Born in Bristol, Keren Woodward, 62, had a clerical job at the BBC when she formed Bananarama with Sara Dallin and Siobhan Fahey in the early 80s. They have had 25 songs in the UK Top 40 with hits including Cruel Summer, Venus, Love in the First Degree and Robert De Niro’s Waiting. A duo since the early 90s, this month they released Glorious: The Ultimate Collection and, in April, they play the London Palladium. Woodward has a son and lives in Cornwall.
When were you happiest?
The last few years. There’s a beauty to getting to an age where you really don’t care about stuff that used to bother you.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I am a bit of a procrastinator.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Impatience.
Describe yourself in three words
Kind, funny, moany – I do love a moan.
What would your superpower be?
To get to another country without getting on a plane.
What makes you unhappy?
Watching suffering, whether it’s in the world or people I know. And paperwork.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I’d like longer legs and a bigger bottom.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Elizabeth Taylor.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
I don’t feel guilty about any pleasures. I eat biscuits, chocolates and cakes every day as part of my diet. I buy biscuits in bulk.
What is your most unappealing habit?
Nibbling the skin around my fingernails.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A teacher.
Would you choose fame or anonymity?
I’m not very good at fame. I love anonymity.
What do you owe your parents?
My work ethic – Sara and I have never been late for anything in 40 years.
To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why?
I’ve apologised to my son, Thomas, for being absent for quite a lot of his first few years, but, as a working mother and breadwinner, I kind of had to be. I like to think I’ve made up for it.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My son. I couldn’t love him more.
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What does love feel like?
Can’t remember.
Have you ever said ‘I love you’ without meaning it?
No.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
When a relationship I’ve been invested in stops working. And yet, here I am, happy as you like.
How often do you have sex?
Not very often at the moment.
What is the closest you’ve ever come to death?
Always flying: we’ve had flights where the engine’s been on fire; where we’ve nose-dived.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Persevering with a career that was predicted to last six months and still being here four decades later.
What has been your closest brush with the law?
On a beach in LA, the police asked us to put our tops on.
What keeps you awake at night?
Sleep apnoea and tinnitus.
How would you like to be remembered?
As the dark-haired bird from Bananarama.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
