Charlotte Maria Church

Born 21 February 1986
Charlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical crossover singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10,500,000 albums worldwide and is said to be worth as much as £20,000,000 (about US$32,000,000)

Awards and nominations
2000 - Classical BRIT Awards - Best Female Artist - NOMINATED
2000 - Classical BRIT Awards - British Artist Of The Year - WON
2000 - Hollywood Reporters Young Star Awards - Best Young Recording Artist Or Musical Group - WON
2000 - Institute Of Public Relations In Wales - Millenium Comunicator Of The Year - WON
2002 - Rear of the year - WON
2005 - GQ Awards - Woman Of The Year - WON
2006 - Brit Awards - Best British Female - NOMINATED
2006 - Loaded Magazine LAFTA Awards - Funniest T.V Personality - WON
2006 - Glamour Awards - Editors Choice Award - WON
2006 - Glamour Awards - Solo Artist Of The Year - WON
2006 - British Comedy Awards - Best Female Newcommer - WON
2007 - Glamour Awards - Readers Favourite TV Personality - WON
2008 - Rose d'Or Awards - Best Entertainer - NOMINATED

“Even if it means my career forfeits, I still want to live my life as a person, and not just as a singer.”
Charlotte Church

At the age of 11 Charlotte rocketed to fame after appearing on the television show, Talking Telephone Numbers. This launched a classical career with concerts at Cardiff Arms Park, Royal Albert Hall, and performing for Pope John Paul II and US President Bill Clinton. In 2005, she branched out into pop music, and as of 2007 has sold a total of over 10 million albums worldwide.

Her break came at 11 when she sang "Pie Jesu" over the telephone on the television show "This Morning" in 1997, followed by her performance on ITV's Big, Big Talent Show in 1998. This led to concerts at Cardiff Arms Park, the Royal Albert Hall and opening for Shirley Bassey in Antwerp. She also received a vocal scholarship to Howell's School Llandaff in Cardiff where she started in 1998. She balanced performing and school with help from tutors for when she was on the road and said in many interviews that she was "just like every other girl her age".

Church appeared on PBS specials. Her self-titled second album also included operatic, religious, and traditional tracks. One, the soaring and inspirational Just Wave Hello, was the centerpiece of a millennium-themed ad campaign for the Ford Motor Company. The song's full-length video, featuring Church, won acclaim at the Detroit Auto Show and introduced her to new fans. The track reached #31 in her native UK.

In 2000, she released Dream a Dream, an album of Christmas carols. It included Church's first foray into a more pop-influenced style in the title track Dream a Dream, borrowing the melody from Fauré's Pavane and featuring young American country singer Billy Gilman. Church also sang with Gilman in "Sleigh Ride" on his CD Classic Christmas.

In 2001, Church added more pop, swing, and Broadway with her album Enchantment. That year, movie audiences heard Church for the first time in the 2001 Ron Howard film A Beautiful Mind. Celine Dion was beginning a concert engagement in Las Vegas and was not available to perform the film's end title song, "All Love Can Be", composer James Horner enlisted Church and the song was re-written for her vocal range. Church also handled other vocal passages throughout the score.

In 2002, at 16, she released a 'best of' album called Prelude, and took part in the Royal Christmas tour alongside Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, concluding her classical music career. Her next album, Tissues and Issues, would be a pop release.

Articles emerged in the UK press in March and April 2008 stating that she was still training classically and was contemplating a return to classical crossover at some point. Church has sung in religious services in Taizé. She has also performed before Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth II, the Prince of Wales and Bill Clinton, the former United States President.

Television Minor Appearances

Church has made a number of cameo appearances on television. She appeared in the CBS series Touched by an Angel, starred in the 1999 Christmas special of Heartbeat, and in 2003 she presented an episode of Have I Got News For You. In 2005 she played herself in an episode of The Catherine Tate Show, in a sketch with the fictional character Joannie Taylor. In 2008 she appeared briefly in a sketch in Katy Brands Big Ass Show. In 2009 she is set to appear in 3 episodes of hit US sitcom How I Met Your Mother as Katy Moore a new girlfriend of Marshall's brother who comes to stay late in the 4th season.

In December 2005, for The Paul O'Grady Show Christmas Pantomime, The Wizard of Oz, Church played Dorothy Gale.

Movie roles

She made her silver screen debut in 2003's I'll Be There, co-starring and directed by Craig Ferguson. Church played the role of Olivia, the daughter of a washed-up 80s rocker from a one-night-stand, played by Ferguson. The film did not meet with widespread success, playing for only ten days in UK cinemas and being released directly to video in the US. Charlotte was also under consideration to appear in the 2004 film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterpiece Phantom of the Opera as the leading female character Christine Daae but elected not to audition as it was specified she would have to lose weight before she could try out which she declined to do. The part eventually went to Emmy Rossum. Church also stated she had wanted the part of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series of films, however, at 14 she was too old for the part, which eventually went to Emma Watson.

Nickname:Voice Of An Angel
Birthname:Charlotte Maria Reed
Hookups:Gavin Henson, Steven Johnson, Kyle Johnson
Hometown:Llandaf, Wales
Assets:Incredible voice, great tits, thighs, arse, funny and bubbly personality
Height:5'5
Job:Singer, TV presenter
Hobbies:Partying