Mia Paris, who is happily single after nine years of dating, says she’s “come back home to herself” because she admits she’s found peace in her fifties and is happy to be single.
Mica Paris has no plans to fade into the background — even if her last role in EastEnders technically left her behind bars. “ EastEnders was a while ago now,” she laughs as she opens up exclusively to OK!. “Would I ever go back? Well, I’d need to be freed from prison first. I’m not even getting good behaviour!”
The singer and actress appeared in EastEnders in 2020, joining the soap as Ellie Nixon, the manipulative grandmother of Raymond Dawson — the son of Denise Fox and Phil Mitchell. Her character only appeared from September to November 2020, before being written out when Ellie was arrested.
“I didn’t plan any of this acting stuff,” Mica says. “I was nervous at first, but everyone rallied around me. I had such a laugh with Steve McFadden and Diane Parish. They were all fans of my music, which helped, and made me feel right at home.”
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Now, Mica is busier than ever. She’s celebrating 40 years in the industry, 37 years since her debut album So Good , and marking it all with a new album, a duet with Chaka Khan called Stand, and a string of live gigs.
The singer, who was born Michelle Antoinette Wallen in Islington, north London, was born in 1969 and spent the next 20 years on the gospel scene there. When she made her debut album, So Good, she became one of Britain’s brightest Black female stars.
Since then, Mica has sung for King Charles, received an MBE for services to music, entertainment and charity, presented her own BBC Radio 2 show, mentored the late Amy Winehouse, and performed everywhere from Wembley to Dubai.
However, Mica has strong opinions about the state of British music right now, and her vocals are just as powerful as her message. There is too much grime, they say. She asserts that we require the return of love music.
“British culture isn’t niche — it’s mainstream. Caribbean, Irish, Pakistani, working class — that’s the sound of Britain. But where’s the next Mica Paris? We don’t have artist development any more. We need to show the world who we really are.”
She’s rather proud of it because she has never minced words. We were raised in the 1980s, when it was difficult for women to discuss their creative endeavors, Mica says. However, I never give up; instead, I go to another record label if one company declines. The universe is the only record store you need.
Mica has lived the highs and the heartbreaks of fame — from singing for Nelson Mandela to losing her younger brother to gun crime in 2001. Jason Phillips was just 22 when he was shot and killed in south London, a tragedy that deeply affected Mica. It inspired her to work with Operation Trident — the Metropolitan Police initiative aimed at tackling gun violence in Black communities.
Mica also recalls helping a young Amy Winehouse, who was frustrated with her record label at the time. Before her debut album, Amy [Frank] came out, Mica recalls.
She said, “They’re trying to take my f**king songs!” I told her, “Girl, I wrote 20 songs on my debut album; they let me keep one.” She was terrified and the only white person on my Jazz Café bill, but I thanked her for being amazing.
Mica has discovered peace in her fifties off-stage. She claims she has never felt happier after being single for eight years. She grins, “I’m in love with myself right now.” You must return home to yourself occasionally. Never have I needed a man to complete me.
Her glow transcends all metaphors. Fans constantly claim that she has a formula and that she looks incredible. She explains that “eating] is mostly protein because of the steam, the green juice, and the steps.” German bread called “Do rye]bread.” I’ve been taking spirulina for 27 years, walk my dog, and do five steam sessions a week. Everyone is always surprised by my age.
and alcohol Off the menu strictly. She laughs, “I used to drink Whispering Angel like it was coming out of the tap.” My youngest daughter responded, “Mum, you’re drinking a little more than usual.” I paused the second she said that. Since then, I haven’t had a drink.
Mica’s father, who once prescribed every drug to her when she was 13 years old, ensured that she soon became aware of the importance of self-control. He said, “All of these things are okay for a minute, but once they’ve seized your control, it’s over.” That was the thing that persisted. Never let anything stop you.
It’s all about self-care for Mica these days, especially as she enters menopause. You must work out, consume spirulina, and consume ginger, she says. “It’s a sweaty journey.” You’ve had three bottles of wine, friends, and you’re sweating and panicking, I tell you. Don’t drink”!
Mica has maintained her career success alongside being a mum to daughters Monet, 33, and Russia Mae, 18, and she’s now a proud grandmother too. These days, when she’s not touring or recording, she’s travelling to see her grandchildren in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — calling herself a “globe-trotting grandma”.
Mica’s resilience is as unmistakable as her incredible voice. Even during her seven-year run presenting on BBC Radio 2 — which began when she stepped in for Dionne Warwick — she turned rejection into power. “All the record companies that rejected me wanted me to play their artists,” she laughs. “Fabulous, right?”
With her ferocious duet with her long-time friend Chaka Khan on her new single Stand, Mica is ready to make a comeback. She fondly exclaims, “She’s my godmother. We cooked curry, laughed, and recorded this protest record at her Atlanta home. It’s time”.
Mica has accomplished everything, from EastEnders to MBE honors, heartbreak to self-love, but she’s not done yet. She grinnes, “When I believe in something, I put all of my ovaries, intestines, and all of it inside.” “At 56, I’m not invisible. I’m just beginning.”
