Music legend Lulu became emotional and broke down in tears during a candid podcast discussion, where she made a deeply personal and "painful" admission about her relationship with her adult son.
Raw Revelations on the Therapy Works Podcast
The iconic "Shout" singer, whose real name is Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie, opened up in a recent episode of the Therapy Works podcast, hosted by bestselling author and psychotherapist Julia Samuel. The conversation turned to Lulu's son, Jordan, whom she shares with her former husband, renowned hairstylist John Frieda.
This follows an earlier admission Lulu made on her own Turning Point podcast earlier in the year, where she confessed she "couldn't say she was a great parent" but had done her best. Speaking to Samuel, Lulu described Jordan as "magnanimous" and intelligent, stating that he had forgiven her for past shortcomings.
Mourning the Mother She Wanted to Be
Samuel guided the discussion through the different facets of Lulu's life, contrasting the "fun and bubbly" stage persona with the private Marie who "mourned the marriage" and experienced personal loss. The therapist suggested there was a version of Lulu who "mourned a miscarriage" and who "mourned not being the mother" she had aspired to be.
Addressing her son directly during the recording, Lulu acknowledged that listening would likely be too painful for him, as he already knows her story. "He said, 'I won't be reading that book'. He said, 'I know it all anyway,'" she shared.
A Journey to Closeness Through Facing Pain
Lulu revealed that she and Jordan are now "closer and closer and closer" because she has confronted her own pain. She grew emotional explaining that her son is proud of the inner work she has done. "He's very kind and forgiving of what I didn't give him," she said through tears.
She admitted there were things she could have done differently as a parent, but emphasised that Jordan has "accepted it and moved on." The pair are now "kind of on the same page." In a further significant admission, Lulu said Jordan understands she is making "amends," and she finds it "great" that she can now be present for his own children.
Fans can next see Lulu performing on Jools' Annual Hootenanny on BBC Two on Wednesday, December 31, from 11.30pm to 1.40am.
