HELLO

A Week In The Life: Mariah Carey, As Told By The Superstar Herself

'Some people think I'm a diva. I've no idea why!'

Her reputation for prima donna behaviour and extravagant demands is almost as legendary as her impressive record of No. 1 hits, yet Mariah Carey maintains that, as far as her diva image is concerned, her tongue is firmly in her cheek.

In this exclusive behind-the-scenes look at a week in her life, we meet the global phenomenon who readily admits to sleeping with ten humidifiers in her room and whose puppies even have their own entourage...


Saturday - Las Vegas
'I'm doing some concerts at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas to let fans see my new performance live before I hit the promo trail for my new album, Memoirs of An Imperfect Angel, which will include appearances on big TV shows like Oprah.

The Vegas dates sold out in hours, and my fans sang along with my old clasics and cheered really loudly for my new tracks. Even though I had never performed the new songs before, I had a great time revealing them to the intimate audience. My single Obsessed had the fans singing word for word – that always feels amazing.

I travel heavy with my team, which on this trip includes DJ Suss One, my stylist, my hair stylist, my make-up artist, my manager, my tour manager, my brand manager, my three personal assistants and my puppies, JJ and Cha Cha.
I work out most of my outfits with my stylist. I opened the show in a Tony Ward crystal-beaded minidress with a full tulle skirt like a ballerina, inspired by a princess, of course. Why not? My second was a long black gown with coloured sequins by Marc Bouwer – I love dressing up but I kept stepping on the lace train of the dress and so did all my entourage who walked behind me. I threatened to fire them all if they stepped out of like again. My third dress was by The Blonds and was a hot pink, studded mini.

My show is a non-stop, 90-minute, full-on workout for my vocals and I have to be in tip-top condition, so I sleep as much as possible for two days beforehand. That's why I have ten humidifiers in my room.

After the second night's performance, I raced to the private airfield to fly straight to Toronto. By midnight we were wheels up on the jet.

Sunday - Toronto
At 7am we touched down in Toronto, where three SUVs met us on the private airfield and raced us to the Four Seasons Hotel. My team threw down our luggage in my private suite and spent 60 seconds fixing my hair before dragging me downstairs to a packed press conference room where we began with a photocall for my movie Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. I was asked about my less-than-glamorous image in the film. My character looks, dare to say, homely. But it's not about vanity – it was about me losing any resemblance to the Mariah Carey that people know and doing the inner work that was needed to become Mrs Weiss, the social worker.

As soon as the press conference was over I was whisked off to do a quick photoshoot for a style magazine. Next, I did 14 back-to-back interviews, which my management had conveniently left out of the schedule that I'd taken a look at that morning!

At 2pm they let me go up to my suite, where I checked on my puppies then fell into a deep sleep for about 40 minutes, which is terrible as you wake up with a sleep hangover.

I was woken to get my hair and make-up done, ready for the first red-carpet event of the night. Ironically, my PR rep had me drive around the venue three times as she didn't want me to arrive too early but I said: "Let's go for it. They're always accusing me in the press of being late and keeping everyone waiting. Let's show them that I can be on time!"

Outside, the red carpet was heaving with fans and I signed a few autographs. I haven't been to Canada for so long, it was nice to see the love and support of those who showed up with pictures and CDs for me to sign.

After I'd mingled with movie bigwigs at the cocktail party and had some fun, we were rushed off to the second red-carpet event of the night, which was crazy pandemonium but lots of fun – I call it "fandomonium". I did around 15 more red-carpet interviews then hurried inside as the screening was about to begin.

At midnight we left and, while everyone else ran to the cars to get to the jet, I walked as fast as physically possible in my vertiginous heels. We were late for our air time slot. I jumped into a waiting car and sped off to the airfield, where the plane was waiting to take me back to my home city of New York.

Monday - New York
It's only an hour to New York City but still I fell asleep under my leopard-print comforter.

We landed in New York at 1am and my car drove me home, where I wound down with my two friends, Rachel and Jasmine. We had some food and watched the beginning of a movie before we all fell asleep.

We slept until 3pm and spent the rest of the day in our PJs hanging out, making breakfast at 7pm (pretty early time for me!). What can I say? I'm a night owl. Then we talked girly stuff until the early hours of the morning. Of course, I made sure I watched my husband Nick Cannon hosting his hugely successful TV show, America's Got Talent, before I fell asleep.

Tuesday - New York
My friend Jasmine was saying with me as she was filming a fly-on-the-wall special for T4, so she got up early to make us breakfast – she makes good scrambled eggs on toast.

We left soon afterwards, to the set of a commercial shoot for an American phone company. My puppies are starring in this ad with me, too. I had my team with me but the pups had a mini entourage of their own, of course! And why wouldn't they?

It was a big shoot and even my entourage had an entourage – my stylist had an assistant, my security had extra security.

The look I went for was a Gucci top with Gucci boots that aren't even out in stores yet. One of my friends said I looked like a glamazon woman from Vogue. I informed her that if that were the case, I'd be a size minus-something, but I thanked her for the compliment anyway.

The funniest thing was that the huge muscleman actor they had playing my security guard had trouble controlling my 5lb puppy, who was wriggling madly to escape his big hands. I'm convinced my puppy trainer has taught my dogs to obey only male voices, as he and Nick can control them beautifully but with me they're bad, bad doggies.

The shoot was based on the fact that some people think I'm a demanding diva. I have no idea why people have that impression!

That night I had an interview with a journalist from a British newspaper, who I'd agreed to meet at 10:30pm at a restaurant in my neighbourhood. As the restaurant is only three blocks up the street, I decided I would walk, so popped on my comfiest platform skyscraper heels and off we went.

The interview finished just in time for me to sit down to a quick midnight dinner with my girlfriends before taking another press call from NRJ Radio in France. My day never stops!

Wednesday and Thursday - New York
I was ending my week with a big performance, so Wednesday and Thursday were vocal rest days. My manager told me that rain was predicted on Friday, when I was meant to be performing for Oprah, live from Central Park. We all laughed and said with Oprah's connections we're sure she can make a call and have that weather fixed! I tried to lie in bed relaxing all day but had a couple of things on my to-do list – walking my puppies on my rooftop and taking a dip in my rooftop hot tub.

Since I live downtown, on the other side of the city to Central Park, and traffic the next morning would've been bleak, we packed an overnight bag or 12 and stayed at the Plaza Hotel. I love it there, but it was still very hard to fall asleep. Usually I watch a movie to try to nod off, but the hotel was featuring Bruno and it had the opposite effect.

Friday - New York
Waking up was beyond bleak. I actually drank coffee, which I never do. But once I got to the stage and felt Oprah's and the crowd's energy, I really woke up. My family were there and Nick had even jumped on a ridiculously early flight from California to join me on stage.

I felt pretty good out there. I sang my current single, I Want To Know What Love Is, and as I spotted Oprah watching from the front row I hoped I'd done a good job.

Nick had to go back to California at 5am the next morning, but he left me two really sweet notes so I felt better waking up alone (woe is me!). He'll be back tonight so I'm being a little dramatic – but then again, aren't I always?'

Mariah's album Memoirs of An Imperfect Angel is released on 16 November, and the single I Want To Know What Love Is is released on 14 November. Her film, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, will be released in February 2010. A T4 special on Mariah Carey will be shown on Channel 4 on 14 November at 10:05am.