That's because the Ramsay Street pin-up turned pop warbler's single Kiss Kiss has been driving you quietly mad forever. But whatever you do, just don't call Holly Valance the New Kylie.

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A BRIEF INTRODUCTION...

Who is Holly Valance?
She plays Flick Scully in Neighbours: a favourite of teenage boys and layabout students everywhere.

Where have you heard her?
Everywhere. Her debut single, the ubiquitous Kiss Kiss, reached Number 1 in May.

What's next?
Her stint as a Neighbours resident ends in three months' time, when Valance will turn her attention to pop world domination with a new album in September. Be afraid.

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You're the latest in a long line of soap stars-turned-singers. Should we be taking you seriously?
Absolutely! I know it looks like I've come out of nowhere to have a Number 1 hit with Kiss Kiss, but singing has always been my main ambition. After a year of Neighbours, record companies started approaching me, and a deal fell in my lap. Pretty lucky, huh?

Are you the New Kylie?
I don't know about that. I don't want to be the new anyone. I want to be me. And besides, I'm not so fussed about becoming a pop star. "Pop star" doesn't sound very credible, does it? I want to be known as a singer.

Do you feel manufactured?
No. A lot of the biggest stars in the world don't write their own songs. That's nothing to be ashamed of. It's all about interpretation. Look at Kylie's Can't Get You Out Of My Head. She didn't write that, and yet it's her song completely. Can you imagine, say, Alanis Morissette having the same success with it? I think not.

Do you actually have any say in the songwriting process?
I do. As soon as I'm finished with Neighbours, I'll have a lot more time to spend on it, but right now I've co-written three tracks on the album. I'd love to do the whole thing, but I haven't got the time. I'm not superwoman.

But you don't come from the best of pedigrees: Jason Donovan, Natalie Imbruglia, er, Stefan Dennis?
I think it's a pretty good pedigree, personally. Look, I'm entering shark-infested waters here, and my balls will always be on the line. I'm number 1 in the UK and I'm a working actress in Australia. If everything fails, then I'll go home to the people who love me and try my hand at something else. But while I'm here, I'll give it my best shot.

Were you a precocious child star?
Not at all. I started modelling at 12 years old, but I only did it for the money - I earned about $300 an hour. I also did it as a way to get into TV, and as soon as Neighbours came along I buggered off from modelling pretty fast. It bored the pants off me, and didn't engage my brain one little bit.

Are you a good actress?
About five people rang me up tonight, all in tears about an episode of Neighbours that has just screened here in Australia. I won't give the plot away, but it's pretty emotional stuff. They all said I was excellent. I've never been to acting lessons, though. I just wing it.

Do you prefer acting or singing?
Singing. Acting is being somebody else.

What was your most embarrassing line in Neighbours?
There have been so many. At the end of the day it is light-hearted stuff. It's soap opera, not Bridges Of Madison County. The mark of a good actress is making it work for you, and I think we all do that. Neighbours is a good show with a wonderful cast. [Pause] I'm being serious.

What was the last concert you saw and record you bought?
The last concert I went to was Mary J Blige at Wembley Arena. She was phenomenal. I'm crazy about her. CDs I tend to buy in bulk. The last batch were New Order, No Doubt and Tweet. I haven't got round to playing them yet, though.

The Kiss Kiss video is very steamy and you appear to be naked for much of the time. Why is this?
It's a cheeky video, but then I'm a cheeky girl, and a little shock value never hurt anyone, did it? To break into the music industry, I had to create controversy, make people turn around and "Woah, who is that...?" And it's worked, hasn't it?

In most of your photo shoots, you're very scantily clad. You must get quite cold.
Absolutely freezing! A lot of those bikini shots were taken in Melbourne on dismal afternoons. It's a nightmare, wearing stilettos in sand. Don't do it.

How do you feel about being a masturbatory aid for young men?
I don't really give it much thought because if I did I'd probably ick myself out. [Pauses] Anyway, it's all human nature, I guess. But I am proud of my body.

You're very slim aren't you?
I'm a size eight. But I've never been on a diet. I don't eat McDonald's or deep-fried stuff because I don't like shitty food. I eat healthily because it makes me feel good. I don't exercise much, I'm not anorexic or bulimic.

What reactions do you provoke when you walk down the street?
Some girls give me dirty looks, maybe thinking that I want to steal their boyfriends. But, honey, you're wrong! I'm not after anybody else's lunch, thanks all the same. It's not my style.

Could you handle yourself in a fight?
Yes I could. I studied kickboxing and I would definitely go in quite hard if I had to.

You've described yourself as "almost Buddhist". Please explain.
I believe that the universe works in circles. I don't worry about where my next meal will come from because I feel that if I give a homeless person $100 now, then it will come back to me if I need it in time. And I never kill insects. If I see ants or spiders in the room, I don't flatten them. I pick them up and take them outside. Karma is everything.

Do you enjoy being famous?
Not always. It's made me less trusting of strangers. One time I was getting into a cab late at night in Sydney and it was surrounded by 10 drunk guys banging on the windows and telling me to come out. Recently I've developed the habit of walking around with my head down in order to avoid eye contact with anyone. That's not healthy, is it?

What are you doing next?
I've got 12 weeks left on Neighbours and then I'm coming over to London to get myself a little flat and do the whole Europe thing. The album is due out later this year, so I'm going to be concentrating on my singing for the foreseeable future.