Myleene Klass facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Myleene Klass MBE
Klass at the Greatest Britons Awards of 2007
Born	Myleene Angela Klass (1978-04-06) 6 April 1978 (age 47) Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England
Education	St Mary and St Peter Catholic Primary School Notre Dame High School Cliff Park High School East Coast College - (Great Yarmouth Campus)
Alma mater	Guildhall School of Music and Drama Royal Academy of Music
Occupation	Singer presenter musician model
Years active	2001–present
Spouse(s)	Graham Quinn ​ ​ (m. 2011; div. 2013)​
Partner(s)	Simon Motson
Children	3
Musical career
Genres	Pop classical crossover
Instruments	Vocals piano
Years active	2000–present
Labels	EMI Classics
Associated acts	Hear'Say

Myleene Angela Klass (born 6 April 1978) is an English musician, singer, television presenter, and model. She was a member of the pop group Hear'Say. Later, she released two solo classical crossover albums. Klass has also become a well-known television and radio presenter. She has hosted shows like Popstar to Operastar (2010–2011) and BBQ Champ (2015) on ITV. She also presented The One Show (2007) on BBC One. Klass was a regular guest on the ITV chat show Loose Women in 2014 and again from 2024. In 2006, Klass was the runner-up on the sixth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. She returned in 2023 for the "all-stars" series I'm a Celebrity... South Africa, which she won.

Early Life and Education

Myleene Klass was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Her father is from Austria, and her mother is from the Philippines. She attended Notre Dame High School, Norwich. Later, she moved to Cliff Park Ormiston Academy to finish her secondary education.

Klass learned to play the violin and piano when she was a child. At age 15, she studied voice and harp at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She earned high grades in her A-Level exams, including music. She then studied at the Royal Academy of Music, part of the University of London. When she was 11, she won a school engineering contest.

After graduating, Klass sang backing vocals for Sir Cliff Richard. She had worked with him before at age 10. She sang in a choir for his 1988 song "Mistletoe and Wine". This song was a Christmas number one hit. Klass also made her debut in West End theatre in the musical Miss Saigon.

Music Career

Myleene Klass started her television work in 1998. She sang soprano for the music in the Channel 4 film Alice through the Looking Glass.

Hear'Say Pop Group

In 2001, Klass tried out for the ITV reality show Popstars. This show aimed to create a new pop band. Klass was chosen as one of the ten finalists. She became a member of Hear'Say, along with Kym Marsh, Suzanne Shaw, Danny Foster, and Noel Sullivan.

After their first album was successful, Hear'Say got their own TV show. It was called Hear'Say It's Saturday. On the show, the band performed with famous artists. These included Lionel Richie and Celine Dion. At the end of 2001, Hear'Say performed at the Royal Variety Performance.

The group then had a sold-out tour with 37 shows. They also appeared on many TV shows. Hear'Say had four songs in the Top 10, including two number-one hits. The band broke up in October 2002.

Solo Music Albums

On 13 May 2003, Klass signed a five-album deal with Classics and Jazz. She promoted her first solo single, "Toccata and Fugue".

Klass's first album, Moving On, was released on 20 October 2003. It featured new versions of classical pieces. These included Fauré's Pavane and Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. The album also had music from films like Gladiator. It also included piano versions of modern songs. These were "Crawling" by Linkin Park and "If You're Not the One" by Daniel Bedingfield.

In its first week, Moving On reached No. 2 on the UK Classical Chart. It peaked at No. 32 on the UK Albums Chart. By mid-December 2003, the album was certified gold. In April 2004, Moving On was nominated for "Album of the Year" at the Classical BRIT Awards.

On 28 March 2007, Klass signed a new record deal with EMI Classics. She became both a recording artist and an ambassador for their UK artists.

Klass's second album in the EMI series was Myleene's Music for Mothers. It was released on 18 February 2008. It included two songs played by Klass: "America" from West Side Story and Ennio Morricone's "Chi Mai". In March 2013, she performed "Shakalaka- Baby" from the musical Bombay Dreams. This was part of a celebration for Andrew Lloyd Webber's 40 years of work.

Television Career

TV Presenting Roles

In August 2005, Klass became a presenter for the ITV music show CD:UK. Her first appearance was on 17 September 2005. In 2005, Klass was a guest on the discussion show The Wright Stuff. At Christmas 2005, she appeared on a celebrity version of the BBC quiz show Mastermind.

On 6 August 2006, Klass was a guest reporter on BBC One's Heaven & Earth. Her report was about the Pope's astronomer. From 10 October 2006, Klass co-presented Living's Ghost Towns. In May 2007, Klass appeared on Sky HD's test card.

From July to August 2007, Klass co-presented The One Show on BBC One. She left to focus on her baby. On 31 December 2007, Klass presented New Year Live on BBC One.

Klass became the new presenter of the Channel 4 series 10 Years Younger in 2008. She also co-hosted the American version of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! in 2009 on NBC. On 31 July 2015, Klass started presenting the new ITV series BBQ Champ.

Reality Television Shows

Klass took part in the sixth series of ITV's reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. The show began on 13 November 2006. After only one week, Klass became the most searched for celebrity from the show online. She finished in second place, behind Matt Willis.

On 20 September 2020, Klass was announced as a contestant on the thirteenth series of Dancing on Ice. She was paired with Łukasz Różycki. She was the first celebrity to be eliminated from the competition.

On 26 March 2023, it was announced that she would appear in I'm a Celebrity... South Africa. In the final episode on 12 May, Klass won the show. She beat runner-up Jordan Banjo and was crowned the first "I'm a Celebrity Legend".

On 13 October 2023, Klass was a guest on the ITV talk show Loose Women. She returned as a regular panelist from 19 January 2024.

Radio Work

In February 2006, Klass began presenting the Sunday Breakfast programme on Classic FM. She took over from Aled Jones. She worked for several years on the station's early morning show. Since 2006, she has presented the Friday and Saturday evening Smooth Classics programme. While working on Classic FM, she also had a show on London's Capital Radio.

On 27 May 2008, Klass presented the BBC Radio 2 show Friday Night is Music Night. This was in front of a live audience in Watford. Klass also presented various shows on TalkRADIO.

Klass began presenting a Saturday drive-time show on Smooth Radio in 2014. She also covered the weekday 10 am – 1 pm show for Kate Garraway.

Modelling Career

Myleene Klass was chosen as the new face of Ortak Jewellery. In January 2007, Klass signed a deal with Marks & Spencer. She modeled clothes and swimwear for their new season. From 2012, Klass modeled for the catalogue store Littlewoods.

Other Projects

In early 2006, Klass was cast in the play The ... Monologues. She performed in Bromley, Richmond, and Brighton. Her run was extended to include dates in Nottingham. Olympic champions joined Klass on 13 December 2006. They launched Lucky Dog, a new London 2012 National Lottery scratchcard.

In 2008, Klass started designing baby clothes for Mothercare. This range was called Baby K. Klass also writes a regular blog for the parenting website Gurgle. Klass is the official godmother of the cruise ship Carnival Splendor. Klass is an EDF Energy / Team Green Britain Ambassador. She took part in the launch of the EDF London Eye on 27 January 2011. In 2011, Klass began working with the children's shoe brand Start-rite. She helped design and promote a range of fitted footwear.

Personal Life

Myleene Klass has been an amateur astronomer for most of her life. Her father taught her the basics. In March 2006, Klass spoke out against the proposed closure of the London Planetarium. She explained on television how to view Venus. She also appeared on Channel 4's Richard & Judy to discuss the book Moondust. This book is about the lives of the first men on the moon. In 2007, she attended a televised party on BBC One. This party was held at the home of Patrick Moore to mark the 50th anniversary of his show, The Sky at Night. Klass once studied astronomy with the Open University.

On 1 April 2007, she announced she was expecting her first child. She delayed her wedding to Graham Quinn until 2008. Their daughter Ava was born on 16 August 2007. Klass published a book about her pregnancy, called My Bump and Me. She gave birth to a second daughter, Hero, on 25 March 2011.

Myleene Klass and Graham Quinn married on 21 October 2011. They divorced on 23 April 2013.

On 1 August 2019, she gave birth to her third child, a boy named Apollo. This was Klass's first child with her partner Simon Motson. Simon also has two children from a previous relationship. On 13 September 2020, Klass announced that she was engaged to Motson.

Charity Work

As part of World Vision's 24-hour famine appeal, Klass visited Sierra Leone. She saw how World Vision helped villagers rebuild their lives. She has also supported various charity campaigns. These include stopping text bullying and helping ChildLine. She also helped the Niger famine appeal by answering phone calls.

At the Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist, Norwich on 24 June 2005, Klass performed songs from her Moving On album. She also played with local schoolchildren in a classical concert. This concert raised money for an extension of the church building. Part of this performance was recorded by MTV.

On 15 July 2006, Klass appeared on BBC One's Sport Relief charity show. She played various TV sport theme tunes on a grand piano. This was part of a quiz show segment. In December 2006, Klass appeared on The Big Finish with Graham Norton. She competed to win £10,000 for charity. In November 2007, Klass was a guest presenter for BBC Children in Need. She performed Your Song with John Barrowman. She also works with Norwood, a Jewish charity for children.

In July 2022, Klass received an honorary degree from the University of East Anglia. In 2023, she supported changes to the Women's Health Strategy. This was for women who have experienced miscarriage.

Klass is an ambassador for the National Foundation for Youth Music. This is a charity for children's music. Klass was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2025 New Year Honours. This was for her work on women's health, especially raising awareness of miscarriage.

Klass is a celebrity ambassador for St John Ambulance. This is England’s leading first aid and healthcare charity. The charity announced this partnership in March 2024. Klass and her children were trained in First Aid by the charity. Klass has said she used the training when her daughters choked on separate occasions.

Filmography

Television

Guest Appearances

Discography

Studio Albums

Solo Promotional Singles

• "Toccata and Fugue" (2003)
• "Nothing To Lose" (2021), in collaboration with Veronica Green,

Books Written

• My Bump and Me (Virgin Books, 2008) ISBN: 9781905264247
• Things to Make and Do With Your Children (Orion, 2013) ISBN: 9781409144212
• They Don't Teach This at School (HQ, 2023) ISBN: 9780008467913

Awards and Nominations

See also

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