voice-over: this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme. four, three, two, one! janet jackson never intended to be famous. # it's all for you... shejust happened to be born into one of the most musically successfulfamilies of all time. i started when i was seven. i don't ever remember being asked. # what have you done for me lately... the youngest sister of the world—famous jackson 5, she carved out her own unique space in pop and r&b. uh! albums like control and rhythm nation helped her sell more

than 100 million records worldwide. # we are a part of the rhythm nation... her career has had its ups and downs but she is currently in the middle of the most successful tour of her life... everybody jump! ..and we caught up with janet backstage in new york... i don't do a lot of interviews. ..to take an exclusive look at her life in the spotlight. five, four, three, two, one. janet jackson, how are you? i'm well, thank you. we're a little bit tired but we're well. because you've performed a lot this week — like, this is, i think — i counted this up — show 73. i have no idea. i just know that we just came off of three in a row but two of those three in a rows, they were outdoor venues and it was very hot, very humid. # that's the way love goes...

how do you stay cool? like, do you have somebody backstage with a wet towel waiting for you? ice in a ziploc bag for my neck. and then, they put a fan backstage, right off the stage, where i normally stand. # 0h, sugar, don't you hurry... when you've been on the road for that long, doing the same show, how do you keep it fresh and interesting for yourself? like, do you have little in—jokes with the dancers or moments in the show that you look forward to? of course — those are my favourite parts. i've really noticed that — the relationship you have with the dancers and the band. you've been posting videos online of you going bowling... i'm a voyeur. i like watching. yeah. ..and at cook-outs. that's quite... with the crew. yeah. that's a really important thing for the show, i guess. how do you foster that relationship with people? i've never played it. oh, you never? ever in my life. i think it's important. i think that relationship,

how you get along, it exudes — i mean, it shows itself onstage, the camaraderie, the closeness, the bond that you have, onstage. it — offstage, it shows onstage. and i'm thankful that with every tour that i've done, it's been a wonderful group and some of them have been with me for a really long time, very long time. so, it's nice. and i love being withjust the boys cos i feel really at home. growing up, i was always with my brothers way more than my sisters, so, ifeel very, very, very at home with the guys. but you're still the boss, right? that's what they say! # i miss you much. # i really miss you much. throughout your career, you've always danced in flat shoes. you never dance in heels. why is that?

i feel more in control of my body, my movement. i grew up a tomboy, so i'm used to having sneakers and flats and i was never the girl to wear heels. hi, janet! hey! did anyone teach you how to dance or did you learn yourself? no, i taught myself. you didn't have formal lessons? no, ididn�*t. why didn't i? yes! sighs well, mother tried, when i was very little, putting me in ballet. and, i mean, i've got a booty. so, they would say — she would say that i'm not tucking my butt enough, and she hit me — i was young, i was little. and so, mother took me out. and then, years later, when i was — i think i was around iii because i was doing diff�*rent strokes at the time — she put me into a private class. i tried it again. it was once again short—lived. i was about to shoot an episode of diff�* rent strokes and i remember telling my instructor that, my teacher,

and he got a little too close to me and i felt very, very uncomfortable. and i remember coming out of the class and telling my mother, telling mother, and she said, "that's it. "you're not going back." and i never — i never wanted to take...again after that. so, i never really studied. but it's great that she protected you, like, in both of those situations. yep. well, yeah, she's mother. she's my mother. she's a — i mean, ifeel she's supposed to, and she did — and, i mean, rightfully so. i didn't go back, i didn't feel comfortable. so, but we always danced at home. so, i pretty much watched a lot of different dancers' work on television and films, and that's where i learned. ok, thanks very much for your question. - i know on monday, you were down at the disco mix championships i at the albert hall, weren't you? - yes. who did you watch? what did you study? oh, it was musicals. cyd charisse i loved. well, you danced with cyd charisse in the alright video.

yeah, idid. alright by janet jackson plays i did the nicholas brothers, and i danced with them when i was eight years old as well. a lot of these people i met when i was a kid, too. and so, it was a — what a childhood, really. # that's when we get to it. # close our eyes, feel our way through it. # i can't wait to groove ya. # cos you sure know how to move it. # you've made love to my mind... but when you were a child, you didn't want to be a singer or a dancer or even an actress, i think — you wanted to be a horse racing jockey. where did that ambition come from? i fell in love with horses. i started riding when i was five. man, and the horses were — my brothers took me horse riding. the horses were dirty and i rubbed my eyes and i came

home, i had welts all over me. so, i thought i was allergic to horses but it never stopped me from going. do you still ride now? it's been so long since i've ridden and i keep telling myself i'm going to get back into it. i still have a love for it. # and why two plus makes four now, now, now... so, was there a moment, then, when you went, "i want to make music," or was itjust, kind of this is the family business and you're expected to? well, i don't — i started when i was seven. i don't ever remember being asked, ijust remember doing it. and whoever thought it was a great idea, i can't imagine what made them think it was a great idea cos i was really, really shy as a kid. but i opened up when i got onstage. as far as making music, we had a studio at home growing up and whatever time of night, day — couldn't sleep at night,

you'd go in the studio and you'd just create music, put something down if you had an idea. i had written my first song when i was nine years old. it was called fantasy. oh, my god. yeah. oh, my god! do you still remember it? can you sing it? no, i don't. laughs. # dee—dee—da—dee—da, dee—dee—da—dee—da. # dee—dee—da—dee—da. # fantasy... something like that. that's good! something like that. that's all i remember of it. i laid down the drum track, i did the backgrounds, i played everything on it and i sang on it. came home from school and i hear the song that i had just put down being played. i was so embarrassed. i was so embarrassed cos a few of my brothers were listening. mike was listening to it, i think randy was listening to it, my father was listening to it. and then my father said, "you're going to sing." right. and i said, "no, no, no —

idon�*t want to sing. "i want to go to the college and study business law." and he said no. and when your dad decided something, you couldn't deny him, right? it's kind of hard cos he — i mean, look at where he led my brothers, you know? so, isaid, "0k, i'llgive ita go." # dream street, dream street. # will it all come true? # will it alljust fade away? and you did two albums. i mean, they actually sold — like, by today's standards, they sold a couple of 100,000 copies, which people would be very covetous of now, right? but back then, i guess they weren't seen as heading in the right direction and you essentially took control of your career — that's where the name of your third album comes from. yeah. i said, "ok, i'm going to give this thing one more chance. "if this doesn't work this time, i'm..." business law it is! yeah. this is a story about control.

my control. control of what i say and control of what i do. and this time, i'm going to do it my way. i hope you enjoy this as much as i do. are we ready? and that's when you went to minneapolis? yes. i said i was going to try this one more time. i went with a friend, and i had knownjimmy and terry from doing different award shows. this isjimmyjam and terry lewis, who you've co—written most of your hits with. jimmyjam and terry — yeah. and they were asked if they could work with anybody on the roster of a&m, who would it be? and they both said me. and quite honestly, i don't think anybody cared we were making a record. the good part of it was we were totally left alone. there was no, you know, people going, "oh, you should "do this," or input. we just were kind of working in a nice little vacuum, which was great. # when i was 17, i did

what people told me. # did what my father said and let my mother mould me. # but that was long ago. # i'm in... # control! is the story of that album that they kind of interrogated you on what was going on in your life and then helped you draw out the lyrics from those experiences? yeah, they did. i mean, they asked me about everything and i opened up to them. i enjoyed their company. # i've got my own mind. # want to make my own decisions. # when it has to do with my life. # i'm gonna be the one who's in control... didn't they get you drunk on ice cream? oh, yeah! there was an ice cream called rum something, and i didn't know that — i didn't know that it had real rum in it cos i really didn't drink.

so, did that ice cream help some of the lyrics come out? were you more forthcoming? in telling my story... yeah. ..with them, yes. and probably, ifelt a little woozy in the head. i wasn't like an idiot, i should say, tripping and stumbling over myself. but, yeah, it did. and i enjoyed their company. woo! i mean, they made me feel very relaxed. and in those recording sessions, you've come up with a line that stuck with you through your whole career. no, my first name ain't baby. it's janet. miss jackson if you're nasty. "my first name ain't baby. "it's janet. "miss jackson if. yeah. tell me about that moment, cos you must have known when that came out — this is gold. what you doing after the movie? stop! what? gasping.

give me a beat! obviously, you want to create something that would speak to the people but it was just about going in and doing something that was fun and that you loved and wanted to listen to yourself. that whole nasty that i had moved from one hotel to another hotel, ithink, downtown, and instead of driving there, cos it was a few blocks, we walked, and these guys started harassing my friend and i. and i was really, really bothered and really upset, so that's how the whole song nasty came about. huh! will this one do? uh—huh, i know, sing. # nasty, nasty boys. # don't mean a thing... and that whole album is about being assertive and standing up for yourself. was that something you were experiencing, i guess, coming into your 205? the album, i think it came out when i was 19 or 18 — something, somewhere around there — coming into my own, becoming an adult,

the challenges. just the difficulty it may have, it can be, at times. # what have you done for me lately? # ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah. i think it's a difficult thing in this industry, to be — particularly in the �*805 — an assertive woman. # ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah... what were the barriers you came up against? oh, god... in the industry, really, more so than anything. being told no — more than once. different times. saying why? because you're — you know, you're — "you're a girl — you can't do that. "girls don't do that." what sort of thing? you know, i can't even — honestly, i put it out of my head, i really did,

but being told that you can't do that, you know, "that's something that guys do. "girls don't do that." and it's like, "well, why not?" it's like, "well, somebody�*s gotta." well, what's wrong with trying it? let's just try it and see — see what happens. but, eventually, you stick in there long enough, you find a way to get your way. five. four. three. two. 0ne. rhythm nation starts rhythm nation was the album that followed control and on that, lyrically, you take another kind of left—hand turn and you're talking about social injustice, about the education system, there's a song there that talks about school shootings and there's a hope within that record that things will improve. do you think, looking back now, are you discouraged that we're still talking about the same issues? it's crazy, isn't it? it's — it's sad. and evenjust thinking about a lyric in scream. # oh, my god, can't believe what i saw. # as i turned on the tv this evening. # i was disgusted by all the injustice. and it's, it's — it's still today.

isn't it? i mean, there are messages right away. can you tell me about that? uh, it's — we're — we're talking about drugs, homeless, about the children being the future and by them being the future, the kids of today are going to have to suffer tomorrow if we don't try to change. join together and try to change. it's sad that we're — we're still going through a lot that we're — that we are going through. have we made some strides? yeah, i think we definitely have. but there's still so much further to go. cut! 0k. beeping. # m-i-s-s, m-i-s-s... you were the first woman to be nominated for producer of the year at the grammys with that album, which is another kind of big stride that you think should've happened 20, 30 years before.

a long time ago, right? a long time ago. like i said, there's so much more we need to do in so many different areas but yet, you know, baby steps. we'll get there. you still have that hope? of course. you have to. # that's the way love goes. # like a moth to a flame burned by the fire. # that's the way, that's the way. # that's the way love goes. # my love is blind. # can't you see my desire? # that's the way, that's the way. # that's the way love goes. after rhythm nation, you go to the janet era, which is a much more sensual, softer side of you. was that something that you found difficult to express in public? because i guess you go from let's wait awhile, which is a chastity anthem... # let's take it slow. # when we get to... i remember a journalist back then asking me, "well, what happened? "you said, �*let�*s wait awhile�*." and i said, "i'm 27. "how long do you want me to wait?" and i mean, that's —

that's what i meant at the time. # 0oh... # that's the way love goes... and i was coming into my own in a different way and growing up, even more so, and always speaking about, writing about what was going on in my life at that moment, so that's what that album was about. and you know, really trying to work on myself, trying to get over some of these insecurities of — of, you know, being so self—conscious of how i look, my body and things like that. that's a whole �*nother story. you said earlier that you did hear no a lot from the record industry and i wondered if those songs where you are being more sexually explicit, was one of those times when you got pushed back

because prince and rickjames had done that in r&b, but not a female r&b artist. one of the songs that when you talk about them saying no to was together again. # there are times when i look above and beyond. # there are times when i feel your love around me, baby... i think it was because of the era of aids and all that was surrounding it. but, you know, i had lost a lot of friends and a lot of people that i knew to it and i — i wanted to — to write. it was heavily on my mind. i wrote — i actually wrote that here in new york! # everywhere i go, every smile i see. # i know you are there, smiling back at me. # dancing in moonlight, i know you are free. # cos i can see your star shining down on me... so, i used to sleep with a tape

recorder next to my bed all the time, just to put melodies down that i might dream, or a riff of something, and then go back to sleep. at least i had it. but i think it was into a tape recorder for together again. and it has a real new york feel, that song. that house... yeah, that house club music. # dream about us together again. # what i want — us togetheragain, baby. # i know we'll be together again cos... let me just quickly ask you about your acting career because is it true that in your very first audition for good times, you had to cry on demand? yeah. and you've always chosen roles that are quite difficult — like, you're not doing light, fluffy stuff. penny in good times was a victim of domestic abuse, similar story for your character in why did i get

married too? what draws you to those roles? i don't know. there's something about it thatjust speaks to me, the depth of it and the — i mean, the sadness of this child and what she's going through, which no child — no child — should ever go through, should ever experience. you want me crazy?! wait, wait, wait... i'll show you crazy! wait, patricia! come on! i'll show you! i'll give you crazy! waita minute... what are you...? patricia, wait... and then with why did i get married?, and what she was dealing with in her relationship. god knows i've — how many times have i been married now? three times, i think? what would you say? experience in that area is as well for me with why did i get married? for sure. # look around. # we're made for now, not tomorrow. # made for now... even though if i were to do anotherfilm, i would love to do something a little bit more up. honestly, an action film, to be quite honest, yeah. and i told my father i would — the next film that i would do would be an action film,

i promised him that. have you been approached by any of the superhero franchises? oh, my god. when i was getting ready to do the janet tour, i was actually — we were already in. bryan singer came to me cos he wanted me to play storm but i couldn't, and that — that was the character that i used to collect flash cards, so i loved storm. unfortunately, i couldn't cos i had already committed to the janet tour. # i gotta get someone to call my lover. # yeah, baby, come on. # all right, baby, come and pass my way. # i've got to get someone to call my lover... tell me a bit about being a mum. youi’ son is seven now. how is that? 7.5. the most beautiful thing. i'm so thankful god allowed me to — to have this experience, this journey in my life, and i love every single minute of it. # b—bass, b—bass. # bass b—b—b—bass. .. # b—bass...

so, the tour is coming to europe and you still do some of the dance routines from those old videos. do people in the audience do them back at you? are you kidding me? yes! i see them doing miss you much, i see them doing a lot of stuff, and also dressed like me. they'll have their own if outfit made up or scream or together again, yeah. i can only do the one, which is just the countdown. the rhythm nation? yeah. that one, too. shall we do it together? yeah. go on. five. four. three. two. 0ne. rhythm nation starts and you sing scream every night. that must be very emotional, to celebrate your brother in that way. yeah, yeah. you know, it's listening to him every night sing and remembering us — once again, in new york. mike and i wrote that song

in his apartment in new york. and then, we recorded it in the studio in minneapolis. but that whole journey and going back to that time and then, listening to him sing it and listening to him sing it when we were working on it and the emotion and what he was going through at that time and just me being his little sister, always being by his side and being that support system, you know what i mean? and that's — that's always been my role. # oh, oh, oh, oh... and last question. this set list spans five decades of music. what do you learn about your career and what you've given to music by putting a set list like that together? what have i learned about my career? i'm just thankful. i'm thankful that god has allowed me to do this

for as long as i have, that people are still interested in seeing me do this, that i'm still able to do this. i'm just very thankful. # it's all for you. # if you really want it. # it's all for you. # if you say you need it... thank you so much for all of your time. it's been really enlightening and fascinating to hear all of those stories. well, thank you. enjoy the show tonight. i hope you do. i'm going to. you have to let me know what you think. i will. will i see you after? if you'll have me. yeah, maybe we could take another picture. that'll be great. ok. yeah.

hello there. humidity levels are beginning to increase now, and we're starting to see a thundery breakdown take place across england and wales, certainly after this recent hot spell. so, a thundery day on thursday, some good sunny spells around. yes, it will continue to feel very warm and humid. if you catch some of these torrential downpours, you really will know about it. we'll start thursday morning with torrential downpours through central, northern and eastern parts of england. then, into the afternoon as a sunshine comes out, we'll see further thunderstorms developing — east wales, the midlands, southern and eastern england. scotland and northern ireland not doing too badly — variable clouds, some sunshine and comfortable conditions there, ranging from 17—23 celsius, but another very warm one across england and wales, 25—29 celsius. as we head through thursday evening, those thunderstorms fade out across central and eastern england.

it turns dry with clear spells, but the breeze picks up with more cloud developing across western scotland and northern ireland. a little bit warmer across scotland and northern ireland to start friday than we've had of late, but it will be another muggy one for england and wales. start to see some changes into friday — this new area of low pressure will bring weather fronts, outbreaks of rain, strengthening winds to western scotland and northern ireland through the day, winds also picking up through the irish sea. large parts of eastern scotland, certainly england and wales will have another sunny afternoon with a few thunderstorms across eastern england — but it's going to be another warm one again, 28—29 celsius in the warmest spots in the southeast, low—20s further north and west. and it will be turning fresher here as this weather front starts to cross the country during saturday. eventually, it will reach east and southeastern england during saturday afternoon, clearing through, then allowing fresher air to move in across most areas, with sunny spells, variable cloud, scattered showers for western scotland and northern ireland. here, the high teens at best,

further south, it's cooler as well, 21—25 celsius. the fresher air will be across all areas as we move into part two of the weekend. low pressure starts to dominate, bringing our air source from the atlantic. not a bad day in store for sunday — a lot of sunshine through central, southern, and eastern areas, more cloud further north and west. we'll start to see more persistent rain moving into northern ireland and western scotland with strengthening winds. high teens celsius again in the north and west, low—to—mid—205 further south.

live from washington. this is bbc news. israel's prime minister warns that �*challenging days lie ahead' after the killing of a hamas leader and a hezbollah commander. pressure mounts on nicolas maduro as more countries urge him to verify the results of venezuela's presidential election. and donald trump draws criticism after questioning kamala harris' racial identity. hello, i'm carl nasman. the middle east is on edge after a series of air strikes killed senior leaders of the iran—backed groups hamas and hezbollah. the political leader of hamas — ismail haniyeh — was killed in an air strike early wednesday morning in iran's

capital, tehran.