There is nothing like a Dame...Grease icon so proud of honour

TRIBUTE TO OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN

- James Desborough

GREASE icon Olivia Newton-John was so thrilled with her damehood that during her last two years she often entertained friends by walking into rooms singing “There Is Nothin’ Like a Dame”.

The star would find moments of lightness by belting out the song from the musical South Pacific.

Dame Olivia, who lost her battle with breast cancer on Monday aged 73, adored being handed the highest honour in the land on the Queen’s request.

She felt empowered that her award was as much about her philanthropic work and charity efforts as her astonishing career.

Dame Olivia was looking forward to accepting her damehood from the Queen in Balmoral in 2020, but the pandemic scuppered that planned ceremony.

She used the spotlight to help with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation (ONJF), aimed at funding research into “kinder therapies” to cure cancer.

Laughing about the damehood months before she died, the singer admitted: “I always sing the song, ‘There Ain’t Nothin’ Like A Dame’ when I hear that title.

“Dame is such an incredible honour and I still cannot believe it happened.