Samantha Mumba facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Samantha Mumba
Mumba in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Samantha Tamania Anne Cecilia Mumba
Born	(1983-01-18) 18 January 1983 (age 42) Dublin, Ireland
Genres	Dance-pop R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter dancer actress fashion model TV presenter
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Universal Polydor Warner Chappell Interscope A&M

Samantha Mumba (born 18 January 1983) is an Irish singer, actress, and TV presenter. She became famous in 2000 when she was just 17 years old. Her first song, "Gotta Tell You", was a huge hit. It reached the top five in the music charts in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The song's chorus was so popular that Billboard magazine listed it as one of the 100 Greatest Choruses of the 21st Century. Her first album, also called Gotta Tell You, was also very successful. Samantha has had seven top-five hits in Ireland and six top-ten hits in the UK.

Besides music, Samantha is also an actress. She appeared in the 2002 movie The Time Machine. After a break, she returned to music in 2013. She has released new songs, including "Cool" and "Process" in 2020 and "The Lie" in 2023.

Early Life

Samantha Mumba was born in Dublin, Ireland. Her father, Peter Mumba, was from Zambia and worked as an aircraft engineer. Her mother is Irish. Samantha also has a brother named Omero, who is an actor and rapper.

When Samantha was 15, she was on an Irish talent show called Let Me Entertain You. A famous music manager named Louis Walsh, who managed bands like Boyzone and Westlife, saw her perform. He was very impressed and signed her to Polydor Records.

After being signed, Samantha traveled between Denmark, Sweden, the UK, and Ireland. She spent this time writing and recording her first album. She decided to leave school to focus all her energy on her music career.

Music and Acting Career

2000–2006: Pop Stardom and Movies

Samantha's first song, "Gotta Tell You", came out in 2000 and was a worldwide success. It was number one in Ireland and New Zealand, number two in the UK, and number four in the US.

Later that year, she released her album Gotta Tell You. It was a top ten album in both Ireland and the UK. Because of her fame, she was cast as Mara in the movie The Time Machine. She even acted alongside her real-life brother, Omero. For her role, she was nominated for a Teen Choice Award.

Samantha also performed with another teen star, Aaron Carter, for a Disney Channel concert. They also appeared together on the Nickelodeon show All That.

In 2002, Samantha released a new single called "I'm Right Here". It became her fifth top-five hit in Ireland and the UK. People thought she was going to release a second album, but it never came out. This was because of changes at her record label, Polydor Records. Samantha later explained that there was never a finished second album.

She continued acting and appeared in the Irish movie Spin the Bottle in 2003. In 2006, a collection of her songs called The Collection was released. It included her hits and two new songs.

2013–2019: Return to Music

In 2013, Samantha announced she was making a comeback. She appeared on the Irish TV show The Hit and competed with a new song, "Somebody Like Me". The song reached number five on the Irish charts, her first hit in over ten years.

She began performing again, including at the Dublin Pride Festival in 2015. In 2017, she was on a celebrity version of MasterChef Ireland. She also returned to British TV as a panelist on the show Loose Women.

2020–Present: New Singles and Eurovision

Samantha released the single "Cool" in November 2020. A month later, she released another song called "Process," which she wrote after her father passed away.

In 2023, she performed at major events like Birmingham Pride and the Mighty Hoopla festival in London. She also released a new single called "The Lie."

On January 22, 2025, Samantha released the song "My Way." She competed with this song in Eurosong 2025, the show that picks Ireland's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. She finished in second place. Afterwards, Samantha felt that the show's judges were "unnecessarily rude" to the performers. The TV station, RTÉ, responded by saying the judges were just giving their honest opinions.

Modelling Career

After her first album became a hit, Samantha became a model for the sports brand Reebok. She also modeled for the Irish fashion designer Louise Kennedy.

In 2004, she modeled a very special dress for the London premiere of the movie Spider-Man 2. It was a "diamond cobweb" dress created by designer Scott Henshall and was valued at £5 million, making it one of the world's most expensive dresses.

Samantha also became an ambassador for Dior watches in Ireland. In 2005, she modeled for the Ultimo lingerie brand.

Personal Life

In June 2011, Samantha got engaged to Torray Scales, a police officer from Los Angeles. They were married on February 24, 2012.

In September 2014, she announced she was expecting her first child. In February 2015, just before her baby was due, she was in a three-car accident but was not injured. On March 3, 2015, she gave birth to a daughter named Sage.

Discography

• Gotta Tell You (2000)

Filmography

Films

• The Time Machine (2002)
• Spin the Bottle (2003)
• Boy Eats Girl (2005)
• Nailed (2006)
• Johnny Was (2006)
• 3 Crosses (2007)
• Shifter (2007)
• Loftus Hall (2011)
• Home (2016)

Television

• Billboard Music Awards (2000)
• Top of the Pops (2000, 2001, 2002)
• Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (2001)
• Royal Variety Performance (2001)
• MOBO Awards (2001)
• Brit Awards (2001, 2002)
• An Audience With Lulu (2002)
• V Graham Norton (2002)
• The Kumars at No. 42 (2003)
• Meteor Ireland Music Awards (2001–2006)
• Get Your Act Together with Harvey Goldsmith (2007)
• Dancing on Ice (2008)
• Celebrity Masterchef Ireland 2017 (2017)
• The 6 O'Clock Show (2017)
• Loose Women (2008, 2018)
• Last Singer Standing (2021)
• Harry Wild (2023–present)

Awards and Nominations

• BMI Pop Awards
  • 2002, Award-Winning Song, "Gotta Tell You" (Won)
• BT Digital Music Awards
  • 2002, People's Choice Award (Nominated)
• Billboard Music Video Awards
  • 2001, Best Pop Video of the Year – New Artist, "Gotta Tell You" (Nominated)
• Meteor Music Awards
  • 2001, Best Selling Irish Single – Female Artist, "Gotta Tell You" (Won)
  • 2002, Best Female Singer (Won)
• MOBO Awards
  • 2001, Best Album, Gotta Tell You (Nominated)
  • 2000, Best Video, "Gotta Tell You" (Nominated)
• Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
  • 2000, Best New Female (Won)
  • 2000, Most Fanciable Female (Nominated)
  • 2000, Best Dressed Female (Nominated)
  • 2000, Best Dancer in Pop (Nominated)
  • 2002, Best Female Solo (Nominated)
• Teen Choice Awards
  • 2001, Choice Music: Breakout Artist (Nominated)
  • 2002, Choice Movie: Breakout Actress, The Time Machine (Nominated)
• The Record of the Year
  • 2000, Record of the Year, "Gotta Tell You" (Nominated)

See also

In Spanish: Samantha Mumba para niños