EXC: Louise Redknapp wouldn’t have done her Naked music video if Madonna hadn’t been around

She rose to prominence in the 1990s with girl group Eternal before becoming a successful solo artist with nine UK top 10 singles and three platinum selling solo albums; nude; Woman in me; and Elbow Beach.

And, speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Louise Redknapp, 48, has insisted she wouldn’t have made her sexy music video for Naked if it weren’t for Madonna, 64.

The song was the third release from Louise’s debut solo album and peaked at No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart, after her first solo album, Light of My Life, reached No. 8, and her second, In Walked Love, peaked at No. 17.

Speaking of Madonna’s impact on her career, Louise said, ‘Without Madonna, many of us wouldn’t have done what we were doing.

“I did the Naked video and I never would have done it if it weren’t for Madonna. She pushed her boundaries and wasn’t afraid to be herself and as an artist that is incredibly inspiring.’

Louise added: ‘No matter what you do, people will always say things about people’s image and what they do. Personally, I don’t read what it says. Well, I try not to.’

During the same chat with MailOnline, former Eternal singer called Salma Hayek, 56, “a complete inspiration” for her performance in Magic Mike’s Last Dance.

Louise enthuses: ‘Salma Hayek in Magic Mike is a complete source of inspiration. A role like that normally goes to a twenty-year-old, but she does her thing up there and looks fantastic in great clothes. I love that. I loved the trailer so much.’

In the Magic Mike’s Last Dance trailer, we see Salma writhing with Channing Tatum and it ends with her words, “I want every woman who walks into this theater to feel like a woman can have whatever she wants, whenever she wants.”

While discussing female empowerment at this point in her career, Louise mused, “I think women support each other now more than ever and it feels like a good place to be.” It feels supportive and sometimes that’s more important than anything.”

Louise has gotten back into music in recent years, releasing her album Heavy Love in 2020 after a 20-year hiatus, and will be releasing her greatest hits album later this year.

She confessed, “So many horrible things are happening in the world and I feel so lucky to be doing what I am doing. It’s been thirty years since I first released music. 30 years. I can not believe it. I feel so lucky to still be able to do this.

“I just performed at the Piano Rooms and it was incredible and I released my greatest hits. Not everyone gets the chance to do what they love and this is sometimes a tough industry to work in. But to still be here 30 years later makes me very happy.”

This summer, Louise will play the role of Teen Angel in the West End adaptation of Grease, from June 2 to July 29 at London’s Dominion Theatre.

Speaking of her upcoming gig, she gushed, “Doing Grease is so much fun. I’m really going camping. I love how they break from tradition and have a woman play the Teen Angel role.

“Now I can do these things because my boys are older, so I don’t mind leaving them.” I’m so excited about this year. I’m going to have the most fun and work hard and then go away with the boys in the summer.’

The singer is mum to sons Charley, 18, and Beau, 14, who she shares with ex-husband Jamie Redknapp, 49.

Last August, Louise admitted she was considering moving to the United States to be near her oldest son Charley as he attends college in Arizona, but she didn’t want to disrupt the younger son Beau’s life.

She said of Charley: ‘I’ve been surrounded by football all my life and now my eldest son is a rugby player. He’s that good. He’s studying in Tucson, Arizona and I’m allowed to visit him. I’m really proud of him.’

Ex-footballer Jamie married model Frida Andersson, 38, in October 2021 and welcomed their first child, son Raphael, together a month later.

In October 2020, Louise revealed that her divorce from Jamie gave her the courage to restart her music career, admitting she gave music another chance as she felt she had ‘nothing to lose’.

Speaking on Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s podcast Spinning Plates, Louise said she was glad her sons saw her doing something she loves, rather than sitting at home and being “half of herself.”

Referring to her divorce from Jamie in 2017 after 19 years of marriage, she said: ‘I think it took something big in my life to think I have nothing left to lose.

‘Like I feel like I’ve lost so much anyway that what’s my musical dignity if I’ve lost all this anyway?

“It took something sad and big in my life to maybe give me the courage to go, ‘oh I’m just trying, what’s the worst that could happen?’