Mariah enjoys diva jibes

Mariah Carey last Releases. Mariah Carey loves being called a diva.

The 'Hero' singer - who is renowned for her outrageous demands - says it's a compliment to have that reputation because it means she's successful.

She said: "They throw that word around like it's a friggin' Frisbee!

"I grew up hearing it, because my mother is an opera singer. The actual definition is 'a talented female singer.' Definition two is 'a difficult woman who is successful,' I believe. So I take it as a compliment."

Despite her reputation, Mariah insists she doesn't make enough demands.

The 38-year-old star told Parade magazine: "You know what? I guess I am a diva in many ways! When it comes to certain things, yes, I can be difficult and a little bit rigid about what I want. Am I demanding? I don't think I'm demanding enough. I think if I were more demanding, I would have felt that I had some sort of power, as opposed to feeling like a pawn, which is something I had to grow out of."

Mariah Carey the cash machine queen

Mariah Carey feels like a 'cash machine with a wig on'.

The 'Touch My Body' singer - whose marriage to Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola ended in divorce in 1998 - finds it hard to judge who is genuine and who just wants to be part of the Mariah circus.

She said: 'You don't know who is here for the glamour, for the gossip factor. You really just want to know that somebody loves you for you. Sometimes you feel like an ATM machine with a wig on it.'

Mariah, 37, also spoke about making peace with her estranged father Alfred Roy before he lost his battle with cancer in 2002.

The singer, who included a song dedicated to her father 'Sunflowers for Alfred Roy' on her 'Charmbracelet' album, added to Parade magazine: 'Before he passed away, he said, 'You were always a star in my eyes.' Which was very meaningful, because to a lot of people, you're really not worth anything unless you're raking in the dough and having number one hits.'"

Mariah Carey does not trust men

Mariah Carey doesn't trust men.

The single 37-year-old singer - whose marriage to record executive Tommy Mottola ended in 1998 - finds it difficult to form new relationships because she is paranoid potential lovers will post compromising footage of her on the internet.

She said: "We live in a world of extremely high technology so it is difficult for me to trust anybody." On the song 'Touch My Body', from her new album 'E=MC2', Mariah vows to get even with anyone who posts personal footage of her on video sharing website YouTube.

She sings: "If there's a camera up in here then I'd best not catch this flick on YouTube, 'cos if you run your mouth and brag about this secret rendezvous I will hunt you down."

In 2005, rapper Eminem - who allegedly briefly dated Mariah - played concert crowds a voicemail he claimed she left him, on which she was heard saying : "I heard you were getting back with your ex-wife. Why won't you see me? Why won't you call me? You're not calling me." Mariah insists the pair never had a sexual relationship of any sort.

Mariah Carey the prude

Mariah Carey has revealed she is as prudish as Mary Poppins.

The 'Touch My Body' singer, who is famous for her provocative music videos and songs, says she couldn't be more different from her on-stage persona.

She said: "It's a dichotomy, I understand. I understand that people think I'm a ditzy moron. But I'm more like a prude! I'm Mary Poppins. I'm what the buttoned-up girls are supposed to be."

Mariah - who replaced Janet Jackson on 'Saturday Night Live' this weekend (15.03.08) after Janet was hospitalised with flu - also revealed she needs to have a number of personal assistants to ensure she arrives everywhere on time and on schedule.

She added to Allure magazine: "I have three personal assistants just to keep up with my schedule." Mariah's new single 'Touch My Body' looks set to reach number one in the US charts, which would equal The Beatles' record for the most number one singles.

'Mary Poppins' was a set of children's books written by P.L. Travers, which told the story of a magical strait-laced English nanny. The books were made into a hit film in 1964 starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke.