monday morning there was no missing her.
The Rain On Me singer wore this bright red dress and long fur coat for scenes shot in a busy street in Rome yesterday.
She is playing Patrizia Reggiani, whose turbulent marriage and plot to murder her ex-husband Maurizio Gucci, one time head of the Italian fashion house, is the story the movie tells.
Gaga was filming alongside Al Pacino, who is playing Maurizio’s uncle Aldo Gucci.
She has been photographed practically every day since shooting began last month, wearing all manner of glamorous vintage outfits.
I just hope there’s some surprises left for when the film eventually hits screens, which is – finger crossed – expected to be in November.
Dogs helped Helena at a wuff time
HELENA BONHAM-CARTER has her dogs to thank for helping her to get over her split from film director Tim Burton in 2014.
Helena said of the relationship, which started in 2001 when they met on the film set of Planet Of The Apes, which Tim directed: “It’s no secret that I split up with the father of my children.
“So when you divorce – and I share this only because I think it helps other people – part of the trauma of it is that you lose the sense of your family.”
Helena, 54, who has two children with Tim, is now dating writer Rye Dag Holmboe, who is 21 years her junior. The pair met in 2018.
In an Instagram live session, the actress, who most recently starred as Princess Margaret in The Crown, added: “And in remaking the next unit, I think the dogs have been amazing.
“They’ve helped the children too.”
Blue Raye
THERE is no wiping the grin off Raye’s face and I don’t blame her, she’s got another hit on her hands.
She performed her collaboration Bed, with Joel Corry and David Guetta, on Comic Relief on Friday, hours after it rose to No8 in the charts.
And singing it live on telly has given it another boost, as mid-week chart figures show it has now climbed to No5.
It is the latest in a long line of big tunes for Raye, including Secrets with Regard and Tequila with Jax Jones last year.
It is a fourth consecutive Top Ten tune for fellow Brit Joel, who spent six weeks at No1 last summer with Head & Heart.
These two know a thing or two when it comes to making pop bangers.
James wants new Noel role
I TOLD last week how an Oasis reunion could be on the cards in the form of a film – and brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher have already got offers from actors willing to play them.
James McClelland, who played Noel in new movie Creation Stories, about the band’s record label boss Alan McGee, has thrown his hat into the ring.
Asked if he would like to play the rocker again, James said: “Absolutely, if they’ll have me.
“I’m not sure if he’s seen Creation Stories but I’m sure Noel will not shy away from having an opinion. If he’s got a role going then absolutely I’ll take it.
“I didn’t think the two would ever work together again, in any capacity.”
On his role in Creation Stories, he said: “What I wanted to do was essentially just give a truthful response to the script and the scenes and get in the headspace of being Noel during that period of his life, where he believes he is in the best band in the world.”
I had the exclusive in this column that the Gallagher brothers appear to be launching a film business, after production firm Kosmic Kyte was registered under their names.
He’s got the ball rolling.
Make way for Rey
LANA DEL REY is on track to score her fifth UK No1 album, holding Justin Bieber off the top spot.
Her new record Chemtrails Over The Country Club has racked up a whopping sales total of 34,000 since it was released on Friday, outselling the rest of the Top Ten combined.
It means Justin has been held at No2 with his brilliant new album Justice.
Bob Dylan’s box set, 1970, is at No3, which could be his 41st Top Ten album, while STING’s collaborative record Duets is set for No4, his highest-charting release since 2003’s Sacred Love.
Ed's Down Under
ED SHEERAN has flown Down Under to perform at the funeral of his friend Michael Gudinski.
The superstar was photographed getting off a plane in Melbourne yesterday along with his wife Cherry Seaborn and their daughter Lyra, having just completed a two-week quarantine elsewhere in Oz.
He said he was devastated by the death of the music mogul earlier this month, as he had championed Ed throughout his career and become a close pal.
The Shape Of You singer is expected to sing live at his state funeral tomorrow.
In a moving tribute on Instagram, Ed referred to Michael as a “father figure and mentor”
Baby’s mummy guilt
AS one fifth of one of the world’s biggest girlbands – and juggling jobs here and across the pond – Emma Bunton has admitted she suffers badly with working-mum guilt.
The Spice Girl, who has sons Beau, 13, and Tate, nine, with husband Jade Jones, said: “As soon as your children are born, I didn’t realise I would get the strongest feeling of guilt.
“Am I doing the right thing all the time? Am I home enough? Am I at work enough?”
She told the Not Another Mummy podcast that her life is now a juggling act where she tries to balance her work with spending time with family.
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She added: “All those things go through your head but I love being a working mum. I love my kids watch me have this work ethic.
“I work hard but I also do make sure that weekends are precious. I love watching my little boy play football, my other little boy goes to dance classes.
“If I can be there for the important things, the simple things, the bedtimes, the storytelling, the cuddles, the kisses. I am so lucky.”
Vin son a fast worker
VIN DIESEL is keeping it in the family for the next Fast And Furious film – by hiring his son.
The actor has recruited his ten-year-old boy, Vincent Sinclair, to play a younger version of his character Dominic “Dom” Toretto. the lad is believed to have filmed his scenes in 2019 and got paid £726 a day – that’s serious pocket money.
F9 will hit screens on June 25, four years after the previous instalment and following delays due to the pandemic. It will be the first film to benefit from the planned end of social distancing measures in England on June 21.
Perfect film for my first trip back to the cinema.
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