Kim Wilde lost out on her ''dream job'' because of her pop success.

The 59-year-old star became a chart sensation thanks to her debut single 'Kids In America', which she released when she was 20, and she admitted her instant fame meant she had to turn down the opportunity of being a sales assistant at a local record store, somewhere she'd always wanted to work.

She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: Mum sent me to the Job Centre and they said, 'What do you want to do? I said, I want to work in a record shop.' A few months later, a record shop in Hertford needed an assistant and the Job Centre sent me details.

''I felt pretty ­confident I could get the job because I had an immense music knowledge. We almost had a record shop in the house.

''But 'Kids in America' charted and scuppered my plans. I was all set to have my dream job and it got snatched away from me by a hit record.''

Kim's dad, Marty Wilde, is still performing at the age of 81 and she admitted seeing the 'Rubber Ball' singer in action has inspired her to want to continue her own career for decades to come.

Asked if she can see herself performing in her 80s, she said: ''I can now I'm seeing what he's doing... it's been inspiring. I'm quite excited about the albums I could make at 80.''

Marty and Kim's brother Ricky wrote 'Kids in America' and the star admitted she wasn't very impressed when she first heard it.

She said: ''Rick was writing it on a portable synth and it made a racket, quite frankly. It was irritating. Little did I know he was writing a song that would transform my life.''