As far as comebacks go, Charlotte Church seems to be the master. The Welsh singing sensation, who was propelled to fame when she was just 12 years old, had hit the big time before she’d even reached her teens.
But after selling millions of records, launching her own chat show, and even breaking America, Charlotte seemed to disappear from the public eye and has been keeping a relatively low profile for the past decade.
Now, aged 35, Charlotte is ready to make her well-deserved return to the spotlight. First, she was unveiled as The Masked Singer’s vocally gifted Mushroom, and then she made an appearance on tell-all ITV interview show Kate Garraway’s Life Stories.
“I’ve been venturing out a little bit more nowadays because I’ve got stuff to say,” Charlotte tells OK! as we catch up during an exclusive chat.
However, Charlotte has had plenty to keep her busy over the last few years. She has continued to entertain fans, forming her own show called Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon, alongside “amazing and really cool” musician husband Jonathan Powell.
Away from music, the singer-turned-activist has opened a school in the grounds of her home, and now plans to launch an eco-friendly wellness retreat in the Welsh countryside – the story behind her new documentary series, Charlotte Church’s Dream Build.
Meanwhile, the down-to-earth star – who shares Ruby, 14, and Dexter, 13, with ex-fiancé Gavin Henson, and 10-month-old daughter Freda with Jonathan – has dedicated herself to family life. Charlotte says, “My main job in life is as a mother, so as long as [work] doesn’t take me away from my beautiful babies too much.”
Here, the Cardiff-born star tells us about her children’s sweet reaction to their mum being on The Masked Singer, the ambitious album she wants to make, and why being in her mid-thirties means she’s much more mellow…
Hi Charlotte. How does it feel that The Masked Singer secret is out?
It’s really nice, actually. I didn’t expect there to be such a big response. People have been so lovely about my singing and my voice. I haven’t had that for quite a while, so it feels really lovely, like a warm hug.
Was it nice to do something for yourself?
Yeah, totally. It’s lovely to have a focus back on singing. I love it so much. I’ve always loved it and so a show format which is all about the joy of singing, and making it really fun and family friendly is delightful. I’ve loved the singing element of the show, but I also loved the Mushroom element of it as well. Creating a little character was lush.
Were you sad to say goodbye to your costume?
I’m very sad that I can’t have my costume because I absolutely loved it by the end – I loved my little fringey head. But the wardrobe lady who was working with me made me a little fascinator out of some felt mushrooms, which was lush, so I’ve got a little tiny reminder which I can wear as a little hat.
You kept your involvement quiet from your family and friends. What’s their response been like?
To be honest, from about half way through, their attention was drawn to the fact that I was clearly singing on the TV in a massive Mushroom costume [laughs]. As soon as I started to sing those big songs and high notes, I found it very difficult to disguise my voice, so they pretty much knew. All of my family have just been so proud in a way that I wasn’t expecting. I’ve been in showbiz and stuff for a while, but I think because I’ve been out of the mainstream limelight for quite some time, it’s been exciting for everyone.
How about your children? Did it win you some “cool mum” points?
They loved it. And I think that’s because I was quite authentic to myself, in terms of the character and involvement in nature and everything. It didn’t seem I was a million miles away from myself. For my big kids, I’ve been quite quiet fame-wise throughout their life, so it’s quite exciting for them. We’ve been watching the show together and on the reveal, they were very excited.
Why do you think the time is right for you to put yourself back into the spotlight?
I did Comic Relief last year and it was only a little presenting bit, but one of the producers got in touch with me and said, “We loved you on Comic Relief, we loved your personality, please would you do The Masked Singer?” They basically convinced me that it was all about singing. They said, “We know you don’t generally do these sort of reality shows, but it’s a real celebration of singing.” So I thought, “Go on then, let’s go!” And I’ve been venturing out, little bit more nowadays because I’ve got stuff to say.
Have you noticed more people have been recognising you?
People have actually been stopping me loads about the other show I’ve been doing, Dream Build and giving me lots of DIY advice! But that’s probably because The Masked Singer is a guessing game and people knew I wouldn’t be able to say anything. I’ve definitely had people making quite obvious remarks about me being a “fun guy” and asking if I wanted mushrooms for breakfast, though. People said that with a wink and a nudge, but nobody asked me outright.
We’ve seen former contestants release new music after taking part in the show. Is that something you’re hoping for?
It wasn’t in my mind, but I would definitely love somebody to give me money to make an amazing album. That would be great because the album I want to make is going to be traversing many different styles and I need an orchestra, which is expensive. But, to be honest, I’m mellow now. I’ve been doing this since I was 12 so I don’t feel like I’ve got anything to prove. I’m not super hungry or ambitious. I just muddle along like the little Pisces fish I am and see where the river takes me really.
Where would you like it to take you next?
For me, it’s about using my voice in a different way. I run a democratic learning community that I’d like to set up more of across the country, as I’m really passionate about education and how we can change things for young people. I’m also opening a healing retreat centre in Wales, where I’ll be one of the practitioners. So there’s projects that I’ve got on the go which I want to shout about. Now I’m linking the dots and thinking maybe I can use that voice and go back to my roots and make it musical, too.
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Have you missed performing like you used to?
I’ve always carried on singing and doing music, and I have my own Late Night Pop Dungeon show – I’ve just done it in my own way. I’ve been quite uncompromising about my output and my creativity and how I want that to be. A lot of the time, that doesn’t have much mainstream feel, and that’s fine. As I said, I’ll just see where this river takes me. But my main job in life is as a mother, so as long as it doesn’t take me away from my beautiful babies too much.
You were also recently on Kate Garraway’s Life Stories. How was that experience?
It was great. I’m really happy with everything that I said and put across. I was nervous about doing it because I didn’t want all the old stories to be rehashed because it doesn’t have any bearing on my life now. When people bring up your pain from your late teens as a woman in their mid-thirties, you think, “I’m done with that, it’s got no relevance.” But it was good and my parents were both involved. It was cathartic, and at other points lovely.
As you mentioned, you’ve grown up in the public eye. Do you feel more comfortable now you’re in your mid-thirties compared to when you were younger?
In some ways. In other ways you have more confidence when you’re young and the complexities aren’t there as much – things were a bit simpler. As you get older, you start realising how complex you are and how much the past affects you. But you also start to streamline on what it is you really want to do, regardless of what you’ve done in your early life. You start to really hone in on soul work and what your path is. That’s where I’m at.
To read more exclusive celebrity interviews, sign up to our daily OK! Newsletter. Catch up on The Masked Singer series and final on ITV Hub.Charlotte Church’s Dream Build is available to stream now on discovery+
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