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East London. I’ve always lived in east London.
Where was your first flat in London?
I moved out for a bit to study and then when I came back, got a flat in Shoreditch and it was a real health and safety nightmare —pretty much all built of MDF. I think there were like 10 people living there, I don’t remember any of them.
Best place for a first date?
I really like the dim sum restaurant My Neighbours the Dumplings in Clapton. It’s long tables, but each one’s divided by a slider. It’s quite romantic, saturated, Asian kind of decor, like a Wong Kar-Wai film.
Favourite London shops?
I love east London organic shops like Harvest or World Foods. They’re all run by the Turkish community that have had them since I was growing up. I’ve always liked vintage shopping, so I’m still into a bit of Beyond Retro — so much to choose from and I like the feeling that you’ve discovered something. I also got a really good suit the other day from Tommy Cash. He’s always showing up on social media attending fashion shows with like a bed on his back. It’s very humorous.
Most memorable meal?
I really like Tsiakkos & Charcoal in Marylands Road in west London. He’ll do his lamb and he’s like, ‘I marinated it in lime cordial today!’ Although I’ve stopped eating meat now to save the bunnies. They do have the best hummus, though.
Where would you most like to be buried in London?
In Abney Park Cemetery — and for all the gay men to cottage on my grave.
What would you do as Mayor for the day?
Couldn’t do much to get rid of Rishi Sunak in a day, could I? So in which case I’d give Soho back to Soho. I literally spent my whole life there, so many stories and it’s really lost now.
Ever had a run-in with a police officer?
I used to flypost the nights I hosted back in the day in Hoxton Square before I had a record deal. I’d always get chased with my wallpaper paste in one hand.
Where do go to let your hair down?
I don’t really go out much. It’s usually more like an internal battle and my favourite thing to do to release myself from stress is go to The Castle Cinema on Chatsworth Road.
What are you up to at the moment for work?
So I’ve got a song out with Kojey Radical, which ties in with my new album, The Glorification of Sadness, out in February. Kojey’s a fellow Londoner so it’s all very London-centric. Then I’ve got a nationwide tour starting in April and also I’ve got a book called MILF coming out in the summer about motherhood and identity. It’s quite juicy.
Who’s your London hero?
Sade. She often gets forgotten because she does everything on her own terms. She puts an album out every seven years and then she just mothers. And she does really well with it. She’s so part of the London culture and has been for decades and decades.
What do you collect?
Shoes. I’d say 300 pairs. And also tat. I have layers of tat: second-hand, new — my house is so full of stuff.
What podcasts are you currently obsessed with?
I keep chasing podcasts for Alain de Botton talks. He reassures me because he says what I feel and makes me feel it’s alright.
Which apps could you not live without?
Bumble, Hinge, Tinder and Grindr!
Paloma Faith’s new album, ‘The Glorification of Sadness’, is out on 16 February
