Toyah, 48, lives in Worcester with her musician husband Robert Fripp 

"The '80s were an amazing time to be a pop star. I was only 23 when I hit the big time, so it was incredibly exciting. 

I had very clear ideas about my image and how I wanted to look - as you can see from this photo. It took all day to get the make-up right. It was shot for my official Christmas card in 1981. I sent out 10,000 copies to all the members of my fan club and I had to hand sign them all. That's dedication. 

Back then pop was a real boy's club and female singers were supposed to look very pretty and feminine, but I had other ideas. And so did Hazel O'Connor and Siouxsie Banshee. Together we did our own punk thing and everyone loved it. It wasn't about stylists then, we put our own looks together and lived and died by them. 

When I stopped singing, I branched out into acting and presenting - I feel like a classic all-rounder now. I'm a bit of a workaholic and I'd hate to be sitting around doing nothing. 

I had a facelift a couple of years ago. It really boosted my confidence and it's helped me stay working in an industry that's obsessed with looks. I'll carry on working as long as I'm still in demand." 
 

First Magazine
9th January 2007