Sophie Ellis-Bextor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Ellis-Bextor at Leeds Pride 2013
Born	Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (1979-04-10) 10 April 1979 (age 46) Hounslow, London, England
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Years active	1996–present
Spouse(s)	Richard Jones ​ (m. 2005)​
Children	5
Parents	Robin Bextor (father) Janet Ellis (mother)
Musical career
Genres	Pop nu-disco house indie pop
Labels	Polydor Fascination Interscope EBGB's Cooking Vinyl Decca

Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She became well-known in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the band broke up, Sophie started her solo career. She became very successful in the early 2000s. Her music is mostly pop and dance with influences from disco and 1980s electronic music.

In 2000, Sophie worked with Italian DJ Spiller on the song "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". This song became number one in the United Kingdom. It was also the UK's best-selling vinyl single of the new millennium for a long time. Her first solo album, Read My Lips, came out in 2001. It reached number two on the UK Albums Chart. The album sold 1.5 million copies around the world. Three of its songs were big hits in the UK: "Take Me Home", "Murder on the Dancefloor", and "Get Over You / Move This Mountain". Her next album, Shoot from the Hip (2003), reached number 19 in the UK. It had two top ten songs: "Mixed Up World" and "I Won't Change You".

Sophie's third album, Trip the Light Fantastic (2007), reached number seven in the UK. Its first song, "Catch You", was a top ten hit. Her fourth album, Make a Scene (2011), and its song "Bittersweet" also did well. Her fifth album, Wanderlust (2014), reached number four. In 2016, she released Familia, an album inspired by Latin sounds. Critics really liked it.

Early Life and Beginnings

Ellis-Bextor's childhood stamp collection at Spring Stampex 2018

Sophie Ellis-Bextor was born in London. Her mother, Janet Ellis, was a presenter on BBC children's television shows like Blue Peter. Her father, Robin Bextor, is a film producer and director. Her parents separated when Sophie was four years old. When she was a child, Sophie sometimes appeared on Blue Peter with her mother.

She went to St. Stephen's School and later to Godolphin and Latymer School. From the age of thirteen, she performed with the W11 Opera children's opera. She is now a supporter of this group.

Music Career Highlights

Starting with Theaudience (1996–1999)

Sophie Ellis-Bextor began her music career in 1996. She was the lead singer in an indie band called Theaudience. The band released four songs, including "I Know Enough (I Don't Get Enough)" and "A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed". These songs made it into the UK Top 40. They also released one album called theaudience in 1999. Sophie's father, Robin Bextor, directed the music videos for the band's songs.

The band broke up in 1999. This happened after their record label, Mercury Records, did not want their second album. Sophie also sang with Manic Street Preachers on a song called "Black Holes for the Young" in 1998. In 1999, she appeared on the Departure Lounge album Out of Here.

Solo Success: Read My Lips and Shoot from the Hip (2000–2006)

After Theaudience split, Sophie worked with Italian DJ Spiller in 2000. She added her voice to his song "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". This song went straight to number one in the UK. It even beat Victoria Beckham's first solo song. "Groovejet" won many awards. It was named Best Single and Best Ibiza Tune at the Ericsson Muzik Awards.

In 2001, Sophie released her first solo album, Read My Lips. It reached number two in the UK charts. Four songs from the album became top-twenty hits. Her version of Cher's "Take Me Home" reached number two. "Murder on the Dancefloor" also reached number two. It became Sophie's biggest song and stayed on the charts for twenty-three weeks. "Murder on the Dancefloor" was the most played song in Europe in 2002. In 2002, Read My Lips was re-released with two new songs. Sophie also won the Recording Artist Award that year. Her third song, "Get Over You / Move This Mountain", came out in June 2002 and reached number three. The fourth song, "Music Gets the Best of Me", reached number fourteen in December. Sophie was nominated for the "British Female Solo Artist" BRIT Award for three years in a row.

Her second album, Shoot from the Hip, came out in October 2003. It had two more top-ten songs: "Mixed Up World" and "I Won't Change You". The album reached number 19 in the UK charts. Sophie said this album was "more emotional" and "a little different" from Read My Lips. She said it had "more of a live feel" but was still a pop album. She stopped promoting the album when she became pregnant.

New Sounds: Trip the Light Fantastic and Make a Scene (2007–2011)

Ellis-Bextor performing at G-A-Y in 2007

Trip the Light Fantastic, Sophie's third album, was released in May 2007. It reached number seven in the UK. This album had three songs released as singles: "Catch You" (number 8 in the UK), "Me and My Imagination", and "Today the Sun's on Us".

Sophie opened for George Michael on his UK tour in June 2007. She also joined Take That on their Beautiful World Tour in October 2007.

In June 2009, Sophie was featured on the Freemasons song "Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)". This song reached number 13 in the UK. In July, she performed at the iTunes Festival in London. A recording of her performance was released as Sophie Ellis-Bextor: iTunes Live in London. "Bittersweet", the first song from her fourth album, came out in May 2010. It reached number 25 on the UK Singles Chart. Sophie also worked with DJ Armin van Buuren on "Not Giving Up on Love" in August 2010. She was also on the Junior Caldera song "Can't Fight This Feeling".

Her fourth album, Make a Scene, was released in June 2011. Sophie left her old record label to start her own, EBGBs. She said Make a Scene was "very much a dance album." She also said she wanted to make a "really different" album next. She supported Pet Shop Boys on their tour in July 2010. The song "Starlight" was released before the album in May 2011.

Sophie also supported the band Erasure on their tour in June 2011. She started touring internationally again in 2011, performing in places like Jakarta and Australia.

Exploring New Directions: Wanderlust and Familia (2012–2019)

In May 2011, Sophie shared that she had started working on her fifth album. From 2012, she worked with British singer and producer Ed Harcourt. They wanted to create a "more concept driven record." In November 2012, she performed a new song called "Young Blood" at a charity event. A free version of the song was released in March 2013 as a thank you to her fans. She also performed in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Sophie confirmed the album was finished in May and announced its title, Wanderlust, in October.

"Young Blood" was the first song from Wanderlust. It came out in November 2013 and reached number three on the UK Indie Chart. The album was released in January 2014. It reached number four on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK Independent Albums Chart. Sophie performed sold-out shows in London to support Wanderlust. She then announced a 10-date UK tour.

Sophie also worked with Guéna LG and Amir Afargan on "Back 2 Paradise" in June 2014. This song became number one on the US Billboard Dance/Club Chart. She was also featured on the song "Only Child" by DedRekoning in September 2014.

In January 2015, Sophie said she was working on her sixth album, again with Ed Harcourt. In January 2016, she posted that the album was finished. The album, called Familia, was inspired by a trip to North America, especially Mexico. Familia means "family" in Spanish. Sophie said the album sounded more like her earlier music. Familia was released in September 2016 and reached number 12 on the UK Albums Chart. After having her child in late 2015, she started touring again in 2017.

In November 2017, she announced an album of her greatest hits, re-recorded with an orchestra. In February 2018, she announced the album's title, The Song Diaries. It included re-recorded songs from her whole career, plus a new song. The first song from the album, "Love Is You", was released in August 2018. The Song Diaries came out in March 2019 and reached number 14 in the UK.

Kitchen Disco and Recent Work (2020–Present)

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Sophie performed weekly "Kitchen Disco" concerts. She streamed these live from her kitchen on Instagram with her family. In June 2020, Sophie started a weekly podcast called Spinning Plates with Sophie Ellis-Bextor. On this podcast, she interviews working mothers.

On 16 July 2020, Sophie announced a greatest hits album called Songs from the Kitchen Disco. Before the album, she released a song called "Crying at the Discoteque". This was a cover of an Alcazar song that she had performed during her lockdown concerts. She performed this song on The Graham Norton Show on New Year's Eve. In March 2022, she started her "Songs from the Kitchen Disco" tour in the U.K. In July 2022, she released a new song, "Hypnotized", with electronic artist Wuh Oh.

A live album, Kitchen Disco – Live at the London Palladium, was released in November 2022.

In January 2023, Sophie worked with the duo Rhyme So on a cover of "Deep in Vogue". On 8 February 2023, she revealed a new song, "Breaking the Circle". This was the first song from her seventh album, Hana, which came out on 2 June 2023. The album's title comes from the Japanese word for "blossom" or "flower". Sophie said the album was inspired by a trip to Japan before the pandemic. Hana is her third album with producer Ed Harcourt. Sophie said the album has themes of "optimism, new starts, adventures and reflections."

In June 2023, Sophie appeared on a podcast called Grilled!. She talked about her book, her favorite restaurants, and how music and food are similar. In July 2023, it was announced that Sophie would work with film composer David Arnold and lyricist Don Black. They created a song for the film "Mog's Christmas", based on the children's book series by Judith Kerr. The song, "As Long As I Belong", is about "the importance of belonging". Sophie also worked with Robbie Williams and his project 'Lufthaus' on the song "Immortal".

Sophie's song "Murder on the Dancefloor" was featured in the 2023 film Saltburn. Because of this, the song became popular again. It re-entered the UK singles chart, reaching number two. It also got more than 1.4 million streams on Spotify on New Year's Eve. This was Sophie's first time on the US singles chart, reaching #51. In 2024, Sophie had her most successful year for performances, playing 110 shows.

In February 2024, it was announced that Sophie would perform at Valley Fest 2024. The same month, she announced her first North American tour. In June 2024, she announced a second North American tour because the first one was so successful.

After "Murder on the Dancefloor" became popular again, Sophie reportedly signed with Universal Music Group. She started working on her eighth album. Her first major-label song in 14 years, "Freedom of the Night", was released on October 18, 2024. On 25 October 2024, it was announced that her next album, The Invisible Line, will be released in summer 2025.

Starting in early 2025, Sophie's Kitchen Disco show on BBC Radio 2 will be longer.

Other Activities and Projects

In 2001, Sophie tried out for a role in the film Moulin Rouge!. In 2007, she appeared in the Robbie the Reindeer episode "Close Encounters of the Herd Kind". She was shown as an alien singing "Supersonic". In November 2007, she launched the npower Greener Schools Programme. This program helps schools become more energy efficient. She also launched Capital Radio's 'Lights Out London' campaign. This campaign asked Londoners to turn off their lights for one hour to save energy.

In 2008, she was in a short musical film called The Town that Boars Me. The same year, she led a campaign for The Children's Society. This campaign encouraged people to share childhood memories to raise money. In May 2008, she became one of the new faces for the cosmetics brand Rimmel. She also spoke about Verdi on the BBC World News classical music show Visionaries. In late 2013, she was a contestant on the eleventh series of the TV dance show Strictly Come Dancing. She reached the final and placed fourth.

Ellis-Bextor at the 2015 British Academy Television Awards

In September 2014, the Pretty Polly hosiery company announced that Sophie was their new model. She also designed for them. In March 2019, Sophie appeared as an extra in Game of Thrones, Season 8, Episode 3. In July 2020, she started her podcast Spinning Plates. In the same year, she competed in The Masked Singer as Alien. She was the first celebrity to be unmasked.

In 2021, Sophie Ellis-Bextor wrote a book about her life called Music, Men, Motherhood and Me.

In October 2021, it was announced that she would appear in the Australian TV show Neighbours in 2022. In November 2021, Sophie did a 24-hour "Kitchen Disco Danceathon" to raise money for Children in Need. She raised over £1,000,000 for the cause. In December 2022, Sophie worked with Vodafone to show off their new broadband during a Christmas concert in London.

In October 2023, Sophie was a guest judge on the TV show RuPaul's Drag Race UK.

On 3 August 2024, Sophie Ellis-Bextor performed at Brighton Pride's Fabuloso concert. She sang many of her hit songs.

Personal Life and Family

Sophie Ellis-Bextor met her husband, the Feeling bassist Richard Jones, in 2002. He was trying out for her tour band. Richard said they felt a strong connection right away. Their first child was born two months early, eight months after they started dating. They got married fourteen months later in 2005. They have five children, all sons.

Sophie had pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure) during her first two pregnancies. This caused both her first two children to be born early. She supports Borne, a charity that researches why babies are born early. She is also an ambassador for Lumos, a children's charity.

In the 2019 European Parliament election, Sophie supported Change UK. Her father, Robin Bextor, was a candidate for the South East Region.

Awards and Recognitions

Band Members

• Phil Wilkinson – drums
• Richard Jones – bass
• Ciaran Jeremiah – keyboards
• Seton Daunt – guitar
• Gita Langley – backing vocals, violin

Discography

Studio albums

• Read My Lips (2001)
• Shoot from the Hip (2003)
• Trip the Light Fantastic (2007)
• Make a Scene (2011)
• Wanderlust (2014)
• Familia (2016)
• Hana (2023)
• The Invisible Line (2025)

Tours

Ellis-Bextor performing in November 2012

• Read My Lips Tour (2002–2003)
• Straight to the Heart Tour (2009–2010)
• Wanderlust Tour (2014)
• Familia Tour (2017)
• The Song Diaries Tour (2019)
• Kitchen Disco Tour (2022–2024)
• North American Tour (May – September 2024)

Opening act for other artists

• 25 Live (for George Michael) (2006)
• Beautiful World Tour (for Take That) (2007)
• Pandemonium Tour (for Pet Shop Boys) (2010)
• Total Pop! Forest Tour (for Erasure) (2011)
• Summer 2019 (for Kylie Minogue) (2019)
• What the Future Holds Tour (for Steps) (2021)
• The Wild Dreams Tour (for Westlife) (2022)
• This Life on Tour (for Take That) (2024)

Images for kids

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  Ellis-Bextor at the 2015 British Academy Television Awards

See also

In Spanish: Sophie Ellis-Bextor para niños