Sinitta, 56, recently opened up about her interest in football, and in particular footballers, as the star teamed up with Hotels.com to highlight female fans’ passion for the sport. The singer, who is close friends with The X Factor: Celebrity judge Simon Cowell, 60, admitted her favourite aspect about watching the beautiful game when she was younger was admiring the “fit” players.
Sinitta highlighted Jamie Redknapp, 46, as one footballer she had her eye on at the time in an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, but explained her revelation may be slightly “awkward” due to her friendship with the pundit’s ex-wife Louise Redknapp, 45.
While discussing the survey results, the Chelsea fan divulged: “I realised that I do like football but I’m probably not as obsessed as a lot of women are.
“It says 71 per cent plan holidays around the matches, that’s extreme, and some would travel miles to see games. When I’m at home and something’s on I’ll watch it.”
She added: “I have been to Wembley a few times to watch the finals but I’m not a season ticket holder.
READ MORE… Louise Redknapp: Jamie Redknapp’s ex addresses ‘love life’
“In the most sexist, horrible way, the thing I liked most about football was footballers especially as a young girl with beautiful fit men, what’s not to like?”
When quizzed on which footballers she fancied, Sinitta gushed: “Oh John Fashanu, oh my god! Mind you, Glenn Hoddle was cute and Jamie Redknapp.
“There were a lot of very cute players back in the day.”
As she was reminded of Jamie’s reportedly single relationship status, she cheekily continued: “Jamie Redknapp’s single, that’s true, but the thing is I know Louise so… awkward!”
Sinitta added: “So I had a very gentle, loving, whisper in his ear and said, ‘You know what? You need to get healthy,’ and he was very gracious and accepted it and was like, ‘Yep, got it.’
“And he said, ‘You’re not going to recognise me the next time you see me,’ and he just cleaned his act up.”
The star admitted she worried about Simon and “felt as if he was drowning” by focusing on his busy career and neglecting his health.
She recalled: “You know you can tell when you look at someone’s face and I felt as if he was drowning, like he was there but it wasn’t really him.
“When he got healthy and you could just hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes, his energy, he was sleeping all day and being up all night living on this different time zone.”
Detailing Simon’s incredible transformation, she continued: “I used to tease him that he was Dracula and he could never see daylight, but now he gets up before me.”
Entertainment stars Sinitta, Gabby Allen, Courtney Green and Tallia Storm revealed their secret hidden passion for the beautiful game, for Hotels.com – Official Travel Partner of the UEFA Champions League.
The X Factor: Celebrity continues Saturday at 7.40pm on ITV.
