Swimsuit, £75, Melissa Odabash; earrings, £6, bangle, £8, both Matalan; necklace, £20, ring, £10, both Freedom at Topshop

It’s not every day you interview someone who’s standing in front of you almost starkers, but that’s the situation we found ourselves in with Shingai Shoniwa, and frankly we had trouble knowing where to look. No, she’s not a nudist, the interview took place during a fitting for her stage outfits and, as we are to discover, doing two things at once is very much the norm in the world of the Noisettes’ lead singer.

‘I’m manic all the time, but it’s so worth it,’ she says bouncing up the stairs to where her clothes are waiting. As the boxes of outfits are unloaded, Shingai and her backing singers explode into high-pitched squeals of delight. As she starts to strip down, we offer to turn away, but she waves us off with an, ‘Oh, don’t worry’, before apologising for the fact she’s wearing a swimsuit instead of underwear. ‘I haven’t had time to do any laundry.’

In the flesh (literally), she’s slim and perfectly toned, but having expected an Amazonian, we’re surprised by how petite she is. ‘Height is in the mind,’ she announces. ‘Sometimes you don’t even need heels. If you feel tall, you look tall.’

Given our current situation we’re not surprised that, unlike most celebs, Shingai doesn’t seem remotely bothered about posing in skimpy swimwear. ‘When I put on stuff I don’t normally wear, I take on that character. It’s not like you turn into Pamela Anderson from Baywatch, but there’s part of you that’s like, “OK, we’re modelling swimwear.” My favourite is the gold swimsuit (above), I like swimwear you can wear with jewellery.’

She might be full of body confidence herself, but it’s not lost on her the fact that stripping down on the beach, let alone in front of the camera, is most women’s worst nightmare.

Swimsuit, £45, Danielle Scutt at Topshop; earrings, £6, Matalan

‘I know women tend to have a negative attitude towards their shapes. What’s helped me is growing up in a big African family. I was always surrounded by sisters and aunts, and if I was having a day where I felt ugly or pudgy, there would always be someone about to say (slips into an African accent), “Eh, what are you talking about?!”

‘I used to sing in a burlesque club too, and being in that environment was really empowering, because there were amazing-looking women of all shapes and sizes. I feel lucky because I know a lot of girls grow up surrounded by images of what they’re “meant” to look like, so sometimes it’s hard to fall in love with your own shape.’

It’s hard to believe someone who’s a perfect size eight can empathise with that kind of struggle, but Shingai claims she’s had to battle her body demons like everyone else.

‘I used to be pretty boney as a teenager. I remember wishing I had more shape to me. I remember going to a party with some friends and there were older boys there who all had cars, and they were talking about how they were going to fit us all in. So one of them said, “Oh, don’t worry about boney, back, skinny, she’ll fit in the boot.” My family have always taught me to laugh off things like that, it stops the insecurities getting to you, and to be honest, there is some humour in the fact we’re all different. Even now I love my bum and legs, but I wish I had a bit more shoulder.’

Bikini top, £6, and bottoms, £5, both Matalan; earrings, £6, Matalan; ring, £8, Freedom at Topshop; heels, £75, Asos.com

According to Shingai, her size-eight figure isn’t just down to the genes. ‘I have to have a certain level of stamina to be able to perform for an hour and a half, six nights a week. And it makes me more confident to know I can run around, talking to the audience, or sing hanging upside down. When I’m on the road I try to swim and use a steam room two or three times a week. Steam rooms are really good for your voice. I haven’t started getting into things like yoga, but I do sit ups.’

She might be an exercise angel, but annoyingly it sounds like she can eat most things too. ‘I love my food, and I like things to taste the way they’re supposed to. This sounds smug, but you’ll never see me with anything half fat or low fat. I like my butter full fat. If I want a piece of toast, I’ll have butter – I just won’t have four or fives pieces. I’m lucky because I’ve got a fast metabolism.’

When most people talk about having a ‘fast metabolism’ we find it hard not to turn a little green with envy, but it’s difficult to feel jealous of Shingai. She’s full of advice to help people feel as body confident as she does. ‘If you’re having an unconfident day, put on an outfit that makes you feel like, “Yeah, excuse me, get out the way!” Have a little trying-on session, listen to your favourite song and have a dance,’ she says with a wiggle. And to emphasise her final point, she bursts into song for the fifteenth time that day and shimmies around the room…

IT’S FASHWAN, DAHLING
Throughout our entire interview we were interrupted by various costume-related debates for Shingai’s stage show. Here are our faves…
• When one dress wasn’t short or sticky-out enough, the solution was to tuck it into Shingai’s pants. She performed in the dress the following night and we still don’t know how she kept it up.
• We say that we love the leotards the backing singers are wearing, and one with Beyoncé curves replies, ‘Yeah, I’ve got boobies coming out today!’ They then discuss whether the leotards need shoulder-pads, but realise they don’t have any. ‘I might have some Always… or Tena Lady pads instead,’ Shingai suggests, at which point they start laughing and singing a Tena Lady song. They finally decide to sew socks into the shoulders.
• When someone comments that a particular outfit makes Shingai look like she’s in Ghana going to the market to buy mangos, she responds in a perfect African accent, ‘Eh! I don’t want to pay two CDs for that!’
• While trying on a potentially revealing top, Shingai comes out with, ‘Oooh, I don’t want to do a Janet in this,’ before breaking into a high-pitched Janet Jackson impression.
• Shingai dismissed a patterned playsuit, because she was ‘getting doily’ from it.

Swimsuit, £65, Pistol Panties at John Lewis; earrings, £59, Lucasjack.com

GOING MOROCCAN
Shingai was shot at the Dar Rhizlane Hotel in Marrakesh. Rooms cost £215 per night, but a special offer of £130 is running from July to August 2010. For more info, go to www.dar-rhizlane.com. During our trip Shingai stayed at Riad Enija. Beautifully decorated, it’s been the home of many prestigious Moroccans, including King Kaid, and boasts a spa, restaurant and 15 rooms. Rooms cost from £190 (€230), with special offers available in June and July. For more information, email riadenija@riadenija.com, call 00212 524 44 09 26 or visit www.riadenija.com. The crew stayed at Riad Edward – for info go to www.riyadedward.com or call 00212 524 389 797.

Watch out for Shingai performing Dennis Ferrer’s track Hey, Hey live soon

Fashion: Charlotte Adsett assisted by Carly Stevens. Photography: Candy Lopez. Hair and make-up: Kym Menzies-Foster at My Management using Lancôme.