LULU WISHES SHE HAD BEEN MORE AUTHENTIC

LULU wishes she had been authentic and honest when she was younger instead of trying to hide her real feelings. 
The 71 year old Scots singer who grew up in Glasgow’s  Dennistoun claims she was too scared to reveal anything about her personal feelings when she was younger. 
She also claimed she felt God-like because she felt the pressure to provide for her family. 
In a chat with BBC presenter Fearne Cotton on her Instagram, Lulu said: “You’re now at an age where things have changed. You’re so open and you’re so authentic. I don’t think I was brave enough in those days to open up and say the things I wanted, that were going on with me. I didn’t even know what was going on with me. It’s such a change from when I was young.“
Lulu went on to say that she often thought she ‘was God’ because she had to provide for her family. 
She explained: “There was a lot of fear about revealing things cause I was the eldest of four and wanted to take care of everybody and if I didn’t take care of everyone and it didn’t go well for me everyone else would kind of suffer. God, I thought I was God, quite clearly but not consciously, sub consciously. What you’re saying is kind of what I have come to later on in my life, not that I was inauthentic but I was fearful so now I’m really saying my truth and that’s what is so great about now.“
The singer also said she empathised with Fearne's recent comments about becoming bulimic after feeling fat when she compared her self to ‘tiny popstars’. 
She said: “You talked a lot about that food thing and how you would look at these little people you were interviewing and think that you weren’t as good as them and think they were so much thinner or better looking. A lot of that was my story. I was with the rockstars and every one of them, I would hang out with them and their girlfriends would be six foot tall stick thin models and I would think I was, you know I wasn’t, but I thought I was fat. I wasn’t. I had a little fat face, but I can see how many things were similar.“
The Shout singer admitted it had been tough mixing family life with her career but said she had been providing comfort via the phone to her grandchildren during lockdown. 
She said: “When I look back at me and my career, getting married, I have one son and I don’t even know how he turned out so well because it’s tough trying to juggle. 
She added: “During lockdown, my granddaughter called me because she was very sad. She said ‘Nana I’m very sad because I can’t see the friends I want to and Teddy (her little brother) has got it easier’. Anyway,  I made her laugh and it was better for a minute because I make up all sorts of conspiracy theories and tell her not to tell anyone. She laughs at me and I say ‘Don’t tell anyone I said that, because you know I’m crazy, but we don’t want everyone to know.’ It broke my heart.”

DAVID HAYE TALKS RETIREMENT, LULU, SOCIAL BITE AND LBD GOSSIP

BIG CAT
Boxer David Haye told me he’s enjoying his retirement at the Action For Children Sport Dinner on Friday night.
The Hayemaker who held multiple world championships in two weight classes was interviewed on stage by STV’s Peter Martin but mingled readily with guests.
He told me: “I officially retired a few weeks ago so pipe and slippers are in full effect and I’m not smashing it as hard. I can eat and drink what I want now.”
David who cautioned off a personal training session on the night,  couldn’t stop giggling as Peter, whose humour is often close to the bone,  took the mickey out of main sponsor Poonam Gupta OBE who owns the hugely successful PG Paper company.
Poonam and her husband Puneet managed to help raise over £100,000 on the night, no doubt helped by Puneet bidding £15,000 for a personal portrait session with Scots artist Gerard Burns who has painted Nicola Sturgeon, Billy Connolly and Ewan Mcgregor amongst others.  Gerard who was there admitted it takes a lot of effort to paint portraits so he was thrilled his donation had gone  for such a great price.

FEAST FOR THE BEAST

I might have felt slightly worse for wear after my Saturday night Katy chasing but I had a lovely Sunday brunch with influencers including Emily Shak and Abbie Blyth at Glasgow’s Hummingbird on Sunday with clothing and accessory brand House of LBD.
It’s run by Emma Sinclair who is a real entrepreneur. After realising her initial business of Little black dresses had limited appeal she decided to personalise her products with peoples initials, starting with scarfs. She presented me with a clutch bag which is part of her new range and she has toilet bags and phone covers too. She works at STV too but her work with House of LBD has become a real success.
We all enjoyed a cocktail masterclass  before tucking into mini donuts, brownies and an array of sandwiches as well as posing by Mr Flowerwalls latest creations.
We even drank cocktails from a disco ball! It’s a hard life.

JUNGLE DRUMS
Ex Rangers striker Mark Hately reckons he might like to be an active player in  the football game again if he gets the chance.
Mark was a guest of PG Paper at the Action For Children Sports dinner .
After our chicken dinner, he revealed: “I’m always thinking about things. Football has been my life since i was born and whether the next stage of my life is going to be in or out of football I don’t know. It’s difficult one to answer. I’ve been club ambassador for eighteen years but I might want to dip my toe a little bit deeper into the game. We will see.”


ON THE PROWL
I managed to say a quick hello to the Glasgow’s own Lulu before her gig at Kelvingrove bandstand.
Lulu, who was at the stylish Malmaison hotel, is someone I’ve grown up with.
My wee daddy Ben Lyons, who is no longer with us, produced her first radio broadcast on the BBC after discovering her singing at a party in town so we’ve got some lovely memories.
Lulu always looks younger every time I see her. She loves to wear a baseball cap off stage and she’s the only sixty nine year old I can’t think of who suits it. She reminded everyone at her Scots gig of her age when she told them she used to get a tram car from Denniston to Kelvingrove bandstand as a wee girl for one penny in the old days.
Lulu, who was married to Bee Gee Maurice Gibb, is chuffed that Barry Gibb is receiving a knighthood from the Queen and told her fans on Twitter exactly that.

THE LYON’S PRIDE
I had a wee chat on the phone with Social Bite’s Josh Littlejohn as he announced that his charity venture Sleep in The Park will be held in four cities.
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen will see around 12,000 people sleeping rough for charity on Saturday December 9.
Josh who did it last year told me: “it was the coldest night of the year and when I got home I found it hard to imagine doing it night after night. We’re hoping to raise even more this year - with six million as our target.”
Amy Macdonald, and KT Tunstall will be flying to all four locations with Fred MacAuley hosting Edinburgh and Irvine Welsh reading a bedtime story.
The helicopter that will fly the girls on the night has been donated by Andrew Devlin who owns Curtis Moore Cladding Systems.
Andrew was last seen spinning around a dance floor at the Little Less Strictly Come Dancing ball with Strictly’s Oti Mabuse. Since then he’s been known as Twinkle Toes.

THE LYON SLEEPS TONIGHT...
It’s a busy weekend for festive fun in Glasgow and beyond - and it’s going to be mad for me.
As well as the cool Fiesta x Fold at Kelvingrove this Friday and Saturday with Nile Rodgers, The Pointer Sisters, Earth Wind and Fire and Hoey Morgan’s NYC Block Party there’s also TRNSMT.
I went to the first TRNSMT at Glasgow Green last year and it was a lovely friendly festival in the heart of the city. This Friday, Saturday and Sunday sees the first of three dates with two more planned next weekend. I can’t wait to catch bands like The Killers, Liam Gallagher, Stereophonics, Jessie J, The Script James Bay and our homegrown talents like Franz Ferdinand, Nina Nesbitt, Lewis Capaldi and Gerry Cinammon.
I love the fact that it’s in Glasgow Green so I don’t need to take any over night bags.
I’m also due to pop into Dumfries Youth Beats festival on Saturday with Basshunter, Jax Jones and Sigala so I’m still not sure how it’ll all pan out...

LULU GOES POP WITH LITTLE MIX

LULU was thrilled to find out the Little Mix girls were staying at her Glasgow hotel.
The Shout singer bumped into The Showbiz Lion after her concert in the Motherwell Concert hall - and she was looking as good as ever.
She told us: "I am loving this tour and enjoying the old songs that I'm singing. Of course coming back to Scotland to see family is great too."

Lulu was at the plush Malmaison hotel in Glasgow and she was delighted to see that Little Mix were staying there too.
She said: "Little Mix are my guilty pleasure."
The Grammy nominated performer from Scotland wowed the crowds with hits from her fifty year career including Shout, To Sir With Love and Relight My Fire.
She made time to go out and about Glasgow yesterday morning.
She appears in Perth Concert Hall this evening.

- From Scotland with love from theshowbizlion.com