Katherine Jenkins says it "it was an instinct" to step in and save a pensioner from being mugged

She told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper's Stella magazine: "She was clearly in distress, screaming for help.

"So many people just walked past. It was an instinct to rush over and in doing so I got attacked as well.

"I didn't consider that people might know who I am; I gave the police my married name... If it happened again I'd do it again."

In January, a 15-year-old girl - who cannot be named for legal reasons - pleaded guilty to robbery and assaulting a police officer, and said in court she was willing to say sorry for stealing Katherine's phone.

Speaking during her hearing at Highbury Magistrates' Court, she said: "I could apologise. I know that's not going to make up for what I did."

Katherine's phone was later recovered, but the screen had been cracked, and prosecutors say there had been a "clumsy attempt to remove the sim card".

The teenager was handed a six month referral order, meaning she will have to attend sessions with the youth offending team to address her behaviour, and her mother was also ordered to pay £20 compensation.

Katherine has now insisted she would accept the apology.

She added: "It's part of my faith to give people a chance and show forgiveness."

Despite the shock of the mugging, she still attended the carol service because she "didn't want to let them down" - and it only sunk in what she'd done afterwards.

She admitted: "I was shaken up initially. But my instinct is always to keep going, so I got out there.

"Then when I stood there I thought, 'I can't believe I'm actually [doing this].' It was a charity and I didn't want to let them down."