Scottish Legend Lulu Admits She Wasn’t a ‘Great Parent’—And Here’s Why She’s Opening Up About It!

Scottish singer Lulu has opened up about her family life, admitting she “did her best” as a parent but wasn’t always a “great parent.” The 76-year-old star, best known for her hit single “Shout,” spoke candidly about her relationship with her son, Jordan Frieda, whom she shares with celebrity hairstylist John Frieda.

Lulu and John met when he was an assistant at the hair salon she frequented, and their connection was instant. They tied the knot in 1977 and were overjoyed when Jordan arrived just two months later. However, their marriage ended in 1992, and Lulu admits that the breakup was a challenging time for her, reported Gloucestershire Live.

In a conversation with Hollywood star Richard E. Grant on her Turning Point podcast, Lulu reflected on her experience raising a young Jordan. She believes that her own upbringing in Glasgow shaped the way she raised her son. Richard, who also grew up in a family where physical affection was minimal, shared his own experience of a distant relationship with his parents, saying, “I did everything with my daughter that I felt was missing with the way I was brought up because my parents were, and it’s generational as well, completely untactile. I shook hands with my father and I tentatively gave my mother a hug, that was it.”

Lulu empathised with Richard, sharing that her parents weren’t very tactile either, even though they loved her deeply. “I love them and they love me but it wasn’t their way,” she said. “So I constantly cuddle my son and my grandchildren.” She continued, admitting, “I can’t say I was a great parent. I did my best and that’s what I have to say about my parents, they did their best.”

When Richard asked how Jordan sees her as a parent, Lulu replied that her son had forgiven her for all her shortcomings. “He has forgiven me for all of the things… he’s so magnanimous but he’s also very intelligent, and kindness and intelligence, I think come together, so he’s kind,” she said with a smile.

Lulu has also been open about her difficult relationship with her own parents, particularly her mother and father, both of whom she lost to illness in her later years. In an emotional conversation on the Rosebud podcast hosted by Gyles Brandreth, Lulu shared a poignant memory of her parents. “They loved each other because ultimately, they stayed together, which sounds crazy because today it wouldn’t happen,” she said. Her voice faltered as she recalled the loss of her mother to cancer and her father’s passing just two years later. “My father died of a broken heart,” she added, visibly moved.

Speaking further about her childhood, Lulu admitted that she sometimes feared people might “look down” on her parents for the challenges they faced. However, she now believes that none of their struggles were their fault. “There was a lot of fun, and my parents loved me. No matter what went on, I felt their love,” she reflected.

Lulu’s impressive career has spanned more than six decades. She became famous with her version of “Shout” in 1964, went on to win Eurovision with “Boom Bang-a-Bang” in 1969, and was honoured with a CBE in 2021 for her services to music, entertainment, and charity. Along with her marriage to John Frieda, Lulu was previously married to Bee Gees star Maurice Gibb. They wed in 1969, but their marriage ended in divorce after four years.