Me and my travels

Keisha Buchanan, singer, Sugababes

My first holiday was...

A trip to Jamaica when I was 11 to see my grandad. He lives in a place called Clarendon, which is in the countryside, away from the beaches. I'd probably be bored stiff if I went there now, but at the time I really enjoyed hanging about with the local kids, playing football and being a bit of a tomboy.

My favourite hotel is...

The Four Seasons in Atlanta. I've been there so many times on writing trips that I've got to know all the staff. The food is amazing and it's got a beautiful spa, but I mainly love it because it feels so homely now.

My first holiday romance...

Was with a boy called Christopher when I was eight. My mum wanted us to mix with different cultures, so she used to send me and my brother on holidays to the countryside, where we'd stay with a family completely different from ours. That year, I stayed with this old couple somewhere near Norwich. There was this disco in their village on a Friday. I remember going there, meeting Christopher and having the best time with him for the rest of the holiday.

I'll never go back to...

The London NYC hotel in New York. Everything seemed to go wrong when I stayed there. I flushed the loo and the room flooded. And the television switched on in the middle of the night. It was all a bit spooky for my liking.

The thing I always pack is...

My Bible. It comes in handy because Heidi [fellow band member Heidi Range] is afraid of flying, so when she has a little moment, she'll borrow my Bible and start reading it. It seems to help.

The most famous person I've been on a flight with is...

Beyoncé. She was sitting in front of us on a flight from New York. We said hello, but we didn't want to be stalker-ish, so we left her to it. We just sat there staring at her instead.

My idea of paradise is...

A place called Curtain Bluff in Antigua. My boyfriend and I went there last Christmas. It's just so beautiful, peaceful and friendly.

The worst holiday accident I've had...

A few years ago I went to stay at our former manager's mansion in the country. I decided to go for a ride on one of his quad bikes. Problem was, I had no idea how to stop it. It felt like I was going at 100mph and I realised the only way to stop was either to go in circles until the petrol ran out, or crash myself into a bush. I went for the bush option, and it was all quite dramatic and, of course, embarrassing. I got away with just a few bumps and scratches, but I'd have been better off just asking for some help.

The first thing I do when I get into a hotel room is...

Check behind the curtains, in the wardrobe and underneath the bed, for cameras. I'm not sure why, but I always feel like there might be one there. I've never found one, thank God, but I'm definitely going to keep checking.

• The Sugababes' new single "No Can Do" is out tomorrow.

Contributor

Interview by Chris Salmon

The GuardianTramp

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