I have to watch what I eat because I wear a tiny corset for my act that laces down to a 16-and-a-half inch waist. I first started stripping when I was 19 and I was the only dancer around wearing seamed stockings, corsets and actually undressing on stage. I grew up in the midwest of America and was a fan of 1940s musicals from when I was very young - I always wanted to dress like Hedy Lamarr or Rita Hayworth. As a teenager I started looking for vintage pictures in books and old nudie magazines, then when I was about 18 I started recreating them for fun. I only got into the fetish scene by accident when I was shopping for a Victorian corset. I liked the fact that fetishists were more interested in the exotic clothes than nudity.
What I do is reminiscent of classic burlesque where the star attraction was usually a striptease dancer. The costumes are elaborate and cost between $10,000 and $30,000; each act is about 10 minutes long and involves stripping down to a G-string and jewelled pasties [nipple covers], just as it was done in the 1930s - which means I can't stuff myself before a show.
I have a rider backstage now, so I make sure there is plenty of food - things to graze on rather than a big meal, a little fruit, maybe some chicken. I have to make sure I eat - I'm not clever when I'm hungry, I can't be smart, I can't smile. I can't be any good on stage if I haven't eaten properly.
I love working at the Café de Paris when I am in London because the food is really good. I order something simple like asparagus and then lobster - I know they will be fabulous. I usually eat a main meal after my strip show even if it is quite late. Slightly more hip young women than men come to see me now. I've learnt that men are really quite simple creatures and fairly easy to please. They like good food, lingerie (fortunately, so do I), feminine clothes and pleasantness. They don't like drama. They are happy for women to use their wily ways on them. So as long as I wear something in the show which gives me a great cleavage and I have on lingerie which comes off easily and quickly, I know that the men will be happy. Whereas when I am trying to create a new show, and have new ideas, I always try to think about what women might like to see me do.
In the same way that people have different tastes in food, everyone's body works differently - so when it comes to whether foods can be aphrodisiacs I'm really not sure if it can be true. I'm not convinced about the whole oyster thing, although I really love them myself. I do think food can be really sexy, though. The experience of tasting lots of different flavours can be very stimulating. For me a nice night out, eating delicious food, just being happy with someone is an aphrodisiac.
Where my fiancé Marilyn Manson and I are in LA there aren't a lot of great restaurants and there's no point in going out if it's not going to be good. So I tend to cook quite a lot at home, although if we have a dinner party I might get a personal chef. I cook all kinds of things, really homely kinds of food, and I will cook Marilyn anything he wants. When I was growing up in Michigan, my parents, my two sisters and I sat down for a proper dinner every night. My mother did all the cooking, really classic Midwest foods, like macaroni cheese, creamed corn and catfish.
Nowadays, proper meals are still really important to me so I love slow cooking, like a beef stew for dinner that takes all day. I like to bake cookies and pies and cakes to give away to friends and my family, especially at Christmas. I also love finding old, really whimsical recipes for them and books that have really cute pictures that go with the recipes.
Café de Paris
3-4 Coventry St, London W1
020 7734 7700
History
Café de Paris opened in 1924 and its cabaret shows quickly became popular after the Prince of Wales made an impromptu visit one night and was so taken he proceeded to become a regular, bringing with him most of Europe's high society. The club stayed open during WWII, until a bomb fell on the building in 1941, killing 80 people, including the performers on stage. After the war ended it was rebuilt and, by the late Forties, the royals had returned, this time led by Princess Margaret and the Duchess of Kent. By the 1980s, things had slowed down rather and the venue closed in the recession. However, it reopened in 1996 and immediately began staging events like the MTV and Brit awards. New owners took over in 2002 and completed the restoration.
Popular dishes
Seared foie gras (£10), poached seabass, langoustines and vermouth sauce (£18), double-chocolate souffle (£7).
Famous customers
The Aga Khan, Cole Porter, Frank Sinatra, Noel Coward, Spike Milligan, Grace Kelly, Boy George, Naomi Campbell, Lennox Lewis, Christian Slater, Kelis.
Open
Club opening varies. The restaurant is open Saturday nights only, reservations taken between 6pm and 8pm.
