Jamie Theakston talks about Mariah

Mariah Carey is the perfect modern celebrity-larger than life, glamorous and totally over the top. I think some women disagree with her diva-like behaviour, but without her, the world of entertainment would be a much duller place. I first met her in 1997 when she was promoting her album Butterfly and we hit it off imemediately. With everything that had been written about her I had no idea what to expect, but she was smart, warm and very funny. She's a lot of fun to be around, and unlike a lot of celebrities, can really laugh at herself. When she performed on Top Of The Pops we started a rumour she'd demanded puppies in her dressing room and it became instant Mariah folklore.

So what is it that women don't like about Mariah? She embodies a lot of extremes. She's incredibly talented (with a voice that goes so high only dogs can hear it) but she's also massively ambitious and not afraid to wear what the hell she wants. And I think the qualities that some people, particularly women, don't like about Mariah are exactly the qualities that others love. Sometimes people don't see the humour in what she does, and don't realise that she's actually having fun.

I did an interview with her once when she suddenly said "Wait a minute, I'm going to do this in a bikini." It was hilarious. I know that would seem tacky to some people, but the way in which she did it, coupled with her personality just made it funny.

Mariah isn't the most beautiful woman in the world, she's not the most fashionable and she's one of the worst actresses the world has ever seen, but she just doesn't care. I think if a woman were to come up to Mariah in the street and say, "Mariah, you're disrespecting what it means to be a woman", she'd just tell them to sod off. And in a world where a celebrity's every move is monitored it's great to meet someone who genuinely doesn't give a damn. Mariah you're one of a kind and for that I love you.

Mariah fans with long memories might recall that back in 1998 the UK tabloids printed a rumour that Mariah and Jamie were an item. Both sides denied the story but Jamie's then girlfriend, All Saints singer Natalie Appleton, confirmed that she dumped him over the rumours. Jamie has repeatedly defended Mariah in interviews over the years.

(Glamour magazine)