Rebecca Ferguson also revealed why she turned down I’m A Celebrity
Rebecca Ferguson spoke to the ECHO in an exclusive interview(Image: ugc)
Rebecca Ferguson is feeling content, as she enjoys her settled life in the run up to Christmas after a rollercoaster 15 years. The Scouser was thrust into the limelight on the X Factor in 2010, aged just 23, when her soulful voice captured the hearts of the nation on her way to finishing in second place.
The mum-of-four is now at a point in her career when she can pick and choose her projects and is excited to perform an annual Christmas show at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on December 6. Speaking to the ECHO about the performance, she said: “I’ve got a gorgeous orchestra doing lovely Christmas songs, then we have an interval. And then it’s club classics. I’m looking forward to it. It should be a lovely night.”
Rebecca is currently based with her family down south, but always looks forward to returning to her home city. She told the ECHO she can’t wait to reunite with her friends after the show for a night out and even bumping into a few faces in the audience. She added: “It’s always such a lovely atmosphere.
“Liverpool is always the best crowd. and I always tend to land on a good day in Liverpool as well. Everyone always ends up out out straight after the show.
“I normally leave the crowd on a banger so it’s always Show Me Love or Proud Mary. I always have something that’s really well known in Liverpool to end the night on to send them on their way. And then I end up bumping into them all when I’m out in town.”
Rebecca moved down south after her X Factor success as long train journeys meant she was away from her children too often. However, now that her eldest children are reaching adulthood, she admitted the family are turning their attention to moving back to the place that holds such a special place in her heart.
She said: “My kids are constantly in Liverpool and they just love it. They’re quite grounded and very family orientated so I am really proud of them.
“It’s really hard to not be grounded when you’re from Liverpool. The kids have had a very different life to certainly what I was brought up like. My life changed after 2010, but we’ve always lived grounded and kept the same types of friends and family.”
Rebecca’s eldest child is just two years younger than she was when she shot to stardom on the X Factor and she admitted its surreal to reflect on the whirlwind of this time of her life. She said: “It’s been a proper crazy ride. The last 15 years have been mad. I’ve been really lucky. I know that sounds mad because we’ve had ups and downs but that’s life.
“In terms of career wise, I’ve been really lucky. I’ve done all the things that I’ve wanted to do. All my dreams I’d fulfilled by 30. Now I’m just at a place when I’m not actively thinking I must have this.
“I’m really settled with the family and I’m just at this comfortable place where I’m not chasing anything.” Rebecca has remained grounded throughout her 15 years in showbiz and she put this down to how she has never courted fame.
She said: “A lot of people, when their fame starts to wane a bit, they will go on shows and stuff. I’m not knocking that by the way, because you’ve got to pay the bills and you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. It’s really weird with me because I actually don’t like fame.
“I don’t mind lending my voice to charity, but I actually don’t enjoy fame.” Rebecca revealed this is what motivated her to turn down stints on I’m A Celebrity and Dancing On Ice.
She added: “When people ever see me, it will be like, ‘Oh bloody hell, I’ve not seen her for years’. I think that’s the [reason for the] longevity really. I don’t bear my face out too much, mainly because it’s not just my scene.
“That’s just not what I am. I’m not going to sell your soap, or your face cream. Nothing against it by the way. I’m not saying if someone offered me a few quid I’d say no, but that’s just not my thing. I’m a singer, I’m a writer, that’s what I do.”
Although Rebecca has enjoyed huge chart success with albums such as Heaven and Freedom, she has also used her voice to campaign for change to improve rights for artists in the music industry. Rebecca said this may have hindered some opportunities for herself but she has no regrets as she has remained true to words from her nan.
She said: “I could have played along. And, if I’m being totally honest, from a commercial standpoint I probably would have been more successful, but that’s just not the nature of Liverpool people. We aren’t putting up with that.
“I’m proud that I stayed true to who I am and didn’t let myself down. My nan always said to me, ‘You know when you’ve done right Rebecca because that little inner voice inside will tell you whether you’ve done right or wrong. Trust that.’ And I’ve always honoured that what she told me growing up.
“I always just stuck to my guns. If something wasn’t right, I’d say. Don’t get me wrong, I got punished for it. They literally made me pay for going against them.”
Rebecca is now enjoying a well deserved break after she gave birth to her youngest as she said the wheels are in motion for a regulatory body for the creative industries named Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority. She added: “People don’t realise this, but I was pregnant while campaigning. I was literally doing all this when I was pregnant and post partum. I give myself a little minute over the last couple of months, if I’m being honest.”
Rebecca is proud of what she has stood up for and said keeping real is emblematic of her Scouse spirit, and she is now excited to get back out on the road in front of a home crowd, who she connects so strongly with.
She said: “I’ve travelled a lot so I’ve mixed with lots of different people, but what I like about Liverpool is our authenticity. If you ask someone in Liverpool how they are, they actually tell you. Even if it’s awful and they’re going through the worst time ever, you will get the full lowdown of what’s happened and who’s done what.
“When I’ve travelled people don’t do that. People will say everything’s great and the business is lovely. You know what I miss and what I absolutely love about Scousers is the authenticity. That can be good or bad by the way, because we can also have a temper. We’re authentic, and what we feel and our emotions, they come out.”
A Feeling of Christmas with Rebecca Ferguson is coming to the Liverpool Philharmonic on December 6. You can find full details on how to get tickets here.