'If you call yourself a legend then you've definitely flipped!' Lulu talks exclusively on her five decades in music

She’s not fussed about Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid and ‘doesn’t know’ (or possibly care?) what the BRITs could have done to be more interesting this year, because for Lulu, what’s important is the music.

She might have Zayn Malik’s latest single playing on loop in her car – ‘It’s so Prince’ – but she doesn’t give a hoot who he’s dating. As for her fling with David Bowie? ‘I’m not here to talk about that’ she promptly tells us. Well, it was worth a try.

“All the stuff that goes with being successful today – there really is a lot of craziness to keep yourself in the public eye and I can’t really fathom it,” she says speaking exclusively to Yahoo Celebrity.

And Lulu has little time for outspoken celebrities on Twitter, saying: “Some people say the most ridiculous things and it really can backfire.”

What really matters to Lulu is making music and that, she will happily talk about.

Asked about being coined a legend, the pop icon is modest, putting the majority of her success down to luck.

“If you get used to it then you’ve definitely flipped – people call you all sorts of things but you have to get over it. People can elevate you to a position to having something special about you when really you’re just ordinary like everyone else,” she tells us.

But celebrating over 50 years in the music business, Lulu is, without question, one of the British soul greats – something anything but ordinary.

“After 50 years you don’t bother with self doubt, but if you have any humility it is sweet when people think that you are special,” she says.

“It’s a very tough business and you have to become tough skinned. It’s important to not surround yourself with people who bullshit you,” she tells us, adding:

“I think talent is important but it’s not the answer – you need to be persistent, hard working and not willing to give up – if you have that in any job you will be successful in it. If you are one pointed. And then there is also that element of luck.”

Looking back, the singer who rose to fame age just 15 admits she often kept her opinion to herself, something she’s struggled with ever since.

“I was advised to do a lot of things I didn’t want to do at the start of my career. It’s ridiculous to say ‘would I go back and change it’ because I can’t. But I have cried over it, I had hissy fits, I’ve been depressed but now I am over it and I am where I am.”

As a result, Lulu isn’t entirely happy with her back catalogue citing a number of hits that she wouldn’t perform today .

“Boom Bang a Bang I was not happy with – but it was Eurovision and it was picked by the public and I shouldn’t complain about it – but I won’t sing it anymore. A song called Boy, a song called Let’s Pretend- all top 10 hits that I just wouldn’t sing now. But I do do Shout, I could never not!”

Now the 68-year-old looks to modern stars like Miley Cyrus, admiring her ability to stick to her guns and take her own direction – even when it doesn’t please everyone.

“I think that Miley Cyrus is one of the coolest people on the planet, she is who she is and there is something so appealing about that – I wasn’t so brave when I was young and that’s why I would end up doing songs that I didn’t really care for – because they said I should.”

Lulu has teamed up with Vauxhall for its Great British Legends campaign, celebrating over 35 years of the legendary Vauxhall Astra by profiling other iconic British figures. For further information, visit: www.vauxhall.co.uk/greatbritishlegends. For tickets and further information about Lulu’s 2017 All About The Music tour, please go to www.luluofficial.co.uk