Katherine Jenkins the 10 most memorable moments of my life

“It wasn’t mum pushing me, it was me pushing mum”

Earliest memory

My very first memory is of sitting on the floor with my mum in our home in Wales where we lived until I moved to London when I was 18.

My dad must have been at work and she was teaching me to write my name by tracing out dots. I’m not sure how old I was, about three, I guess.

I’ve got such great memories of my time at home with my family and I just felt so safe.

Record deal

I was 23 and I had just graduated from the Royal Academy of Music. I made a demo with a friend which got passed to Universal who called me in to sing for the company bosses.

Although nerves usually got to me, I managed to stay in control but they were poker-faced and let me go home thinking they weren’t too impressed.

They just said they’d let me know and I had a little cry with my mum, thinking I hadn’t got it. But within an hour they called to offer me a six-album deal. That call changed my life forever.

First performance

I’ve played a lot of big venues and important concerts over the years but I still recall my very first performance.

I was just four and I remember rushing out of the reception class in primary school and telling my mum there was going to be a talent show and she had to teach me a song.

It wasn’t mum pushing me, it was me pushing mum. She taught me I’m Going Down The Garden To Eat Worms, including the actions which all the audience laughed at.

There must have been about 200 people there and it was nerve-racking but it planted a seed about performing.

Saddest memory

This has to be losing my dad. He passed away from lung cancer when I was 15. We were very close.

At that point my mum and dad had swapped roles. My mum had gone back to work and my dad had decided to take early retirement to look after us.

He drove me places and spent a lot more time with my sister and I. He got sick very quickly and passed within three months. He was in a special cancer hospice and in the last 24 hours he lapsed into unconsciousness.

Although I wasn’t in the room, we were all at the hospice and were there right afterwards.

It was such a shock and so traumatic, losing my dad when I was so young. But I am where I am today because of my dad’s attitude to life, which is to live every day as you never know what is round the corner.

Entertaining the troops

The first time I did that was in Iraq in 2004. When I was growing up I didn’t think I’d ever be going to a war zone, but it is probably my proudest memory.

The first concert was definitely not glamorous. It was on an aircraft carrier and the stage was two flat-back lorries back-to-back.

There were 4,000 squaddies sat on the floor. I did Somewhere Over The Rainbow and when I got to the chorus they all sang along with me. It was a real lump in the throat moment.

There were hairy moments on the tour and you have a helmet and flak jacket but our troops do an amazing job and you feel you’re being protected.

Getting married

I couldn’t have memories without including my marriage! I married Andrew on September 27 last year in Hampton Court Palace. It was the best day of my life. Having all my family together for the day just made it so much fun.

How I may have thought my wedding day would be, and how it was in reality, were very different.

Being American, a lot of Andrew’s family and friends were flying in and travelling long distances so the plans had to take them into consideration. But I did always want to be married and now I am, I think it’s the best thing ever.

My OBE

I’d just come back from Afghanistan and went back to see my mum as she always worries about me on those trips.

She said she had a letter from the Prime Minister’s Office. We both had a glass of champagne, cried and toasted my dad.

It was such an honour to take my mum, sister and her husband to Buckingham Palace. I got mine from Prince Charles and it was such an overwhelming event and the most amazing way to start last year.

Babies

My sister had a baby called Rhys and I became an auntie. We’re such a tight-knit family and we’re all totally obsessed by him. It’s hard not to spoil him because he’s just so cute.

I definitely want babies and I may have to make some adjustments to my lifestyle to make that a priority. I can’t wait.

Most shocking

My dear friend Polly passed away last year after an eight-year battle with cancer. She was just 32.

I went through the whole thing with her. I went on the same diet she did to try and heal herself, not eating meat and I still don’t eat that now. I’ve never seen someone be so brave and fight so hard against an illness.

It’s the craziest thing. When you have friends your own age you expect them to always be there. It’s really tragic and I’m reminded of her every day.

Tom Jones

Being Welsh, we all love Tom. He’s a legend in Wales and I was singing at a show last year where he was in the audience.

I started singing Green, Green Grass Of Home and he decided to get up on stage and sing the second half with me.

I saw him walking towards me and thought: “Oh, my gosh, you’re kidding me.”

His voice is still so powerful and impressive and it was a magical moment.

Katherine Jenkins started her Home Sweet Home concert tour in Nottingham on Saturday night and will be at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh on Thursday, February 26 and Gateshead Sage on February 28. Visit gigsandtours.com/ticketmaster.co.uk.