Hey Sophie. How’s it going?
I’ve been having quite a week of it really, with an awful lot of travelling. I’m currently on the way to Southampton where I’m doing a university ball. I did the same thing last night too.
Is it fun playing student balls?
Well, we’ve only done that one last night and it was OK. They’d had quite a long evening by the time we came on. They have a meal and then a covers band and then a magician! So they were all pretty drunk by the time we went on. Then Edith Bowman DJ’d afterwards!
At least they’re warmed up.
Yeah. And it means there’s no pressure, cos they’re very unlikely to remember much about it! But it was a long day yesterday, because I also went to Paris and back to do a TV show. It was always gonna be a bit of a trek, but the flight back from Paris to Southampton was delayed for hours and then eventually cancelled.
Oh dear.
Exactly. So I had to get another flight, which meant I was actually in the airport for five and a half hours. By which point I was pretty much ready to kill someone. Or myself.
How did you pass the time?
Very, very slowly. I’ve been to a lot of airports and Heathrow is definitely one of the best, there’s loads of shops and everything. But there’s not much to do at the Paris one. And I’d stupidly checked in my bag which had my magazines and my books. So I didn’t have anything to read. I ended up buying stuff from the French newsagent, but it took me a while to find that.
Sounds a bit miserable.
It was. I eventually landed at Southampton at 9.30 and I was on stage at 10.30. So I literally had to get there, get changed and go on. It was all a bit knackering really.
When are you going?
On Wednesday. It’s where I wanted to do it, and it’s with Sophie Muller who’s my favourite director, so I’m very happy.
Will you be out there for long?
Until Saturday, so a few days. It’s gonna be really good fun. It’s pretty much the same team that went to Venice and did ‘Catch You’, so I feel in really safe hands. But it’s going to be a bit of a departure for me, because I’m going to be acting in it.
Can you give us a vague idea of the plot?
Well, essentially me and my boyfriend are criminals and he’s sort of gone off me, so I’m trying to keep him interested. There’s aspects of Bonnie and Clyde in there. It should be fun.
Who’s playing your partner?
It’ll be an Icelandic man.
And will you get to do the tourist thing as well?
Yeah, I should think so. Although if it’s anything like the Venetian trip, it’ll be pretty much we land, we get ready and start. And apparently it doesn’t get dark in Iceland at the moment, so I think Sophie will take advantage of that. It’ll be quite strenuous.
But fun too?
Yeah, lots of fun. I’m really looking forward to it. And I’m sure we’ll get to see some of the sights!
The other big excitement is that you’ve played some of your George Michael support dates.
Yeah. I’ve only done two so far, because the second night in Dublin was cancelled, after they had a problem with the equipment or something. Apparently one of the vans carrying it had crashed, so they needed to fix it. And then we didn’t do Wembley, because he didn’t have any support at Wembley. But we did Norwich and then tomorrow we’re doing Manchester and then after that it’s Glasgow.
You’ve been doing this climate change campaign with MTV too.
Oh yeah. I’ve been doing quite a lot of things about being green. I just try to keep pretty close to what I actually do, rather than saying stuff and then not living by it. I mean I’m not perfect – I don’t have towelling nappies for Sonny and I obviously do my fair share of flying, but I’m pretty good at turning lights off and buying ecological products. I guess the main thing is trying to get across that if you recycle, which is easy, and buy organic, which is easy, and watch how much water you’re using in the house, then those are habitual changes and before you know it you’ll be doing them anyway. And it does make a difference.
You’re certainly keeping busy.
Yeah, it is fun and I do want us to be busy, so I shouldn’t complain. But it is quite tricky. Especially trying to see enough of Sonny and getting my washing done before I have to pack my bags and head off again!
It’s not all glamour then.
It very much is not! Ha ha! But it really is good to be this busy. Apparently the album has nearly gone silver already, which is pretty cool. It’s funny, because the landscape of the pop industry completely changed while I was away. People kept on telling me that and I was like, “Yeah, yeah, whatever”. But it really has. So I’m not taking anything for granted. I’m just making sure I enjoy myself in the midst of all the madness!
You can check out the complete interview at myspace.com/sophieellisbextor
