Michelle de Swarte facts for kids

Michelle de Swarte (born in 1980) is a talented English actress, comedian, presenter, and former model. She is known for her roles in popular TV shows. Michelle starred in the Netflix series The Duchess. She also created, wrote, and starred in the BBC series Spent.

Early Life and Background

Michelle de Swarte was born in Lewisham, South London. She grew up in Brixton. Her mother is Jewish and her father is Jamaican. As a child, Michelle was diagnosed with dyslexia. This means her brain works a bit differently when it comes to reading and writing.

Michelle's Career Journey

Starting as a Model

Michelle de Swarte began her career in modeling. She was discovered by a modeling agency when she was 19 years old. At the time, she was working at SegaWorld London. After being scouted, she moved to New York to continue her modeling work. Later, she returned to Britain and started a new path in comedy.

Top Fashion Campaigns

As a model, Michelle worked on many big campaigns for beauty products. These included well-known brands like Make-up Art Cosmetics (MAC), Sephora, and Neutrogena. She also posed for famous fashion brands. Some of these were Burberry, Tommy Hilfiger, Cartier, Betsey Johnson, Michael Kors, Baby Phat, H&M, Gap, and Levis.

Working with Famous Photographers

Michelle was photographed by some of the world's most famous photographers. These included Mario Testino, Peter Lindbergh, Patrick Demarchelier, and Steven Meisel. Her photos appeared in top fashion magazines. She was featured in Harper's Bazaar, Italian Vanity Fair, and V.

Runway Shows and a Memorable Moment

Michelle also walked in fashion shows for designers like Copperwheat Blundell, Luella, and Missoni. During the Fall/Winter 2002 fashion week, she modeled for Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, John Galliano, and Versus Versace. Her runway modeling career had an unexpected end during a Gucci show. The catwalk was covered in fake sheepskin, and she fell down several times. She even took off her shoes to finish the walk.

Moving to Television

After modeling, Michelle de Swarte moved into television. She became a presenter for several shows.

• She hosted Dirty Digest for E4. This was a celebrity gossip show.
• She co-hosted The Fashion Show with George Lamb and Abbey Clancy. This mini-series aired on ITV2 in 2008.
• She also hosted the live broadcast of Arthur's Day celebrations.
• Michelle appeared as a commentator on BBC's The Noughties.. Was That It? in 2009.
• She was a guest on many panel shows for channels like Channel 4, BBC, ITV, and Comedy Central.

Documentary Work

In 2015, Michelle started reporting for Vice America. She worked on various documentaries. These covered important topics, including female magicians. She also worked on the Emmy-nominated series Woman. This series was produced by Gloria Steinem for Viceland USA.

Acting Roles

Michelle has starred in several TV series.

• In 2020, she appeared in the British comedy-drama series The Duchess.
• In 2022, she starred in The Baby, a British horror comedy series.
• In 2024, her own sitcom, Spent, was released on BBC Two. This show was inspired by her real-life experiences in the modeling industry.

Personal Life

Michelle de Swarte divides her time between London and Greenpoint, Brooklyn. She was previously married to professional skateboarder Jason Dill. They divorced in 2020.

TV Productions

• 2008: The Fashion Show (Princess Productions for ITV2 with George Lamb and Abigail Clancy)
• 2009: Arthur's Day Celebrations (ITV2 and Sky, with Cat Deeley and Ronan Keating)
• 2009: I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here Now! (ITV2, filmed in Australia)
• 2011: Dirty Digest (E4)
• 2024: Spent (BBC Two)