The 42-year-old Janet was so obsessed with the 64-year-old 'Mandy’ star she would pretend they were together when she saw him on television.

She said: 'I used to kiss the screen whenever Barry was on TV!' Janet – who has been divorced twice - also insists she has no plans to marry producer boyfriend Jermaine Dupri, and is happy with their relationship as it is.

She added to US TV show 'Entertainment Tonight’: 'I don't know if we are going to get married. We're good where we are right now.'

However, Janet recently revealed she is keen to start a family of her own, saying: 'At some point in my life I want children. When I was younger, I used to babysit my nieces and nephews.'                                                                                         

Janet isn’t alone in her admiration for Manilow.

He is so popular worldwide that he has coined his own phrase, a 'fanilow’, for people who are followers of his music.// entertainmentnews.com