Beyoncé’s fame and talent make her an overwhelming presence, but she said she doesn’t like to be the center of attention at a dinner party. The singer said that while she is no longer as shy as she was as a child, she is a quiet presence at the table. She spoke about the type of conversation she prefers.

Beyoncé spoke about what she is like at a dinner party

When Beyoncé gets on a stage, a change comes over her. She said she comes alive in a way she doesn’t elsewhere.

“It’s my place to be me and to be free,” she said on Piers Morgan Live in 2011. “And I don’t feel like I’m being judged. I feel like it doesn’t matter how irritated I am or angry I am or excited or in love or whatever emotion. When I get on the stage, I’m just purely free. And it’s — I feel so honored every time I get on the stage because I know — you know, I’ve been doing this for 15 years. And it’s what I love to do and so many other people that love to do the same thing and they don’t get to perform in front of 175,000 people.”

Offstage, though, she is a much quieter presence. While she doesn’t consider herself shy, at least not anymore, she doesn’t want too many eyes on her. At a dinner party, for example, she does not like to be the center of attention. 

“I am the person at the dinner party that is quiet and observing and having a one-on-one conversation,” she said. “I get embarrassed when it’s a lot of people and a lot of eyes. And I am still that way. I wouldn’t say shy.”

She said she was much quieter as a child

Beyoncé said she was very introverted as a kid, which she believes helped her in the long run.

“The first decade of my life was dedicated to dreaming,” she told Harper’s Bazaar in 2021. “Because I was an introvert, I didn’t speak very much as a child. I spent a lot of time in my head building my imagination. I am now grateful for those shy years of silence. Being shy taught me empathy and gave me the ability to connect and relate to people. I’m no longer shy, but I’m not sure I would dream as big as I dream today if it were not for those awkward years in my head.”

She learned to feel most comfortable while on a stage.

Beyoncé shared her ideal dinner

When she’s not at a dinner party, Beyoncé eats a strict, healthy diet, particularly when she’s preparing for a tour. Every week, she treats herself to a cheat meal, which she says is usually pizza.

“I always treat myself to one meal on Sundays when I can have whatever I want,” she told Shape, per Delish. “Usually it’s pizza, which is my favorite indulgence.”

She reportedly likes her pizza with jalapenos.