Kimberley Walsh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kimberley Walsh
Walsh in 2009
Born	Kimberley Jane Walsh (1981-11-20) 20 November 1981 (age 43) Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
Occupation	Singer actress television presenter dancer
Years active	1986–present
Spouse(s)	Justin Scott ​ (m. 2016)​
Children	3
Family	Amy Walsh (sister) Toby-Alexander Smith (brother-in-law)
Musical career
Genres	Pop musical theatre R&B
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Polydor Fascination Decca
Associated acts	Girls Aloud Aggro Santos

Kimberley Jane Scott (born 20 November 1981), known by her maiden name Walsh, is an English singer, dancer, TV presenter, and actress. She became famous in late 2002. This happened when she tried out for the TV show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV.

Kimberley won a spot in the girl group Girls Aloud. The group became very successful. They had twenty songs in a row reach the top ten in the UK. Four of these songs went to number one. Their six studio albums were all certified platinum. Two of their albums reached number one in the UK. Girls Aloud also received five BRIT Award nominations. In 2009, they won "Best Single" for their song "The Promise".

While Girls Aloud took a break, Kimberley started acting and presenting. In July 2010, she became a presenter on the music show Suck My Pop. She also presented coverage for the BAFTA Awards. In 2011, she appeared in Horrid Henry: The Movie as Prissy Polly. She also sang on Aggro Santos's song "Like U Like". In 2012, Kimberley performed in her first West End theatre show. She played Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical in London. She also worked with the fashion brand New Look in 2009. In January 2011, she became the new face of Puma AG. In 2012, Kimberley competed on Strictly Come Dancing. She finished as one of the runners-up.

Since 2011, Kimberley has performed in many stage shows. These include Elf in 2015. She also starred in Big and Sleepless in Seattle in 2019.

Early Life and Beginnings

Kimberley Walsh was born on 20 November 1981 in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Her parents are John and Diane Walsh. She grew up with her three siblings, Sally, Amy, and Adam Walsh. They lived in Allerton, West Yorkshire. Her sister Sally acted in the soap opera Emmerdale. Amy joined the show in 2014.

Kimberley went to Sandy Lane Primary School and Beckfoot Grammar School. She first appeared in an Asda advert as a child. She played Young Cosette in a local show of Les Misérables. In 1986, she was in ITV's The Book Tower. Kimberley also attended and briefly taught at Stage 84, a theatre school in Bradford.

Music Career

Girls Aloud Journey

Walsh performing with Girls Aloud in August 2008

Kimberley tried out for Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. She sang "Where Do Broken Hearts Go". Thousands of people auditioned across the UK. Ten girls and ten boys were chosen as finalists. Kimberley did not make the top ten girls at first. But another contestant was disqualified, so she joined the show.

The finalists performed live each week. People voted by phone. Each week, the person with the fewest votes was eliminated. On 30 November 2002, Kimberley joined Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts, and Cheryl Tweedy. They formed the new girl group Girls Aloud.

The group's first song, "Sound of the Underground", reached number one. It was the Christmas number one in 2002. Girls Aloud holds a record for reaching number one fastest after forming. Their first album, Sound of the Underground, came out in May 2003. It reached number two and was certified platinum. Their songs "I'll Stand by You", "Walk This Way", and "The Promise" also reached number one.

Two of their albums topped the UK Albums Chart. These were their greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud and Out of Control (2008). Both went to number one. They sold over one million copies of The Sound of Girls Aloud.

Girls Aloud also had seven certified albums. They were nominated for five Brit Awards. They won "Best Single" in 2009 for "The Promise". The group's music style is pop. They also tried electropop and dance-pop. Girls Aloud worked with producer Brian Higgins and his team Xenomania. This made their pop music unique and earned them praise.

The group became one of the most successful reality TV acts in the UK. Guinness World Records listed them as "Most Successful Reality TV Group" in 2007. They also hold the record for "Most Consecutive Top Ten Entries in the UK by a Female Group" in 2008. They were named the UK's biggest selling girl group of the 21st century. They sold over 4.3 million singles and 4 million albums in the UK.

In July 2009, Girls Aloud announced they would take a year-long break. Kimberley said she didn't think the group would ever "officially break up." She explained they planned to tour again. They would take breaks for solo projects but would not split up for good.

After three years, Girls Aloud reunited for their 10th anniversary. They released a new song, "Something New", on 18 November 2012. The music video came out on 19 October 2012. The song was also the official charity single for Children in Need in 2012. The group released their second greatest hits album, Ten, on 26 November 2012. In 2013, they went on the Ten - The Hits Tour 2013. They announced their split shortly after the tour ended.

In May and June 2024, Kimberley and her Girls Aloud bandmates reunited for a tour. It was called The Girls Aloud Show. They did this tour to remember their late bandmate Sarah Harding.

Solo Music Projects

There were rumors that Kimberley would sign a record deal. She later confirmed on Suck My Pop that she would sing on English rapper Aggro Santos's song, "Like U Like". This was her first solo singing project away from Girls Aloud.

Kimberley said she had no plans for a solo album yet. She mentioned singing for the Horrid Henry film. In 2012, she made her West End debut. She played Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical. Kimberley also teamed up with Alfie Boe. They recorded a version of Queen's "One Vision". This was the Official Olympic Team Great Britain Single. She has also performed with other artists. These include Neyo, Ronan Keating, and James Cullum. In August 2012, it was announced that Kimberley was talking with Gary Barlow about a solo album.

On 7 September 2012, Kimberley was announced as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing. Her dance partner was Pasha Kovalev. She received three perfect scores during the show. She finished as one of the runners-up.

On 4 February 2013, Kimberley released her first album, Centre Stage. It features popular musical songs and two new tracks.

Kimberley wrote her autobiography, A Whole Lot of History. The book was released on 26 September 2013.

In March 2014, Kimberley helped record England's 2014 World Cup song. She worked with other pop stars like Melanie C and Emma Bunton. They sang "Greatest Day", a song by Take That. Gary Barlow produced the track.

Acting Career

Before Girls Aloud, Kimberley worked in theatre and acting. In 2000, she appeared in the TV series This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper. She also starred in a BBC educational show called Focus. In the same year, she tried out for a role in Coronation Street. In 2001, Kimberley played Tracy in Dream Back. In 2007, she appeared with Girls Aloud in St. Trinian's. In 2008, she and Nicola Roberts had small roles in Britannia High.

Kimberley wanted to star in a musical. In October 2007, she auditioned for Les Misérables. She also sang "On My Own" in character. This was shown on the TV series The Passions of Girls Aloud in March 2008.

In late 2010, Kimberley got a role in Horrid Henry: The Movie. She played Prissy Polly. The film was released on 29 July 2011. Kimberley also appeared in the 2013 movie All Stars. She played the mother of a character.

From October 2011 to May 2012, she played Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical in London. She later returned to the West End in October 2015. She played Jovie in Elf: The Musical.

In 2018, she appeared in the second series of Ackley Bridge. She played Claire Butterworth. She enjoyed hearing the northern accent on set.

In 2019, she returned to theatre. She played Susan in the London cast of Big (musical). In 2020, Kimberley reunited with Jay McGuiness. They played Annie in Sleepless: The Musical. This show was based on Sleepless in Seattle. It had a limited run due to Covid rules.

Presenting Roles

Kimberley was a judge on Let's Dance for Sport Relief. She also presented coverage of the BAFTA Awards for MTV in 2010. In summer 2010, she hosted the Sky 1 documentary "Girl in the Blue Jeans". She also presented coverage for The X Factor in 2009.

On 17–18 June 2010, Kimberley hosted Channel 4's The 5 O'Clock Show. She also had her own documentary for Sky 1, Kimberley Walsh: Blue Jean Girl. Kimberley later became a presenter for the music talk-show Suck My Pop on Viva. She was also a judge on ITV's Born to Shine.

On 9 April 2016, Kimberley co-presented Weekend Brunch. Since 2022, Kimberley has co-presented BBC's Morning Live.

Commercial Work

Kimberley was the face of the fashion chain New Look.

She also became the new face of Schwarzkopf. In January 2011, Kimberley was revealed as the new face of Puma AG BodyTrain fitness wear. In May 2011, she became the face of Right Guard's Xtreme Dry Range.

In September 2019, she signed with the outdoor clothing company Regatta.

In March 2022, Kimberley started working with the DIY chain, Wickes. She has helped create new interior paint colors. She told Ideal Home in 2024 that she has loved DIY since she was a child. She also helped renovate a parish hall as part of Wickes Community Programme.

Charitable Efforts

Kimberley climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in March 2009. She did this to raise money for Comic Relief. The climb was organized by Gary Barlow. Other celebrities also joined, including Cheryl, Alesha Dixon, and Fearne Cotton.

In March 2011, Kimberley worked with Maltesers. She teamed up with Tess Daly and Joanna Page to promote Red Nose Day 2011.

Other Activities

Kimberley became a weekly columnist for OK! magazine in August 2010. Her column was called "Kimberley Calls The Shots".

In 2017, Kimberley launched a children's clothing line. It is called "Kimba's Kids". She runs it with her brother.

In 2022, Kimberley appeared on Celebrity Antiques Road Trip on BBC Two. She competed against actor Ryan Thomas.

Strictly Come Dancing Performance

In September 2012, Kimberley was a celebrity contestant on Strictly Come Dancing. Her professional partner was Pasha Kovalev. On 22 December 2012, Kimberley and Pasha finished as joint runners-up. They were behind Olympic gymnast Louis Smith and Flavia Cacace.

Personal Life

Kimberley Walsh married her long-term partner Justin Scott on 30 January 2016. Justin was a member of the British boy band Triple 8. They have three sons together.

Discography

Studio Albums

Singles

As Lead Artist

As Featured Artist

Filmography

Awards and Recognition

Kimberley was named the Yorkshire Woman of the Year in 2009. This award recognized her success and her work as an ambassador for the Breast Cancer Haven charity. She also received the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Woman's award in 2009.

See also

In Spanish: Kimberley Walsh para niños

• List of Strictly Come Dancing contestants