Adele – who recently won two Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal for ‘Chasing Pavements’ - has praised the troubled ‘Rehab’ singer for paving the way for her success in the US.

She said: "I think Amy is hardcore. She is a true phenomenon. When Amy was big in America, me and Duffy were blowing up in England, and I think it made the journey over a bit smoother for us."

Adele went on to describe Welsh singing sensation Duffy as a "proper lady" and admits she isn’t as sexy as the blonde ‘Mercy’ star.

She said: "I think Duffy is really soft – she's got the pin-up look going on. She's a proper lady. I think I'm really contemporary. And I'm just really mouthy!"

Adele has also revealed she can’t wait to perform on the same stage as her idol Etta James this summer, even though she was too nervous to speak to her when she saw her recently.

She explained to People magazine: "She looked amazing when I saw her. I couldn't say hello, in case she said, 'Get out of my face!' I've heard she's a bit of a madam. But she can be, because she's the best singer alive. "I'm playing a concert at the Hollywood Bowl – I was doing it on my own – but now we're co-headlining together. She's my favourite singer. It's amazing. I'm so excited."