London: 

Defending herself: Carla Bruni says she had only 15 — and not 30— lovers

Carla Bruni, wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has defended posing nude and claimed that talks about her 30 lovers were poetic licence — in fact she has only had around 15.

In an interview to a French weekly, Bruni defended posing nude during her days on the international catwalk, claiming her behaviour was never as risque as pop stars like Madonna, who published authorised pictures of herself in the nude in the infamous 1992 coffee table book Sex.

Recalling her own nude photo shoots, Bruni said, "I was never extravagant like Madonna can be! I was younger too and, above all, I was a model. My job was to wear clothes, it was different. I was not going to discuss dressing up."

Bruni recently released an album in which she croons, "I'm a child, in spite of my 40 years, in spite of my 30 lovers." But when asked about her "30 lovers" she said, "It's for the rhyme! Thirty is better than 15! When I write a song, I don't recount my life precisely, but more the manner in which I see life."