Lionel Richie collects pants

Lionel Richie poses with his trophy at the 'Echo Music Awards' ceremony in Berlin, February 21, 2009. The German Phonographic Academy honours artists from all over the world in 24 categories. [Agencies]

Lionel Richie collects leather trousers.

The 59-year-old singer has a penchant for the tight animal-skin legwear and admits his greatest disappointment is that he can no longer fit into many of the pairs he owns.

He said: "I was a leather trousers collector for years. If I was 25 again, I'd be wearing them, but I'd probably get arrested right outside my hotel. Any anyway, I would probably only be able to get one leg into them now!"

Lionel's questionable fashion sense is not his only embarrassing secret.

The 'All Night Long' singer - who has a son Myles, 14, and daughter Sofia, 10, with ex-wife Diane as well as adopted daughter Nicole, 27, with his first wife Brenda - was mortified when his children made him dress as a clown for Halloween last year.

Lionel cringed: "My kids took me trick or treating. There we were - a load of 10 year olds, plus Lionel Richie dressed as a clown. I can still recall the look on people's faces! Only my daughter can humiliate me like that."