Mariah Carey told reporters at the People’s Choice Awards last night (January 6) that her slightly off-kilter acceptance speech at the Palm Springs International Film Festival was due to not eating before the awards show and enjoying “little splashes”.

The 40-year-old singer, who took home the award for best breakthrough performance for Precious, explained, “We’d been sitting there celebrating this whole time, having little splashes [of champagne], I hadn’t eaten, I pulled up, I didn’t want to be late so I rushed in, and that’s what it was.”

“If people don’t understand me and just think I’m this girl that stands by a microphone and sings ‘Hero,’ then they’re definitely not going to get me,” Mariah added.