Liam Fox persuaded Natalie Imbruglia to release breakthrough hit Torn
Sir Liam Fox has revealed that he helped convince Natalie Imbruglia to release her biggest hit song.
The former defence secretary was “very good friends” with the Australian pop star and said he had a hand in her choosing to release Torn as a single in 1997 during a phone-in on the LBC radio station.
Sir Liam also addressed rumours put to him by a caller that he had dated the singer.
The former Cabinet minister said: “Well, I would say that if you need to know that, you probably require a level of therapy.
“Yes, we were very good friends; yes, I did help her pick Torn out as a single and yes, I was on the credits of the album.”
The Guardian reported in 2008 that the artist thanked Sir Liam on her album Left of the Middle.
Imbruglia was also known for her role in Australian soap Neighbours, playing Beth Brennan, who famously jilted Brad Willis on their wedding day, and has appeared in films including Johnny English, alongside Rowan Atkinson.
She moved to London in 1994, where she released Torn, a cover of a Danish song by Lis Sorensen, which had previously been covered in English by American rock band Ednaswap.
It was released as her debut single, and she was nominated for a Grammy Award, ultimately losing to Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On.
It peaked at No 2 in the UK charts for three weeks, and has sold more than four million copies worldwide. It was the 40th most-played song of the 2010s.
The singer is still going strong, having performed on the Great Oak Stage during the British Summer Time Hyde Park music festival earlier in July.
Sir Liam became an MP in 1992, losing his seat in the 2024 election. He had held ministerial roles under three prime ministers. He lives with his wife, Jesme, in North Somerset.
He studied medicine at the University of Glasgow and worked as a GP before his political career.
