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A British music icon is releasing a new tell-all memoir in which she talks about how she was ‘afraid of sex’ as a young popstar.
Scottish singer Lulu rose to fame in 1964 with her hit single Shout, aged only 15.
From there she was shot into the stratosphere, releasing 15 studio albums over the next six decades, and racking up hits such as To Sir With Love and her 1993 Take That collaboration, Re-Light My Fire.
The 76-year-old Eurovision star – who retired from touring last year – will be sharing insight into her time in the industry with an upcoming memoir, titled If Only You Know.
In this book, Lulu talks candidly about her experiences in a male-dominated industry, focusing on her mental health and the pressures of fame.
She also speaks about her fear of intimacy, and an outlook on sex which made her feel ‘self-conscious.’
In an excerpt of the book obtained by Daily Mail, Lulu writes: ‘I wasn’t a fan [of sex]. I was a musician.
‘But, the truth is, I was also afraid of sex. It had never been openly discussed in my home and Betty [her mother] had made it seem almost shameful, one of the many threads that coursed through the black rage between my parents.
‘I wanted love, I wanted romance. I was just scared of the reality, so I spent my time wrapped up in fantasy, in love with the idea of love.’
She continues: ‘There was one area in particular which made me feel very self-conscious: sex. It felt like a black hole pulling every-one around me in while I floated around in deep space watching them get swallowed up, which fed my feeling of being a step apart.’
The Boom Bang a Bang songstress speaks of having boyfriends, including her romances with The Luvvers vocalist Alex Bell, and singer-songwriter Peter Noone.
She adds: ‘But none of it went much further than a goodnight kiss because I’d skipped so much school that human biology had completely passed me by.
‘And, in those days, we didn’t do the teenage conversations that you see in Hollywood films today which might have started to reveal its secrets. I didn’t have a clue.’
However, she was protected from ‘bad experiences’ by manager Marian, while befriending musicians’ wives and girlfriends as ‘a way to both protect myself and show I wasn’t interested.’
In 1966, Lulu married The Bee Gees’ Maurice Gibb, who she remained with until their separation in 1973 and divorce the following year.
The pair broke up due to the pressure of his alcohol addiction, combined with the burden of their respective careers.
However, they remained on good terms over the years which followed, even performing a duet together for her TV special in 2002.
Lulu attended Maurice’s funeral the following year, following his death by cardiac arrest.
In 1977, Lulu married British hair stylist John Freida, with whom she shares son Jordan Freida.
The couple were divorced in 1992, in a separation she described as ‘heart-breaking.’
‘But it did give me a much-needed dose of humility,’ she added in a 2014 interview with Daily Mail.
The former Masked Singer guest also told the publication: ‘Marriage isn’t the answer to my so-called problems… I’ve discovered that there is no single answer to help you over your problems.
‘It’s like a recipe and there are lots of ingredients. Sometimes, it’s to do with feeling lonely. Other times it’s about being tired.
‘I’ve been working on myself for a long, long time. I think of myself as a work in progress which is why I can say I’m hopeful.
Lulu’s other celebrity romances include David Bowie, who she met and dated in the 1970s, and Bravehart actor Angus Macfadyen.
In her 2010 autobiography, she described the Robert The Bruce actor as ‘the best sex [she’d] ever had,’ joking: ‘My God, he relit my fire.’
She was also linked to Take That singer Jason Orange, which she denied.
‘He’s very, very cute but no, nothing happened,’ she claimed at the time.
Lulu has recently revealed how writing her book caused her to seek therapy due to the intense emotions it dredged up.
‘There’s a lot of things in my life I have never spoken about that I talk about in this book,’ she told The Sun.
‘So it’s been intense. I’ve had to go into therapy. It’s been quite a thing this past year.’
This comes after she recently revealed an alcohol addiction which led, in turn, to a stint in rehab.
She described her her alcoholism as ‘the culmination of a life spent trying to suppress feelings’, between obligations to her family and the professional image she sought to uphold.
However, she has since come out on the other side, and has ‘never been happier in [her] life,’ thanks to the understanding and insight which came with battling her addiction – and ultimately allowed her to ‘forgive’ her parents for the violence she witnessed in her turbulent upbringing.
‘So I know it sounds perverse, but I’m glad I’m an alcoholic and that I’m in recovery.’
If Only You Knew is on sale from September 25, 2025.
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