Frankie Bridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frankie Bridge
Bridge performing in 2011
Born	Francesca Sandford (1989-01-14) 14 January 1989 (age 36) Upminster, London, England
Occupation	Singer dancer television personality
Years active	2001–present
Spouse(s)	Wayne Bridge ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	2
Musical career
Genres	Pop R&B dance pop rock
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Polydor Fascination

Francesca Bridge (born Francesca Sandford on 14 January 1989) is an English singer and TV star. She started her career very young and became famous as a member of two popular music groups: S Club Juniors and later the Saturdays.

Frankie began her journey in music at just 12 years old. In 2001, she tried out for a TV show called S Club Search on CBBC. She won a spot in a new pop group called S Club Juniors. Frankie and the group even had their own TV show, S Club Juniors: The Story. They released seven hit songs and two albums. While in the group, she also appeared in S Club 7's TV show Viva S Club. Later, the group starred in a children's musical TV show called I Dream. Frankie had a main role and even released a duet song called "Dreaming" with Calvin Goldspink.

In 2007, Frankie successfully auditioned for a new girl group, the Saturdays. They quickly signed with record labels and became very successful in the UK. They even signed a big deal to release their music in the US. This led to Frankie's first UK number-one song, "What About Us". Throughout her music career, Frankie has had 19 songs in the UK top ten and six albums in the UK top ten. In 2017, she planned to start a solo music career, but she decided to focus on being a mom instead. Frankie has sold an amazing 10 million records worldwide over 16 years in music.

Frankie also became known for her style, especially her short hair, which started a trend. She has had a successful TV career, starring in her own reality shows like The Saturdays: 24/7 and Chasing the Saturdays. In 2014, she was a runner-up on Strictly Come Dancing. In 2017, she started presenting Cannonball. She married footballer Wayne Bridge in 2014, and they have two sons. In 2021, Frankie was a contestant on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and finished in third place.

Early Life and Challenges

Frankie was born in Upminster, Greater London, on 14 January 1989. Her parents were very active, and she started taking dance lessons at age three. She auditioned for a drama school in Romford and got a place there. Frankie was inspired by seeing her future bandmate, Rochelle Humes, perform.

When she was nine, Frankie started trying out for TV shows and commercials. Even though she often made it to the final stages, she didn't get any parts. This made her wonder if she was good enough, so she took extra acting lessons. In her early teens, she won a contest for singing "Macavity" from the musical Cats. Her mom helped her learn the song and create her costume.

Frankie has openly shared that she faced challenges with her mental health from a young age. She studied dance after school and went to a stage school to learn musical arts. Her grandmother used to call her "Sunshine and Showers" because her mood could change quickly. After her grandmother passed away, Frankie got these words tattooed on her neck.

Music Career

Starting with S Club 8

S Club Juniors was formed in 2001 through a TV show called S Club Search. The show looked for a new group to join S Club 7. The winners would become part of the spin-off group. S Club Juniors first performed as a support act for S Club 7's tour. They became very popular and signed a record deal.

Their first song, "One Step Closer", came out in April 2002 and reached number two in the UK charts. They promoted the song with a TV special called S Club Junior: The Story. Their second song, "Automatic High", also reached number two. The group released their first album, Together, in October 2002, which reached number five. They released a fourth song, "Puppy Love/Sleigh Ride", in December 2002, which was also in the movie Love Actually.

The group later changed their name from S Club Juniors to S Club 8 as they got older. They released more songs like "Fool No More" and "Sundown", which both made it into the top ten. Their second album, Sundown, came out in October 2003. The group then starred in a children's TV show called I Dream, where they played versions of themselves. They also recorded the soundtrack for the show. S Club 8 broke up in early 2005 after I Dream ended.

Joining The Saturdays

After S Club 8, Frankie was encouraged to start a solo career, but she wasn't sure what kind of music she wanted to make. She even turned down a record deal because her family thought she was too young. Frankie took on various part-time jobs before trying to get back into music in 2007.

The Saturdays on stage in 2009

In summer 2007, Frankie was asked to audition for a new girl group. She wasn't sure at first, but she decided to go for it. She successfully joined the group with Vanessa White, Mollie King, Una Healy, and her former S Club 8 bandmate Rochelle Humes. The group was named The Saturdays.

The Saturdays quickly signed a record deal and became very successful. They released their first song, "If This Is Love", in July 2008, which reached number eight in the UK. Their second song, "Up", reached number five. In October 2008, they released their first album, Chasing Lights, which went platinum. They had many more hit songs, including a cover of "Just Can't Get Enough".

Bridge performing the song "Missing You" during the Headlines Tour in 2011

In October 2009, they released their second album, Wordshaker. They also appeared in many advertisements for different products. In 2010, they released their third album, Headlines!, which reached number three in the UK. They had more hit songs like "Missing You" and "Higher", which featured Flo Rida.

Their album On Your Radar came out in 2011. In 2012, they released "30 Days". They even moved to Los Angeles for a while to try and become famous in America, starring in a reality TV show called Chasing the Saturdays. In March 2013, they released "What About Us" with rapper Sean Paul, which became their first number-one song. Their album Living for the Weekend was their fourth top ten album. The band took a break in 2014 and released a greatest hits album.

Solo Work and Advocacy

Frankie became an ambassador for the mental health charity Mind in 2016. She also became an ambassador for Marie Curie and designed a makeup line to raise money for the charity, collecting £430,000.

In 2016, Frankie started presenting documentaries for Channel 5. She hosted Celebrity Trolls: We're Coming to Get You in 2017. In this show, Frankie and her team found people who sent mean messages to celebrities online and confronted them. Frankie decided to do the show because she had received upsetting messages herself. In September 2017, she appeared on Married to a Celebrity with her husband, Wayne Bridge.

Frankie's first solo song was a duet with Calvin Goldspink called "Dreaming" in 2004. She also sang on the song "Undercover Lover" by Kids in Glass Houses in 2010. In September 2017, Frankie became a co-presenter on the ITV game show Cannonball. She planned to release a solo pop-dance album, but she decided to focus on being a mom and writing instead.

Other Activities

TV Appearances

Bridge at the Real Radio launch

In 2004, Frankie starred in I Dream, a children's musical TV show about teenagers at a performing arts college. The show was created by Simon Fuller, who also created the Idol series. In 2008, Frankie appeared in the TV show Hollyoaks Later.

The Saturdays had their own reality TV series called The Saturdays: 24/7, which showed their daily lives while promoting their album Headlines!. In November 2008, Frankie and The Saturdays appeared in the Hollyoaks spin-off Hollyoaks Later. In January 2009, they performed in the BBC drama Myths.

On 8 November 2010, Frankie took part in the TV show Ghosthunting with... with her bandmates. They explored haunted places in the Welsh mountains. Frankie said she could smell cooking in an empty kitchen and felt like marbles were thrown at her by a ghost. In 2010, Frankie also appeared in the ITV reality show The Door, where she had to complete challenges. She was the first celebrity to be eliminated because she couldn't put her hand in a bowl of spiders to get a key.

On 13 August 2014, Frankie announced she would be competing in Strictly Come Dancing. She and her dance partner, Kevin Clifton, finished as runners-up. In September 2017, she became a co-presenter on the ITV game show Cannonball. In January 2018, Frankie participated in And They're Off! for Sport Relief. Since 2021, Frankie has been a regular panelist on the ITV show Loose Women. In 2021, she was a contestant on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and finished in third place.

Books and Endorsements

Frankie helped write The Saturdays: Our Story, a book about the band that came out in 2010. The book shared insights into Frankie's life, her success with The Saturdays and S Club 8, her friendships, and personal stories before she became famous. The book also included fashion and beauty tips.

As a member of The Saturdays, Frankie became the face of Veet hair removal products and Impulse deodorant. The band also promoted the Nintendo 3DS game, Nintendogs + Cats, appearing in TV commercials for it.

Acting and Podcasts

In August 2023, Frankie made her West End debut in the play 2:22 A Ghost Story at the Apollo Theatre. She played the role of Lauren until the show closed in September 2023.

Frankie also co-hosts a podcast called First Dates: The Podcast with Cici Coleman.

Musical Style

Frankie's music career began with S Club Juniors, where their songs were mostly pop. After the group split, she explored different styles, including R&B and pop rock, by uploading demo songs online. When she joined The Saturdays, their music was described as "pure uplifting pop" and "an 80's throwback," often featuring elements of synthpop and new wave. They also used auto-tuning on their vocals in some songs like "Higher". Many artists, including Bruno Mars and Flo Rida, have expressed interest in working with Frankie as a solo artist.

Personal Life

Family

Bridge's husband Wayne, pictured in 2010

Frankie dated McFly member Dougie Poynter from 2008 to 2010. In late 2011, she started a relationship with footballer Wayne Bridge. They got married in a private ceremony in 2014 and have two sons. They live in Cobham, Surrey.

Mental Health Journey

In 2011, Frankie took a break from her work with The Saturdays due to an "illness." It was later shared that she had been hospitalized for depression. She spoke about her experience, explaining that she thought other patients might judge her because she was famous. The media had reported that she was admitted due to stress from a busy work schedule, but Frankie clarified that it was about her mental health. She was praised for speaking openly about her battle with depression, which led to her becoming an ambassador for the charity Mind.

Discography

• Together (2002)
• Sundown (2003)
• Welcome to Avalon Heights (2004)
• Chasing Lights (2008)
• Wordshaker (2009)
• Headlines! (2010)
• On Your Radar (2011)
• Living for the Weekend (2013)

As featured artist

Tours

With The Saturdays

• The Work Tour (2009)
• The Headlines Tour (2011)
• All Fired Up! Tour (2011)
• Greatest Hits Live! (2014)

As Solo Supporting Act

• The Dirt Tour (with Kids in Glass Houses; selected dates in 2010)
• Strictly Come Dancing – Live Tour (2016)

Awards and Nominations

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Frankie Bridge para niños

• List of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (British TV series) contestants
• List of Strictly Come Dancing contestants