Welcome to Pride life the voice of Gay Pride - your one stop Gay Lifestyle Resource - Gay News, Gay Travel, Gay Prides...

By: John Howard

Pride Life catches up with Dannii Minogue

"I am the stupid, naughty one, but I am mellowing"

Pop starlet. X Factor darling. And a Minogue to boot. What is there not to like about Dannii Minogue?

She has one of the most recognisable faces on TV, one of the most recognisable sisters on the planet, and she pretty much owns the 'i' thing.

So do you think you make a good mentor on The X Factor?

I'm definitely more passionate whe I'm working with someone else. I don't have that passion for myself. I've been lucky in my career. I've been in the right place at the right time, met people who have wanted to work with me, which is so lucky because I'm not just that driven. It’s funny, my parents have said for years that I’d be great in production and management and I’ve never seen it, but I’m very organised and on-the-ball with things…

Didn’t you used to sit in Kylie’s rehearsals and give her notes?
Well, when she’s up there performing, she can’t see so I’d be her eyes. And she used to go, ‘Oh, you’d be great on one of those shows! You’re so passionate about it!’

You’re always portrayed as the naughty sister, aren’t you? 

It’s been so easy to portray it that way but we both have a naughty streak. But I think I’m more stupid and get caught out. I’m the stupid naughty one. But I’m definitely mellowing

Do you remember ever wanting to do anything other than showbiz?

When I was about 15, I was quite interested in doing a directing course, whether it be commercials or music videos or films. Then I got a record deal and I thought, well, I’m not going to get the chance to do that again so I’ll go off and do it and then I can always come back like a year or two later and try the directing course. Then I just never came back. But I always wanted to be Olivia Newton John in Grease. I saw it when I was seven and thought, “That’s what I want to be”.

Have you ever looked to Kylie for inspiration?

I never look at anyone else and think, ooh, maybe I could do what they’re doing. Kylie and I are such opposites, we always have been, we always will be, and we will always take different paths in what we do, which I think is nice.

You seem quite confident. Is there anything you don’t like about yourself?
Being short. Hence lots of platform shoes. It’s hard when you walk into a room and you’re at… not crotch level – I’m not that short – but armpit level. Apparently, guys like girls to be little but I’ve got friends who are models and I’m like, ‘Oh, to be that tall. You can wear anything’ and they’re like, ‘Yeah, but do you want a size 11 foot? You want little feet like yours.’

Seeing as this is a gay site, we need to ask: have you ever done girl-on-girl?

 [Milisecond of a pause] No.

You had to think about it.

No, I haven’t! I’m thinking. There was a video I did in Sydney for Mardi Gras and we had a girl who kissed me like that on the lips and we had drag queens kissing drag queens, boys kissing boys, boys kissing girls, every combination. This whole kissing scene. So if I'm asked have you kissed a girl it's yes, but a peck kiss.