LONDON - A defiant Sophie Ellis-Bextor has rounded on her celebrity critics and says she has always provoked extreme reactions in people, the Ananova.com Website reports. Stars including Robbie Williams and Posh Spice have all criticized the British pop star, daughter of former "Blue Peter" presenter Janet Ellis.

But Ellis-Bextor told the News of the World's Sunday magazine: "For every person who says I'm the new Audrey Hepburn, someone else says that I look like an alien. "If I was insecure, it might affect me more. But I'm comfortable with who I am. I'm not putting myself forward as a prime specimen of the female species."

The 23-year-old first came under fire from Victoria Beckham, who asked "Is she the one her mother knitted earlier?" when the two went head to head for the number one spot in August 2000. Ellis-Bextor won that particular round after her single with dance producer Spiller - "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" - easily eclipsed Posh Spice's offering to become the anthem of the summer.

Since, then Williams and comedian Frank Skinner have been among those criticizing the star's looks, according to Ananova.com. Williams compared her face to a satellite dish, while Skinner once asked "Why the wide face?" Ellis-Bextor told News of the World, "People have said some dreadful things about the way I look, but I just think 'That's not what I'm about, I'm not a model.'"