Sophie Ellis-Bextor opens up about her sons being bullied

Sophie Ellis-Bextor has revealed that her young children have been bullied over their hair colour.

The 46-year-old Murder On The Dancefloor singer has been married to The Feeling bass guitarist Richard Jones, also 46, since 2005 and they have five sons together.

While Ellis-Bextor has dark blonde hair, which she dyes black, her husband has a reddish hair colour which their children have inherited.

This has led to the boys being tormented by cruel school bullies who have targeted them over their hair colour - but the singer has advice to those being set on.

The chart-topping star said, per The Sun, "It's definitely been something they've experienced, which is really harsh.

"But rather than making it make you feel down, hopefully by having conversations it can actually keep an eye on it and keep it on the right side of things."

She continued, "You get to secondary school and anything that marks you out becomes the thing you will be teased about.

"It's extraordinary how you have this desire at that age group just to blend in, just to be the same as your mates, to be part of the pack.

"It's a really strong instinct. And then you get a bit older and you're like, 'Actually all those things about me that set me apart are the things I'll now give space to and invest in and enjoy myself'."

She added, "My kids have got some different shades of red, but it's so gorgeous - and I can always find them so easily in a playground. Handy."