31 August 2012 - Sixties pop star Petula Clark has hinted at an unknown side to the life of Hollywood legend Fred Astaire. She claims the star used cannabis when they worked together, a big surprise to fans of one of the 20th Centuries biggest entertainment icons. On the BBC Radio 4 show The Reunion, Petula revealed what working with the artist was like. When discussing her move to the United Statesin the 1960's, she stated:

"There was a lot of flower power going on. A lot of good things were going on there. It was California in the late 60s and it was kind of great". When asked if her co-stars were smoking certain substances she revealed: "Yes all that stuff. Oh please. And Fred Astaire, too."

The singer appeared in the film Finian's Rainbow with Astaire in 1968, the height of the hippie scene and when social boundaries were broken down. Other guests on the show reacted with shock at the revelation; "Not our pet?!", cried 60's pop singer Sandi Shaw. A suprising reaction from the woman that has been called "the barefoot pop princess of the 1960's''.