Katherine Jenkins has criticised the world of classical singing for promoting larger ladies and overlooking petite singers.
Jenkins is a glamorous, blonde size 10 and though it is difficult to believe, she has said that she is often criticised for her image.
"I've never understood why anyone thinks you have to be 25 stone to be a good classical singer," she said. "I've always been a glamorous girl and I love make-up and clothes and getting my hair done.
"When I got my record deal, I set about trying to encourage more people to become interested in classical music. I thought if they were presented with an accessible image, it would help."
As well as flying the flag for petite opera stars, Katherine has said that she believes gender should not matter either.
"It's a bit unfair that men get all the best tunes in opera and classical music," said Katherine - who recorded her own version of 'Music of the Night' from Phantom of the Opera for her album Living A Dream - during an interview with the South Wales Evening Post.
"I like singing the men's songs. I thought, why should tenors get all the best tunes? There's absolutely no reason why songs such as 'Nessun Dorma', 'Torna Surriento' and 'Music of the Night' can't be sung by a female."
