Page 3 Profile: Ellie Goulding, pop singer

Ellie Goulding, pop singer (Tim P. Whitby/Getty)

Ah, here’s someone who is surely basking in the glory of critical and popular acclaim…

Yes, Ellie Goulding has managed to win over both the public and the critics since she became an overnight sensation in 2010 with her stripped-down version of Sir Elton John’s hit “Your Song”.

Got any gigs coming up?

Loads, but there’s one country the 27-year-old won’t be dropping in on during her forthcoming tour, which will take in Germany, Scandinavia and the UK before heading to North America in March. “It’s probably a ‘no’ for Russia,” Goulding told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this week.

She’s not a fan of snow boots and vodka?

Actually, it’s the country’s appalling human rights abuses that she opposes. Last summer, politicians passed a law banning the promotion of “non-traditional” sexuality to under-18s – widely seen as an attack on gay rights. Stephen Fry recently called for a boycott of the Winter Olympics, being held in Sochi next month, saying that taking part would be the modern equivalent of participating in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

No wonder Goulding won’t be paying a visit…

The “Burn” singer, who has sold more than five million albums, said she supported Cher, who declined an offer to open 2014, and that she too would be giving Russia a wide berth, along with the legions of other high profile figures, from Sir Elton John to Lady Gaga, who have publicly denounced the country’s “cynical and deplorable actions”.

What has President Vladimir Putin got to say about all these celebrity snubs?

The Russian leader made a dismal attempt to win over Sir Elton, calling him “an outstanding person and an outstanding musician” loved throughout the country “despite his orientation”.

Oh …Mr Putin’s just not quite getting it, is he?

Apparently not. Last week, he said homosexuals would be welcome in Sochi for the Olympics but followed up this generous invitation with a curt warning: “Just leave the children alone.” Actor Hugh Laurie wryly commented: “I’d boycott Russian goods if I could think of a single thing they made besides the rest of the world depressed.”