The 5-Minute Interview: Toyah Wilcox, Actress, singer, presenter

'I've no sympathy with young, lazy people. That's why I've no children'

Toyah Willcox is appearing in Aladdin at the Theatre Royal, Brighton, from today until 14 January

If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be...

Reading through the scripts that have come through. This morning I got two musicals, a radio soap and an independent film script. For me, it's the wackier, the better. I like things that make people's jaws drop open.

Phrase I use far too often...

"Absolutely." I say it about everything and anything. It pacifies people. If I say it to a film director it usually means I will do what I want anyway, but if I say it to my band I'll probably try to compromise.

I wish people would take more notice of...

Their health. If people eat badly they think badly. Everything you allow to enter your body will influence your body, whether it's what you watch on telly, read or eat.

The most surprising thing that happened to me was...

Finding out not only how much I earned when I started managing myself in 1990 but also how much people were creaming off my income. The day I started managing myself, my income went up 500 per cent.

A common misperception of me is...

That I'm vulnerable, naive and malleable. I'm the opposite of all those.

I am not a politician but...

May God help anyone who voted me in because tax would be a fixed rate of 20 per cent, education and work would be compulsory and National Service would be back - but it would teach 18- to 21-year-olds about business and health. I have no sympathy with young, lazy people, which is probably why I don't have children.

I'm good at...

Being a problem solver. It means I get very little life.

I'm very bad at...

Saying no to people who have problems.

The ideal night out is...

In a bordello with David Bowie. I wouldn't tell my husband, but then he'd probably be in a bordello with Debbie Harry.

In moments of weakness...

I panic. But if I sit on it for 24 hours, I can come back to a problem with a fresh pair of eyes.

You know me as an actress and singer but in truer life I'd have been a...

Sculptor. I'm such a fan of Barbara Hepworth and Elisabeth Frink. I've played many artists in my career so I think this has made me want it more.

The best age to be is...

Now. I believe in living in the moment.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is this:

The greatest thing I've ever been taught is to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Personally, I'd stuff them full of chocolate and play with their private parts!

Sara Newman