KELLY CLARKSON LOVES JUST SINGING IN THE RAIN

AMERICAN Idol champ Kelly Clarkson can’t wait to party in her favourite city, Manchester.

The My Life Would Suck Without You star kicks off a six-date UK tour next month and loves the grit, rain and famous Mancunian sense of humour.

Kelly, 27, right, told me: “Manchester is one of my favourite places to play.

“For some reason those people there are really rad and go nuts. They are easily my best audience.

“This will be the first tour where I get some time off in between shows so I plan to check out the city properly.”

Although her feet have hardly touched the ground these past 12 months she has still found time to make new music.

“I’m writing and recording new songs,” she said. “I’ve written a ton with a bunch of songwriters I haven’t written with before.

“It’s turning out differently, like nothing I’ve released before. Some of it is very 80s influenced and some of it is singer/songwriter.”

But one thing she doesn’t want is a big name producer. She admitted: “I don’t like working with people who have worked with everyone.

“Sometimes I get blackmailed into doing so by my label, but I prefer collaboring with people who aren’t on the grid. I don’t want to sound exactly like other people’s records.”

Before she kicks off her latest tour, she hopes former nemesis Simon Cowell, 50, gets her involved in his star-studded Haiti quake charity single.

Kelly told me: “I didn’t even know about Simon’s song until today.

“But it sounds like it’s gonna be one of those tearjerkers. I only got back from holiday this week but I’d love to do something to help.”

And she believes Simon leaving American Idol won’t harm the show.

“It’s the biggest TV show ever in the States,” she said. “A lot of the housewives will miss him but the show will go on.”