Maria Spiteri: ‘Guiltiest pleasure? Binge-eating sweets when I’m angry or sad’

Maltese singer Maria Spiteri is not only a passionate singer, but also a dedicated nurse working at Karin Grech Rehabilitation Hospital. In 2018 Spiteri released her debut single Here I Stand, and is currently back in the studio working on follow-up material, promising that she would be exploring different types of style. 

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

I am quite the coffee addict, so the first thing I do is switch off my alarm and make a cup of coffee.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

My dear Auntie Helen, whom I love immensely, gave me this advice when I told her that I wanted to take my singing career to the next level: she hugged me and said, “You can be anything you set out to be but make sure you find the right partner to support you, and never let him put you down or make you quit.”

What do you never leave the house without?

My mobile phone.

Pick three words that describe yourself

Loud, helpful, determined.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

Getting my Bachelors degree and graduating as a nurse in 2016.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Binge-eating sweets when I’m angry or sad.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

Not everyone will treat you the same way you treat them. Be kind, but be wise.

Property and cars aside what’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought?

My eyes. I did laser eye surgery in October 2019;  best €3,000 I’ve ever spent.

What is one thing you wish you knew when you were younger?

That life is short and we need to spend it laughing, doing good deeds, and making the most of every experience. Life as we know it can be stolen from us at any second.

Who’s your inspiration?

My Uncle Renato. The humblest man I will ever meet, with never ending love for his nieces and nephews. Not to mention an impeccable performer. If I manage to be half as successful as he is, I would have achieved a lot.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Tricky! I’d have to say my job. As much as I love being a nurse, it has been very challenging but it taught me to be more compassionate, responsible and caring.

If you weren’t a nurse what would you be doing?   

I have a particular interest in criminology so I think my job would involve being an autopsy doctor or something in forensics.

Do you believe in God?

Yes, I do. I believe in God that created us, and a better afterlife that is waiting for us after our time on earth is finished.

If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would it be?

Florence Nightingale. I think she and I would have a lot of nursing debates to discuss and that would be an interesting conversation.

What’s your worst habit?

I think my worst habit is popping pimples. It may sound disgusting but I find it very satisfying.

What are you like when you’re drunk?

I’m loud and crazy when I’m NOT drunk… figure it out.

Who would you have play you in a film?

Kate Winslet.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Lying. I deplore people who lie and I will never trust someone again after I find out he or she have been lying to me.

What music would you have played at your funeral?

Those who know me well know I would not want my funeral to be a sad occasion but rather a memorial of me and my crazy character so if I had to choose it would be ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ by Cyndi Lauper. I think that the choice of song does say it all.

What is your most treasured material possession?

My laptop.

What is your earliest memory?

Every Sunday I spent with my grandparents. They would take me and my cousins Keith and Mark to local markets or to the Bugibba promenade for an ice-cream.

When did you last cry, and why?

I am quite a sensitive person so crying for me is not something unusual but I think last time I really heartbreakingly cried was when my Auntie Pauline passed away suddenly aged 61 last February.

Who would you most like to meet?

Cristiano Ronaldo, just because my boyfriend is a massive Juventus fan. Yeah, that’s the ‘only’ reason, I promise!

What’s your favourite food?

Anything made out of beef or pasta. I could eat pasta everyday.

Who’s your favourite person on social media right now?

Tamara Webb. Love seeing posts about her and her little Peanut on Instagram these days. So sweet!

If you could travel in time, where would you go?

I would go back and meet my grandmother Mary who passed away three years before I was born. My older cousins and everybody who knew her always tell me what a kind and thoughtful soul she was. A woman who despite challenging times raised my seven amazing aunties and uncles and my mum to be just as kind as her. I think she and I would have been really close, and well, there’s got to be a reason why I was named after her.

What book are you reading right now?

I love reading books in Maltese so right now I am reading a book called Sbieh id-Dlam by Wayne Farrugia.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

I would love the power of teleportation. I would travel the world free of charge, whenever we’re able to travel again.

What’s one thing you want to do before you die?

I would love to go on a missionary experience.

What music are you listening to at the moment?

My ‘best of 2000-2019’ playlist on Spotify. Makes me reminisce on my teenage years.

In the shower or when you’re working out, what do you sing/listen to?

The same playlist on repeat at the moment, or any song I am studying for an event or festival.