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After 40 years, Olivia Newton-John has revealed the innocent mistake she made when she recorded Physical

Let's get physical... but in what way?
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Olivia Newton-John’s iconic song Physical has been making us dance for 40 years, and if your jaw dropped in horror after realising just what she’s singing about, you’re not alone.

No, Olivia wasn’t going on about the importance of keeping active.

To celebrate the song’s 40th year, the Grease star went on Fox News to discuss her milestone.

She revealed that it wasn’t until after it was released that she made the connection, adding, “that’s when I freaked out.”

The song was ultimately too “raunchy” for its 1981 release date, and when it was banned from radio, it left her “a little embarrassed.”

ONJ explained that she had been told, “They call it reinventing yourself,” when she found her fans began to approach her differently.

“I wasn’t doing it on purpose. It just was the song that I was attracted to and the album. But I feel very fortunate that I had the opportunity to record it,” she explained.

Of course, the star looks back on her decision fondly, and she joked that “looking back now I go, ‘That was great.’ It got attention.

The new version of the hit song will come out October 22.

(Credit: MCA Records)

“And also, compared to what I’m listening to on the radio now, it’s more like a lullaby.”

On October 22, to celebrate this monumental birthday for the song, Olivia and her team are releasing a deluxe edition of the tune.

To further promote the rerelease, the singer has partnered up with Crunch Fitness and Third Love to try and break a Guinness World Record and raise awareness for plant medicine research and her namesake foundation.

Last week, Olivia shared her adorable reaction to the Crunch Fitness dancers performing a routine to the song.

In the clip, Olivia donned a fun rainbow printed jumper with orange glasses and glittery pink drop earrings as she grooved and clapped in time with the music.

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At the halfway mark, a voiceover read the words, “Olivia LOVES it! Make sure to join in on the dance.”

The 73-year-old captioned her joyous reaction, “Go watch the full dance on @crunchfitness profile & duet to show us your moves 💃🕺😍 #olivianewtonjohn #crunchphysical40 @thirdlove #letsgetphysical.”

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