"People say crazy things"

"I'm nervous whenever I perform"

"I don’t have time to worry about something as petty as what I look like"

"I don't rely on my figure to sell records."

"I was about to meet Beyonce, and I had a full-blown anxiety attack. Then she popped in looking gorgeous, and said, 'You're amazing! When I listen to you I feel like I'm listening to God.'"

"It has gotten worse as I'm becoming more successful. My nerves. Just because there's a bit more pressure, and people are expecting a lot more from me."

"I find it quite difficult to think that there's, you know, about 20 million people listening to my album that I wrote very selfishly to get over a breakup. I didn't write it being that it's going to be a hit."

"I wanted to be a singer forever. But it's not really my cup of tea. Having the whole world know who you are."

"I want to go and see things as a fan again. I am a fan, but I can't remember what it feels like to be a fan anymore. Because I've become an artist. I've become the artist."

"I have never been insecure, ever, about how I look, about what I want to do with myself. My mum told me to only ever do things for myself, not for others."

"I don't want to be a celebrity. I don't want to be in people's faces, you know, constantly on covers of magazine that I haven't even known I'm on."

"I'd love to be an artist always, but if no one wants me, I'd love to write songs for other people, be a manager, nurture new talent."

"Sometimes my songs wander off a bit and are not always coherent."

"I will not do festivals. The thought of an audience that big frightens the life out of me."

"I think it's shameful when you sell out. It depends what kind of artist you wanna be, but I don't want my name anywhere near another brand."

"Americans are always mortified when I tell them this, but in England, it's a tradition to put your plaques and photographs and awards and gold records and stuff in your bathroom. I don't know why."

"I'm very confident. Even when I read people saying horrible stuff about my weight."

"I love love songs. But I love pop music as well: Girls Aloud, Kylie, the Spice Girls, East 17, Mika."

"I can't believe I did a peace sign on TV - like Ringo Starr!"

"I don't date celebrities."

"I don't like going to the gym."

"I'm scared of audiences."

"If I were a writer and not a singer in 10 years, I don't know how I'd feel about writing really personal songs and getting someone else to sing them."

"I don't write songs about a specific, elusive thing."

"I no longer buy papers or tabloids or magazines or read blogs. I used to."

"I am never writing a breakup record again, by the way. I'm done with being a bitter witch."

"I am quite loud and bolshie."

"I'm nervous whenever I perform."

"Crying is really bad for your vocal cords."

"Even if I did have, you know, a 'Sports Illustrated' body, I'd still wear elegant clothes."

"I don't want people confusing what it is that I'm about. I just stand there and sing. And I don't do stunts or anything. if I wanted to do all that, I don't think I'd get away with it."

"I can't write another breakup record. That would be a real cliche."

"I was adopting an Ethiopian child, that's not true. My house was haunted, that wasn't true. God, there's been so many rumours."

"My body doesn't have any rhythm, you know. I've got quite good rhythm when I'm singing but my feet are very much two left feet."

"In the songs I can still be really really direct but in interviews when I'm explaining my songs I shouldn't be so direct about who they're about."

"I wouldn't be able to write a song like 'Someone Like You' and get someone else to sing it because it's so personal. It's like giving away your heart."

"I doubt I'll be singing forever, because at some point people aren't going to want to hear my music, and I hope that I'll still get the opportunity to write songs."

"It's warts and all in my songs, and I think that's why people can relate to them."

"I no longer buy papers or tabloids or magazines or read blogs. I used to. But it was just filling up my day with hatred."

"I am quite loud and bolshie. I'm a big personality. I walk into a room, big and tall and loud."

"I'm like Johnny Cash. I only wear black."

"I've never been more normal than I am now."

"I love hearing my audience breathe."

"My voice went recently, never happened before, off like a tap. I had to sit in silence for nine days, chalkboard around my neck. Like an old-school mime. Like a kid in the naughty corner. Like a Victorian mute."

"I don't really need to stand out, there's room for everyone. Although I haven't built a niche yet, I'm just writing love songs."

"Heartbreak can definitely give you a deeper sensibility for writing songs. I drew on a lot of heartbreak when I was writing my first album, I didn't mean to but I just did."

"The focus on my appearance has really surprised me. I've always been a size 14 to 16, I don't care about clothes, I'd rather spend my money on cigarettes and booze."

"I've got some news... I'm delighted to announce that Simon and I are expecting our first child together. I wanted you to hear the news direct from me, obviously we're over the moon."

"You can't complain about your dressing room or you'll look like Celine Dion."

"I can't dance to save my life."