Had Anastacia’s show at Hampton Court Palace Festival come a few years ago, she would have one of the easiest trips to work ever.

“I used to live in Richmond Hill,” she told us. “I just never played there – it would have been super-convenient to just walk down the street to walk down the street and have a show.”

The little lady with the big voice, who dominated the charts in the early 2000s with hits like I’m Outta Love and Left Outside Alone, has now moved back to her native America but looking forward to returning to south west London.

She plays Hampton Court Palace Festival on June 9. Other headliners at the festival from June 8 to 23 include Sir Tom Jones, Katherine Jenkins, Art Garfunkel, Van Morrison and Jools Holland.

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Anastacia told us: “I’m really looking forward to it. I am probably more excited about seeing it and being part of it because it is such a landmark for people to do shows at in the UK and I have never done Hampton Court Palace.”

She added: “Richmond is in my heart always.

“It was a fabulous area to me. It was not too long a drive to the airport but still close enough to the city and feeling that it was not too deeply immersed in the city.

“I liked it a lot. It was probably my favourite. I stayed in a lot of different areas at different times but Richmond was my favourite.”

The 47-year-old singer, who has sold more than 30 million records, has had more than her share of health scares (diagnosed with Crohn’s disease aged 13 and breast cancer twice) but she is happy to be healthy again and last year headed out on the road again.

She said: “I am so excited. I did a bunch of gigs last year and realised I was ready to be back and decided with Sony to put out a greatest hits and we did that late last year and it spawned the Ultimate Collection tour.

“This tour is the best of all worlds – if you haven’t seen my shows you know I’ll be singing songs you want to hear. It turns out to be a fun tour to do because it is a bunch of hits, being able to sing them back to back.

“There is no breath for me but it is a nice two hour show for most people.”

And 16 years after the release of her rousing debut single, Anastacia said she never tires of singing it.

She said: “I still love singing my first single. I’m not outta love with I’m Outta Love.

“I mean, when does somebody fall out of love with that? Hello!

“I have sung it way more than some of my fans but still the moment the keyboard part comes on I am starting to jump up and down myself.

“I’m like ‘oh god, seriously? It’s your own song. Just be a little downkey’.”

Anastacia plays Hampton Court Palace Festival on June 9. Go to hamptoncourtpalacefestival.com

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