Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Jane Scott[1] (née Walsh; born 20 November 1981)[2] is an English singer, television personality and actress. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality series Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The series announced that Walsh had won a place as a member of the girl group Girls Aloud.[3] The group achieved large success, having twenty consecutive top ten singles (including four number ones) in the UK, six studio albums have all been certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), two of which went to number one in the UK, and accumulating a total of five BRIT Award nominations. In 2009, Girls Aloud won "Best Single" with their song "The Promise".
This article is about the Girls Aloud singer. For the canoeist, see Kimberley Walsh (canoeist).
Kimberley Walsh
20 November 1981
- Singer
- actress
- television personality
- dancer
1986–present
3
Amy Walsh (sister)
Toby-Alexander Smith (brother-in-law)
Vocals
During the group's hiatus, Walsh embarked on acting and presenting. In July 2010, she became a presenter on the music talkshow, Suck My Pop and presented coverage for the BAFTA Awards. In 2011, she appeared in Horrid Henry: The Movie as Prissy Polly. Musically, Walsh has featured on Aggro Santos's "Like U Like". In 2012, Walsh made her West End theatre debut, playing Princess Fiona in the London production of Shrek the Musical. She also fronted the 2009 Autumn/Winter collection for the fashion chain New Look and, in January 2011, she was revealed as the new face of Puma AG. In 2012, Walsh took part in Strictly Come Dancing, where she finished as one of the runners-up.
Since 2011, after making her West End debut in Shrek, Walsh has returned to perform in stage versions of films such as Elf in 2015, before Big and Sleepless in Seattle both in 2019.
Early life[edit]
Walsh was born on 20 November 1981 in Bradford, West Yorkshire,[2][4] the daughter of John and Diane Walsh. She grew up with three siblings, Sally, Amy and Adam Walsh in Allerton, West Yorkshire.[2] Sally played the character of Lyn Hutchinson on the soap opera Emmerdale between 1997 and 2000,[2] and Amy joined the show's cast in 2014 as Tracy Shankley.[5]
Walsh attended Sandy Lane Primary School, Stoney Lee Middle School, and Beckfoot Grammar School,[6] and had her first taste of fame appearing in an advert as a child along with sister Sally in an Asda advert. She starred as Young Cosette in a regional production of Les Misérables and starred in ITV's The Book Tower in 1986. Walsh attended the Bradford theatre school, Stage 84, and briefly taught there.
Awards[edit]
She placed number 37 in FHM's annual list of "100 Sexiest Woman in the World" in 2009 ahead of bandmates Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Sarah Harding who were placed at 57, 58 and 87 respectively.[45] Walsh also won the Yorkshire Woman of the Year award 2009 in recognition not only of her professional success but also for her role as celebrity ambassador for the Breast Cancer Haven charity, which has a branch in Leeds. She was too, awarded the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Woman's award in 2009.