But, as the world turns, so it changes, and here we are in 2006 with The Most Famous Woman in the World facing a media inquiry over the latest addition to her family, an adopted, one-year-old Malawian child called David Banda.

The accusations against her are various, but commonly boil down to three suspicions: that she has used her fame and wealth to bend the Malawian adoption laws; that adoption is less preferable to providing aid to keep orphans in their own country; and that the whole thing is, in some way, a publicity stunt.

Interviewed on the BBC Newsnight programme last night — more commonly the haunt of Cabinet ministers trying to explain their position on Iraq — Madonna used the opportunity to address some of these issues — and throw her hat into the ring for a Hillary Rodham Clinton presidency. “I wouldn’t mind if Hillary Clinton was president, yeah.”

Turning to the subject of her personal life, she told the presenter, Kirsty Wark, that, after the experiences she has had adopting David Banda, she would “like to get the adoption laws changed”, and that she would consider adopting more children if the process weren’t “so complicated”.

“I can assure you, I had no special treatment,” the singer said of the adoption she hoped would inspire others to adopt from Africa.

“Africa is in a state of emergency. When you have an entire adult population wiped out, and no one to look after these children, you’ve got to address the laws and make adoption easier for people.”

Later in the interview she went on to deny that the child’s father disapproved of the adoption or that he had regularly visited the child in the state orphanage. “I was told that he was not visited by any of his extended family members, and that’s why I become interested in him. If someone had said to me, ‘Oh, his dad comes every week’, I wouldn’t have given it another thought.”

While not a scintillating series of hot revelations, the interview was a considerable coup for the BBC. For the past two weeks, whenever Sir Paul and Lady McCartney have had a quiet afternoon in, the adoption by Madonna has dominated international news headlines. Last week she appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s show in the US to talk about the controversy — but only via satellite. Newsnight, on the other hand — not usually the first stop for celebrities — had Madonna in person, although not in a London studio. It is hard to imagine Jeremy Paxman sanctioning the set of billowing white silk drapes, a candelabra and a display of stargazer lilies.

Looking both composed, and pleased at having secured such a good lighting technician, Madonna also acted to head off “Grannygate” — an accusation in The Guardian that her putative son also has a living grandmother who had not been consulted about the adoption.

“I never met a granny,” she said, going on to deny allegations that the child’s father wished to look after the child and had asked Madonna to support them while the child remained in Malawi.

“I offered that option to the father and he declined,” she said — before explaining how the new child had “balanced out” her existing family.

While the Newsnight interview will almost certainly not stop media debate — let’s face it, this is going to be headline news until Kate Moss and Pete Doherty are spotted doing a Su Doku together in a teashop — it does highlight, once again, Madonna’s innate ability to press everyone’s buttons.

For, in single act of altruism, she has managed to ignite a debate that encompasses immigration, Africa, working mothers, modern parenting, international adoption law, race, money and fame. If she subsequently opts to make Sir Paul and Lady McCartney the child’s godparents, she might just have sparked the ultimate news nexus.