IT was great to see Adele not only back on stage and receiving awards at the Brits, but looking so good.

The 23-year-old has recovered well from the haemorrhage on her vocal cords and is singing and songwriting to the same form that has made her an international superstar.

But if you look at pictures of her since she first burst like a laser on to public consciousness in 2008, it’s easy to see that she’s also blossomed as a woman.

She has always maintained that she was happy with herself as slightly larger than life but, having lost two stone, gone blonde and discovered designer clothes, Adele has turned into the sort of celebrity you don’t often see these days.

She’s now got the kind of old-fashioned glamour that were the trademarks of stars such as Liz Taylor and Audrey Hepburn. You might get pretty, cutesy young singers today but you seldom get women like Adele who can really belt out the hits and look stellar at the same time.

It only reinforces the image of Adele as a performer with a long and successful future ahead.

She’s the real deal, with a memorable voice that can put shivers down your spine and songs with such individual relevance and resonance that they couldn’t fail to be hits. It will be interesting to see what this year holds for her.