Dannii: Kylie's giving me a chance

Dannii Minogue has revealed the real reason Kylie has quit showbiz for six months ... to give her sister a chance to shine.

Dannii said Kylie had graciously decided to step aside to let Dannii "take the baton".

While Kylie's career has spiralled - bringing a No1 single and album, a clutch of Brit Awards, and a nation of men obsessed with her rear - Dannii's has been concentrated on the West End stage.

All that is set to change with Kylie taking a break. Dannii said: "She will be chilling in Australia - she has been working really hard lately. So she said to me 'okay, you take the baton now, it's your turn to run with it and do your best'. Of course there is competition between us - like there is with any two people in the music business.

"But it's good natured stuff and there are no catfights. We give each other a break when we need it."

Dannii is now releasing a dance track, Put The Needle On It. Kylie's next single is being delayed until 4 November so the sisters avoid a head-to-head chart clash.

Dannii was speaking at the Elle Style Awards at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, where her sister was named Woman Of The Year.

Dannii arrived minutes before Kylie's on/off boyfriend James Gooding and the pair spent 15 minutes chatting and laughing.