Who is Dancing on Ice star Michelle Heaton?
MICHELLE Heaton first broke into the world of showbiz when she joined one of the biggest bands of the noughties, Liberty X.
Despite the band parting ways in 2007, Michelle has continued to remain in the spotlight - now she's back on our screens, this time to take on Dancing On Ice 2023.
Who is Michelle Heaton?
Michelle Heaton, born July 19, 1979, in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, is an English pop singer, actress and TV personality.
She first rose to fame on the 2001 series Popstars, which sought to form a modern pop group.
While Michelle wasn't part of the winning band, Hear'Say, she joined forces with four other finalists to form Liberty X.
The name Liberty was chosen to reflect the freedom the members experienced following their participation in Popstars.
The pop group enjoyed seven top 10 singles from 2001 until 2005 including Just A Little and Got To Have Your Love, and won two Brit Awards.
When did Liberty X split and what is Michelle Heaton doing now?
Michelle has remained a media favourite since Liberty X split in 2007.
However, since 2017 Michelle and two of her fellow pop stars from the group, Kelli Young and Jessica Taylor, continue to perform as Liberty X at Pride events and music festivals.
She also performed with girl group Atomic Kitten for their international commitments, and spent time with the band in Australia in 2017.
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Michelle has also widely documented her battle with her health since her time in the band, having been diagnosed with the mutated BRCA2 gene in 2012.
In 2015 she underwent a complete hysterectomy and oophorectomy to reduce her risk of developing ovarian cancer.
In early 2021, Michelle bravely checked into rehab to fight her alcoholism, after admitting that it took time for her to come to terms with the fact that she had a problem.
In September 2021, she appeared alongside her husband Hugh on ITV's Lorraine to talk about how their marriage survived her struggle with addiction.
Michelle revealed that she had begged her husband to leave her during the height of her struggle, but he stood by the singer and said he was grateful that the couple had been given a "second chance".
What TV shows has Michelle Heaton been on?
Michelle is a familiar face on TV, especially on reality shows.
In 2009 she appeared on series six of Celebrity Big Brother, and was the third person to be evicted.
She also appeared on ITV series The Big Reunion in 2013, where she reunited with her bandmates to perform a series of gigs with other former pop bands.
In 2018, Michelle took part in the female line-up on The Real Full Monty.
Then in 2022, it was revealed that Michelle would be part of the Dancing On Ice 2023 line-up.
Revealing the news exclusively on ITV's Lorraine, Michelle said: "I’m so excited - I can’t believe it. Me and the kids are such huge fans of the show in general.
''I’ve always wanted to do it but I know I would never have been able to complete anything because of the way I was 18 months ago, so I’m really truly grateful that I’ve got it this year when I’m a lot stronger.”
Is Michelle Heaton married and does she have any children?
Michelle has walked down the aisle twice.
First to fellow singer Andy Scott-Lee - the brother of Steps star Lisa Scott-Lee - in 2006.
The couple later split in 2008.
She then tied the knot with second husband, Hugh Hanley, in the Bahamas in 2010, two years after they started dating.
The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Faith, in January 2012, with baby brother Aaron arriving in February 2014.