She was the golden girl of light entertainment in the 60s who became the highest paid singer of her generation - worth £5m. She was as popular as Cilla and Lulu and had her own TV series which was watched by over 28 million people. Her manager, and lover, was Bert Ambrose, 40 years her senior. He protected her from rumours of affairs with high profile celebrities and maintained her glamorous veneer. But after his death in 1971, Kathy had a nervous breakdown, a high profile lesbian affair and lost all her money. She attempted many unsuccessful comebacks and eventually retired in the early 1980s. Today she lives as a recluse in London. Graham Smith, writer & producer of the musical "Secret Love" and music journalist, Lucy O’Brien, join Shelia McLennon to discuss the life of Kathy Kirby.
Secret Love – a musical based on her life - opens at Leeds City Varieties on May 9th.
