Ariana Grande: 'Diva label is a compliment'

Ariana Grande has encouraged her critics to keep labelling her a "diva" because it elevates her to the same rank as stars such as Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion.

The 21-year-old singer has faced a public backlash in recent weeks following a series of stories about her alleged "diva" behaviour. Reports suggest she axed her Australian promotional tour because she was unhappy with a photoshoot, while a group of fans accused of being rude and stand-offish at a meet-and-greet session in the U.S.

Grande subsequently branded the rumours untrue, and she has now spoken out to address the "diva" label which has been assigned to her, insisting she sees it as a compliment.

She tells Britain's Daily Telegraph, "It's weird to me because I do see myself as a fairly positive, very friendly person. So (the reports are) kind of odd. I also think a lot of people don't know what the word 'diva' means. If you want to call me a diva I'll say, 'Um, well, cool.' Barbra Streisand is a diva; that's amazing. Celine Dion is a diva; thank you. But if you want to call me a b**ch, that's not accurate. Because it's just not in my nature."