Jan Ravens's Biography

Jan Ravens was born on 14 May 1958. Ravens grew up on the Wirral and then trained as a drama teacher at Cambridge University.

She followed in the footsteps of many a talented actor and comedian in having been in the Cambridge Footlights.

Jan Ravens played Janet Grimley in The Grimleys, and has acted in several other TV and theatre productions, but is most famous for her impressions in Dead Ringers on radio and TV.

Jan Ravens told Arena:

"If I hear someone doing an accurate impression, it gives me a warm glow of pleasure."

In a way this is reflected in Kathryn Flett's high praise for Jan Ravens's impressions:

"Unlike Ronni Ancona, who can somehow physically embody both Victoria Beckham and Ruby Wax, Jan Ravens's brilliance is entirely vocal. I loved her prissy-yet-slightly-saucy Kirstie Allsopp from Location Location Location, while a pedantic Delia and querulous Joan Bakewell ('I'm getting on a bit but you still would, wouldn't you?') were equally spot-on ..."

Jan Ravens should have enjoyed Strictly Come Dancing. In an interview in the Times, she revealed:

"I took singing lessons last year and found that it wakes up your head. It's like doing a workout, it leaves you glowing. I also had a fantastic choreographer who studied the Madonna videos and gave me the moves. I thought: 'This is the exercise I like best; I should do dancing classes on the go'."

In the event Jan Ravens and her professional dance partner Anton Du Beke went out in the fifth round of Strictly Come Dancing.

Jan's husband was so upset with her departure from Strictly Come Dancing that he reportedly pushed Craig Revel Horwood three times in the chest.

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