GABRIELLE
WORDS ROXY BOURDILLON, PHOTO UZO OLEH
Gabrielle’s smouldering, London born-and-bred voice feels like a great big warm hug right down the phone. “My darling, can you tell me how to say your surname?” she purrs. “Because that looks like a sexy-sounding surname that I wouldn’t wanna get wrong.” I demonstrate the correct pronunciation, hamming up my French ancestry, rolling my “r”s for her entertainment, and she laughs wildly in appreciation. “That is a name and a half! Love it!” We’re mere moments into our call, and pop powerhouse Gabrielle is already charming my socks off. Both heartfelt and hilarious, she has a personality as huge and inviting as that spine-tingling voice that made her a household name way back in 1993.