TOYAH ON
BBC1 WOGAN
WITH SUE LAWLEY
16.4.1986

SUE LAWLEY: Somewhere along the line this actress turned singer turned actress lost her surname so I shall simply ask you to welcome Toyah! They tell me you're changing your image. Is this it? 

TOYAH: No, I'm not deliberately changing my image. I think image should change very six months (Sue and the audience laugh) I think it's nice to consciously look in the mirror and think right! You're out! Next one's in

I usually find I change my image when I learn something and I'm a great believer in learning all the time so I change with my image. I wouldn't change my image whoomph - that's it, it's going to be changed like that forever

I'm just 10 years older than when I first started in the business and I've just gone through many many many changes (laughs)

SUE: What's this one called?

TOYAH: This one's just .. I don't know. It's very Cleopatra. This is an old dress. A friend of mine made it called Melissa Caplan. I've never actually worn it. It's just a Cleopatra dress. It's made out of leather and suede

SUE: And the hair has changed colour?

TOYAH: Yes. I haven't actually dyed my hair since last summer. I've let it fade naturally -

SUE: This is its natural colour?

TOYAH: No, it's bleached (they all laugh) It comes out of a bottle! I bleach my hair. My natural colour is black and it's yuck! Poo! Horrible! I don't like it!


SUE: It would suit the Cleopatra -

TOYAH: I find that black hair when you're a midget doesn't help at all! (Sue and the audience laugh) The lighter colour hair make me look taller

SUE: The way they (the research team) talked to me about you – I thought you were going to be quite different. That you've changed. You're obviously still exactly - you're Toyah

TOYAH: Well, I'm still me. I did a film last year with Christopher Lee ("The Disputation", 1986) where I played his mistress. I went to see an agent at the same time and she said “oh, you're never going to act looking like that! It's your hair”. What I usually do when I'm acting I wear a wig so my hair and myself doesn't get in the way

SUE: But you're off the booze. You're off the coffee

TOYAH: What do you mean I'm off the booze?! (laughs and pretends to down a drink, the audience laughs)

SUE: (inaudible under the audience laughter) … You've stopped?

TOYAH: When I was much younger and going through some dreadful times at school - I mean real frustration! - I used to drink when I went to school. Now I curb the drinking to Christmas or Easter or birthdays. But I do drink

SUE: It's getting to sound very middle aged if you're off the booze …

TOYAH: (laughs) Do you know what my ambition is? I want to be 40. I think 40 in this day and age is perfect! (Sue lifts up her collar as to say “yes, I'm 40") (the audience laughs) It's wonderful! No, I don't think age comes into it. It's the mental attitude

Some people are obviously trapped within a system and if you can escape that system age never comes into it. I mean look at the Queen Mother! She's fabulous! Look at Barbara Cartland! She's fabulous! Age doesn't come into


SUE: Look at Peter Ustinov (also guest on the show, Sue gestures backstage) You've met him. He's terrific, isn't he?

TOYAH: Yes!

SUE: Now, you come from Birmingham which is where I come from (puts on a funny accent) Edgbaston

TOYAH: (puts on a very posh accent) Oh, yes

SUE: Not (in a posh accent) Edg-baston

TOYAH: (in a posh accent) Edge-baston

SUE: Is that your parents called it? Edg-baston

TOYAH: I think they called Edg-baston. I called it (puts on a common accent) Edgbaston (the audience laughs)

SUE: What happened to the accent? Did you have an accent?

TOYAH: I went to public school and I actually came out of public school (puts on a posh accent) talking like this (the audience laughs) I found that being me with my energy talking like that didn't help me. It didn't get me anywhere

I like people with a lot of life and a lot of vitality and those people have accents! So of course I picked up the Brummie (Birmingham) accent. I moved down to London and I naturally picked up Cockney

SUE: (in a mock accent) Cockney

TOYAH: (in a mock accent) Cockney (in her normal accent) I'm one of these people that naturally adsorbs accents. I absorb mannerisms too which can be very embarrassing, especially when you're with Americans (the audience laughs, Toyah looks sheepish)

SUE: What do Americans do that we shouldn't do?

TOYAH: (laughs) No, I'm not answering! (the audience laughs)

SUE: But all the time the lisp remains?

TOYAH: Oh, I've tried everything to get rid of this lisp!


SUE: Why do you want to get rid of it?

TOYAH: Because I hate it! (laughs)

SUE: But it's you

TOYAH: I haven't noticed that I have a lisp but people remind me about it (pretends to be annoyed)

SUE: I'm sorry (makes a sorry face, the audience laughs) Lisp or no lisp they tell me you're a millionaire

TOYAH: Oh, really?!

SUE: Yes. Are you not?

TOYAH: Well, you know the saying “rich bitch”? (the audience laughs)

SUE: Mmm (agrees)

TOYAH: Well, I think I'm a bitch but I don't know about the millionaire (Sue and the audience laugh)

SUE: Everybody's avoiding my questions tonight …

TOYAH: I wonder why!

SUE: We shall read it all in the silences. Do you need to be famous?

TOYAH: Oh, dear! I need fulfilment. I need to be appreciated. I think when you spend time on work – whatever your work is – it needs to be appreciated. I believe what everyone is needed within the system. Everyone is needed for the job that they do and everyone needs a pat on the back every now and then

SUE: But fame is something beyond all of that. I mean any woman could say she needs to be appreciated, she needs to be loved, she needs to be told. But you actually need to be famous (makes a “look at me” gesture), don't you?

TOYAH: (laughs) I've never looked at it that way! Fame is so fictitious. I know people who think they're famous but they are not and they behave like they are

When I'm walking down the street I must admit I wear dark glasses and a woolly hat and I kind of walk like this (with her head down)

I think that's purely because of the privilege of walking down the street is something very rare when you're famous. Fame's nice. I just like working. I'm a workaholic


SUE: There's a price of course to fame. I was just talking to Cecil Parkinson – that kind of kiss and tell, which you've suffered from recently

TOYAH: I wouldn't say I've suffered from it. I read it. I had to read it for kind of law reasons. If you read between the lines the quotes that came from my ex were very kind. He didn't say anything nasty

I don't hate the man but The Sun needed to sell their paper. Simple as that (the audience laughs) They're not going to sell by hearing a story about me being a saint. There's no hard feelings

SUE: Terrific. Smashing to hear it. And you're engaged now anyway and life is wonderful and happy?

TOYAH: Yes

SUE: Terrific. Toyah, thank very much indeed

TOYAH: Thank you

Watch the interview HERE