Battle of the songbirds

THE Welsh songbird Katherine Jenkins’s decision to ditch her blonde bombshell hair for bottle brown does not impress her old rival Marina Laslo.

‘I can’t stand women who bleach their hair and show off their breasts in low- cut dresses, but it backfired for her because she lost all her innocence and the public didn’t like it,’ says forthright Marina.

‘Katherine thought sexy blonde would play into the hands of the big men who run the music business, but it actually made her look old.’ Mischievous Marina, 33, is a soprano-turned-jazz singer who, like Katherine, has also enjoyed success as a crossover artist.

But other than the fact they both trained at the Royal College of Music, she says they have little in common.

‘Katherine is no Ella Fitzgerald,’ Marina tells me.

The rivalry is nothing new. A few years ago, she hit out at Jenkins for displaying too much cleavage.

‘I have good breasts myself, but choose to keep them covered up because it’s about the music and I prefer to be classy. I might not have a bust as big as Katherine’s, but it’s getting bigger!’

Marina recently wed her manager Sergei Andrews, 44, and they live in Kensington, where she has been rehearsing for her next show, which opens next month at the St James Theatre in Victoria, featuring the songs of Marlene Dietrich.

‘There is no contest between Katherine and me,’ she says. ‘After all, I am a natural blonde.’ Miaow !