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'Shirley Bassey promised to take care of her grandchild but was all a publicity stunt'; (1) Exclusive: The little girl she proudly showed to millions - then abandoned (2) `A great singer, but an awful mother figure'.

Article Excerpt
Byline: Michael Burke

IT WAS a moment of high emotion in the often troubled life of Shirley Bassey.

On stage in front of a packed house at the Royal Albert Hall the singer delivered one of her most spectacular performances, thrilling the fans with hits including Hey Big Spender and Goldfinger. The high point of the show was not the standing ovation Bassey received but the moment when she proudly lifted her 18-month-old granddaughter, Tatjana, into her arms to show to the adoring fans.

Just two days afterwards she did it again, this time on TV when she was the subject of This Is Your Life. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she picked up the child and hugged her while the credits rolled for 12 million viewers.

But less than four years later, Tissa Kimsey, 30, the mother of Tatjana, accuses Bassey of ignoring her grandchild.

Tissa is separated from Bassey's adopted son, Mark Novak. And she claims Bassey is refusing to help despite knowing that mother and child have been living penniless in Skegness since the split-up. Yet Bassey, she says, continues to send money to Mark.

`When it suited her, Shirley used Tatjana as part of a PR stunt to enhance her image,' says Tissa. `But she's cruel and heartless. I...