Hayley Westenra fights attempts to turn her into a 'tart'

From The Telegraph

When Hayley Westenra sang in front of the Queen last night at the Festival of Remembrance, at the Royal Albert Hall, she looked characteristically demure.

The soprano tells Mandrake that she has, however, been involved in a battle with her record company after it allegedly tried to pressure her into dressing like a "tart".

She says: "Occasionally, I have had to stand my ground on image issues. I am not a tarty person and I don't wear those clothes when I am out, so I don't wear them to perform or for interview either. 

"It's funny because there are always people at record companies who push you to change yourself. They don't care about your longevity as an artist."

Hayley, who has just returned from Iraq, where she was singing for British Forces in Basra, signed with Universal when she was 15 and her album Pure sold more than two million copies. The company, whose artists include Kylie Minogue, says it's "not sure which people Hayley is referring to", but admits that it has discussed her appearance.

"We are very committed to her as an artist and her long-term career," says its spokesman. "Over the years there may have been discussions over her image, but we have always been open and honest about our views and never suggested anything inappropriate for her age."

Universal confirms that it wants to change her style. "Now she's turned 21 we have encouraged Hayley to think freely about how she presents herself and to be on-message with singers and artists of her own generation," says the spokesman.

Hayley adds: "When I was younger, I just wanted to fit in and I was so health conscious, and at one point a bit too skinny. In the last year I have realised that it's not the key to living and being happy."