Star Talk: Alisha's Chattic by Colin Irwin

Karen (the blonde one of the two Poole sisters) was humming merrily to herself so we had to ask what she was humming.

"Oddly enough, it's our new single Barbarella," she said. Karen, we said, will you tell us all about it? "Sure," said Karen, 'cos she's that kinda gal!

Supping frothy coffee by the jellied eels stall with Karen Poole, we have a million questions...

Like who's Barbarella? Is it good being a pop star? Has she met Billie? Is she gonna have babies? Do movies make her cry? Does Alisha still rule the world?

Chatting fast and furiously before setting off to record another dozen chart-busters, Karen answers them all and more. Hold on to your ears.

Barbarella was a famous sci-fi fantasy movie starring Jane Fonda 3,000 years ago - but that's nowt to do with the new AA single of the same name.

"It's about the way the future is taking over from the glamour of the Hollywood movies," says the divine Karen Poole divinely.

"Barbarella's a word for space age madness and it's going so fast I can't keep up. Our song is tongue in cheek."

Cyberspace scares the pants off the two Alisha's Attics.

"I've barely got used to calculators," says Immaterial Girl Karen Poole. "It's a bit worrying about what's happening with everyone e-mailing themselves to death and becoming completely dot.commed up.

"I haven't got a computer and wouldn't know what to do with one. I can't be doing with all that - we didn't have any of that at Barking Comprehensive."

Put Alisha's Attic in front of a computer and they'll stare blankly - show 'em a soppy movie and they roll over and kick their legs in the air.

"My boyfriend will often come home and find me watching The Wizard Of Oz and tells me it should be Pulp Fiction," says Karen Poole. "I love musicals.

"No, I don't cry, I'm tough as nails me. Shelly does though. Put on an old movie and she's in floods of tears."

So Karen Poole, you're 27 now, when are you gonna give up all this pop nonsense, settle down and have babies?

"Not yet, matey!" she yelps. "I've no desire to have babies for a while yet, thank you very much. Good luck to the Spice Girls, but we're not them.

"The thing is we love pop music. I get fed up with some of the lovey stuff but it's still good fun. TFI Friday, Live & Kicking... we love it."

Two hit albums, Top 30 singles coming out of their ears, what advice do AA have for Billie?

"Grow up," says Karen. "No, I'm only joking. I wouldn't give her advice, she's doing great on her own. I haven't met her but I like her. She's handling it well.

"I couldn't have handled it at 16 or even 18, I'd have gone mad. People thought we were naive innocents when we made it but I can tell you we weren't."