Sophie Ellis-Bextor is the proud mum of her five children but made a heartbreaking revelation about her brood.
The Murder on the Dancefloor singer, 46, shares Sonny, 20, Kit, 15, Ray, 12, Jesse, eight, and Mickey, five, with her husband Richard Jones and confessed that the youngest of the pack are being bullied for their beautiful red hair, as they aren't "blending in" with their peers.
Sophie told Andreas Wild on her Salon Confidential podcast: "It's [bullying] definitely been something they've experienced, which is really harsh.
"You get to secondary school and anything that marks you out becomes the thing you will be teased about.
"It's extraordinary how you have this desire at that age group just to blend in, to be part of the pack. It's a really strong instinct."
"But rather than letting it make you feel down, hopefully by having conversations, you can actually keep an eye on it and keep it on the right side of things."
© Piers Allardyce/ShutterstockShe added: 'And then you get a bit older and you're like "Actually, all those things about me that set me apart are the things I'll now give space to and invest in and enjoy myself".
"My kids have got some different shades of red, but it's so gorgeous - and I can always find them so easily in a playground."
Sophie's unusual living arrangements
The noughties popstar has a sprawling mansion in West London where she raised her children but now her eldest son lives with his grandmother, Janet Ellis.
"I think it got to the point, back home, where I needed more space," admitted Sonny.
"Three of my brothers shared a room. The only time the house got quiet was when everyone was in bed," he told The Times. "So when I was coming to the end of school, my grandmother asked if I wanted to move in. I've been coming here all my life, so it's always felt like a second home anyway.
"It hasn't been that much of a change, really. Plus, my parents and brothers visit all the time," he added. "I think if I did leave, I'd miss the home comforts. I would also miss my grandmother. We've always been close but we're closer than ever now."
