Michelle Heaton
Michelle Heaton was born in Newcastle on 19 July 1980.
In her early days, Michelle Heaton won talent contests doing cover versions. She then became a dancer at Newcastle's The Baja Beach Club.
After performing gigs as a solo singer, Heaton reached the final stage in auditions for Girl Thing and got a place in the girl-band Sirens.
She then left and auditioned for Popstars, where she was a runner-up; and became a singer with Liberty X.
She stuck up for her partner, Andy Scott Lee when Pop Idol judge, Simon Cowell told Andy that Pop Idol was all about the winner. "What about Gareth Gates?" Michelle shouted.
Michelle and Andy Scott-Lee got engaged in September 2005 and married in October 2006.
Michelle Heaton received criticism from some quarters after her remarks that gay kissing scenes in Coronation Street should have gone out after the 9pm watershed. However she clarified later:
"I am really upset by the reaction. I have loads of gay friends and am in no way homophobic...What I meant to say was that homosexuality shouldn't be exploited or sensationalised."
From April 2005, Michelle Heaton, along with the likes of Annabel Croft, Victoria Silvstedt, Leilani Dowding and Kate Lawler appeared in short-lived Celebrity Wrestling.
Michelle had a gym built in her flat and tries to exercise as much as possible but sometimes her busy schedule gets in the way.
In November 2007, ITV announced that Michelle Heaton would feature in The Truth About Binge-Drinking, for which she spent a month living the life of a binge drinker.