Born in Birmingham, Toyah Willcox, 60, appeared in Derek Jarman’s 1978 film Jubilee, and Quadrophenia in 1979. Her early hit singles included It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free, and by 1982 she had made two platinum-selling albums. She has just released a new studio reworking of her album In The Court Of The Crimson Queen, and is currently on tour in the UK. She is married and lives in Worcestershire.

When were you happiest?

Between 2007 and 2016, I had a large white rabbit called WillyFred. I was happiest pressing my ear to his fur and hearing his heart beat.

What is your greatest fear?

Living in an environment of banality.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

I am disproportionately ambitious.

What makes you unhappy?

Being with people who don’t see me, only tolerate me, and play me while pretending to be a friend.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

I loathe my bust. I am barely five foot tall and have a 36C bust. I beg my husband to let me have them removed.

Who would play you in the film of your life?

ET.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A man. I have always fought against being gender specific. I just don’t like being identified as female: I’m a person.

What has been your biggest disappointment?

The world doesn’t reward talent, it mostly rewards those who are connected.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Bowie.

What do you owe your parents?

This is a tricky one, because I supported them financially since I was 18. Everything in their relationship with me was conditional. I loved them dearly but…

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

My husband Robert Fripp. We often cause a stir because we still hold hands after 32 years and love to dance to music in supermarkets.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Absolutely, wonderful, fabulous, great, brilliant, fantastic, go fuck yourself.

How do you relax?

I have no idea what the word means. There are times when I breathe a sigh of relief, and that’s usually Christmas Eve when I know people will stop contacting me for a week.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?

Everyone comes to me for advice, and I wish they didn’t. I negotiate fees for other artists, give advice on property, on food, on clothes, on pensions. I can be standing on a corner in another country and someone will approach me for help.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Staying sane in a career path that tries endlessly to unnerve you.

What has been your closest brush with the law?

When I was a punk rocker in the late seventies, I was strip searched at every airport.

How would you like to be remembered?

For winning that elusive Oscar.

Tell us a joke

The man with two left feet went into a shop to buy a pair of flip-flips.