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JAKE AND KYLIE ON VIBRANT FORM IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE

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18 SEPTEMBER 2006

Pop fans in London's Trafalgar Square got an unexpected thrill when Aussie songstress Kylie Minogue took to the stage on Sunday. The diminutive diva provoked a deafening roar of approval from the 15,000-strong crowd when she stepped into the spotlight to introduce riotous American rock band the Scissor Sisters.

"These are very special friends of mine," said the 38-year-old. "You've taken them to your hearts as have I." The irrepressible songstress, who is currently preparing to resume her Showgirl tour, looked stunning in a floor-length leopard-print gown, while the band's frontman Jake Shears was likewise dressed to impress in a vibrant tie-dyed silk suit.

After the gig Kylie was snapped laughing and joking with the American singer at a glitzy bash in St Martin's Lane Hotel. And the courageous performer was keen to pay tribute to both her family and her hunky boyfriend Olivier Martinez for all the love and support they provided while she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer last year.

"I was so lucky to have my mum with me in Paris throughout my treatment - I don't know how I would have got through that without her," she said, before adding: "Olivier is a man of few words on anything. He is very strong and very private – he has great inner strength."

The chart-topping singer also found herself on the receiving end of some words of praise, from her Seattle-born friend Jake. "Kylie's amazing," affirmed the flamboyant frontman. "We're like twin sisters. She's so funny and witty that everyone who meets her falls in love with her."