Sophie Ellis Bextor has revealed that her children are getting bullied at school.
The singer, 46, share sons Sonny, 19, Kit, 14, Ray, 11, Jesse, seven, and Mickey, four, with her The Feeling bassist husband Richard Jones, 46.
All five lads have inherited their dad’s red hair, which she says has led to them being “teased”.
The Murder On The Dancefloor hit-maker explained: "It's [bullying] definitely been something they've experienced, which is really harsh.
"You get to secondary school and anything that marks you out becomes the thing you will be teased about.
"It's extraordinary how you have this desire at that age group just to blend in, to be part of the pack. It's a really strong instinct.
"But rather than letting it make you feel down, hopefully by having conversations, you can actually keep an eye on it and keep it on the right side of things."
She added to Andreas Wild on the Salon Confidential podcast: "And then you get a bit older and you're like: 'Actually, all those things about me that set me apart are the things I'll now give space to and invest in and enjoy myself'."
The former Strictly Come Dancing hit-maker did note that there was one particular benefit to her brood having distinctive locks, saying: "My kids have got some different shades of red, but it's so gorgeous - and I can always find them so easily in a playground.”
Sadly, Ellis-Bextor is no stranger to bullying herself, having previously opened up about the lengths some people went to single her out in school because of her famous mum - Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis.
Speaking to Heat Radio in 2009, she explained: "Was I popular? No, complete opposite. There was an Against Sophie club.
"It's pretty cruel, but they were interested at first, 'Oh your mum's on TV', and then it was, 'Hang on a minute, she's the only one who's got that so we can all gang up on her', and stuff like that.
"That was in my infant school so I think I was about five or six,” she continued.
"I can't say it was brilliant, but at the same time I probably was a bit of a show-off about it because I thought it was brilliantly glamorous."
