Being around young people makes me feel young too... that’s why I have a toyboy
First Lady of Musicals says secret to her zest for life is love and a game of tennis
MUSICALS legend Elaine Paige is still right on song at 69 – and puts it down to surrounding herself with younger people who make her keep up with them.
The age-defying star of a string of London West End smash hits loves knocking around with a pack of pals brimming with infectious enthusiasm, fun and energy.
And her love for younger people extends to having a toyboy boyfriend – Justin Mallinson, who at 46 is 23 years her junior.
She has been dating marketing executive Justin for seven years and the couple thrive on a mutual love of tennis and nights out at musicals.
Elaine, who still combines a busy social life with a thriving professional career, says: “I think surrounding yourself with young people is a good idea.
“They keep you young because they’ve got more energy than you and you have to keep up with them.
“I just like being surrounded by people who have a zest for life, enthusiasm, an inquisitive mind, an energy and a desire for life and laughter.”
Though she enjoys going out with Justin, she does not think they will end up walking down the aisle.
She says: “I doubt very much that Justin and I will get married.
“I’m happy with the way it is. It seems to work and I think, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.”
The star hailed as the First Lady of Musicals certainly looks and acts decades younger than her years.
She’s a menace on the tennis court, regularly playing two-hour sessions, walks a lot and has a razor-sharp wit.
She still sings regularly and does her Sunday show on Radio 2, which draws in three million listeners.
She has released 22 solo albums –four
multi-platinum and nine gold – been featured on seven cast recordings and has had worldwide hits with a wide range of songs.
They include Memory from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s hit musical Cats and I Know Him So Well from Chess, the musical by Rice and Abba partnership Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.
In 1985 she won a silver disc for the song, which she performed as a duet with Scots singer Barbara Dickson.
She also had an 11-year affair with lyricist Rice while he was married with two children.
But she never went on to marry or have children herself, something she admits regretting.
Born Elaine Bickerstaff in Barnet, north London, to an estate agent dad and a milliner mum, she took the name Paige from a phone book.
She feels she forfeited a family of her own for the huge success she found in her early 30s when she landed the breakthrough role of Eva Peron in the Lloyd Webber blockbuster Evita.
She said: “I hadn’t met the right guy and my life was geared towards the theatre.
“Having a baby wasn’t to be part of my life, unfortunately. On the other hand, I have lots of godchildren and my niece has five-year-old twins who I adore.
“Sometimes I wish that maybe I was lucky enough to have had a child, but you can’t have everything in life.”
Elaine, who has homes in London and the south of France and plays tennis at the prestigious Queen’s Club, has slowed her touring schedule down so she can enjoy the life she has worked hard for.
She said: “I’m finding touring too hard nowadays.
“Nobody has a clue how exhausting it is, flying off early in the morning to the next venue.
“I don’t want to be so tired I don’t enjoy what I’m doing, so I like performing every weekend then I have the week to recover. But I don’t want to stop – I love working.”
As well as her active lifestyle, Elaine makes a real effort to stay healthy. She says: “I try to eat well, mostly organic food and not too much sugar.
“I like a glass of wine and the odd chocolate.
“The secret for me is to keep moving but it’s also nice to have a few days off to smell the roses.
“I’m working a little less than I used to and able to enjoy time with family and friends.”
In the past, she has admitted to getting “a bit of Botox” but now she is seriously considering a neck lift. She said: “I’m tempted as it’s all falling down. I’m a bit of a scaredy-cat, so I’m not sure if I’ll go through with it but if I suddenly look 10 years younger you’ll know I have.”
Besides singing, Elaine has had a varied acting career, having starred in the BBC’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and ITV detective show Midsomer Murders.
She said: “When acting roles come up I accept them. I’m always looking for a different challenge.”
She still goes to see musicals herself regularly and has enjoyed Hollywood’s recent revival of the genre with films such as La La Land.
She added: “Musicals on film keep coming back, but I prefer seeing them on stage. I couldn’t live without going to the theatre.”
While she has dismissed the idea of her own life story being told on stage as “boring”, she has just collated a three CD album of hits from musicals.
As a tribute to her status, many fans think she should get a damehood to add to the OBE she already has.
She said: “It would be wonderful and I’d be honoured. But maybe you have to be really old to be a dame.”
● Elaine Paige Presents The Musical 3CD set is out now.
I love being surrounded by others who have a zest for life and a desire for laughter ELAINE PAIGE