Dame Shirley Bassey doesn't believe women should be pilots, firefighters, police or soldiers.

She said: "There's a reason why men are here. If I was flying with a female pilot, for instance, I'd be very worried. Women have periods and hormones, and that bothers me about women who want men's jobs. "Like firefighters, police, soldiers . . . I don't believe in women soldiers! Come on, women should be women. We should be feminine."

And the 'Goldfinger' singer thinks women should stop fighting for equality in the modern world as it only "emasculates" men.

She told the Daily Mail newspaper: "Women in my industry aren't empowered. Never have been, never will be. "Think about the modern man. The gene goes so deep, it goes right back to the caveman days: man must have control.

"Women should not change it, because we've tried and we've emasculated men. It's dangerous to mess with science... "I'm not sad about it. We should accept it. It's worked this way for a long time. Men went out and brought home the bacon. Women are now going a step too far, trying to be cleverer than men -- or as clever.

"Now, the man becomes the house-husband and it's wrong. It shouldn't be that way."

Shirley - who was previously married to Kenneth Hume from 1961 to 1965 and Sergio Novak from 1968 to 1979 - admits she doesn't expect to find love again because her success is too intimidating to men. She said: "I've been married twice and it has not worked out, but that's my problem because I'm a successful woman and successful women cannot get a man who is at ease with himself.

"The caveman doesn't want a woman who threatens him."

But she insists she's happy about that.

She added "I'm old enough to appreciate being on my own. I love the idea of not having anyone around to dictate what I do -- like when I go to bed and when I eat.

"I will never, ever get married again, no way."