(Cover) - EN Showbiz - The pop superstar, whose wacky outfits make her instantly recognisable, admitted that when she was starting to enjoy success in early 2009 she found it difficult to remain herself in public. Gaga claims her peers were initially sceptical about her music and appearance.

"I was being poked and probed and people would actually touch me and touch my clothes and be like, 'What the f**k is that,' just so awful," Gaga told Rolling Stone. "It was like I was being bullied by music lovers, because they couldn't possibly believe that I was genuine."

The 25-year-old singer went on to prove her talents and recently released new album Born This Way. The singer - who was born Stefani Germanotta - is known for the close relationship she has with her dedicated fans whom she calls Little Monsters'. Gaga has revealed that she feels such a connection to her followers she feels they are part of her.

"We have this umbilical cord that I don't want to cut, ever," she explained. "I don't feel that they suck me dry. It would be so mean, wouldn't it, to say, 'For the next month, I'm going to cut myself off from my fans so I can be a person.' What does that mean? They are part of my person, they are so much of my person. They're at least 50 percent, if not more."

Although Gaga has legions of admirers now, she admitted that she was bullied in school for being "ugly" and having "a big nose". "I used to be called a sl*t, be called this, be called that, I didn't even want to go to school sometimes," she added. (C) Cover Media