Katherine Jenkins's Biography

Who is Katherine Jenkins?

Her mother worked as a mammography radiographer, whilst her father, who retired early, passed away from lung cancer when Katherine was a teenager.

Katherine Jenkins is hugely successful opera star and is the first artist to have two Number Ones in the UK classical charts in a year.

Katherine Jenkins attended Alderman Davies Primary School and Dwr-yr-Felin School in Neath.

As a youngster Katherine Jenkins represented Wales three times in the Choirgirl Of The Year competition and at 17 she won a scholarship to study opera at the Royal Academy of Music.

Katherine Jenkins then went from giving singing lessons to children in Neath to being given the biggest recording deal in the history of classical music.

Her first album, Premiere, made her the fastest selling soprano of all time and she became the first artist to hold the number one and two UK classical album chart positions at the same time, with Premiere and Second Nature, which also reached number 16 in the UK pop charts.

Katherine Jenkins has made numerous live performances at the world's most prestigious venues including Westminster Cathedral, Sydney Opera House, Royal Albert Hall and at the VE Day concert at Trafalgar Square.

Katherine Jenkins's album Living the Dream stayed at No 1 for almost a year in the UK classical charts and got to Number 4 in the pop album charts.

It was followed in November 2006 by another huge hit, Serenade, which sold more than 50,000 copies in its first week.

She followed it up with Rejoice.

The Guardian compared Katherine Jenkins to Charlotte Church:

"Jenkins is everything that her compatriot Charlotte Church could have been until the latter mutated from Voice of an Angel to Little Miss Raunch. She's sweet, slick and antiseptically pretty."

Asked what the most important lesson life has taught her, Katherine Jenkins told The Guardian:

"You learn your lessons from the mistakes you make, not the things you achieve."

Katherine Jenkins used to go out with Worlds Apart singer Steve Hart.

At the end of 2007 and in 2008, Katherine Jenkins was touring with Darcey Bussell in a stage show, Viva la Diva, a tribute to their heroes and heroines.

Katherine Jenkins and Darcey Bussell also performed together at the Royal Variety Performance in December 2007.

In October 2008 the BBC reported that Katherine Jenkins had signed the biggest classical recording deal ever, in a five-album deal with Warner Music.

In November 2008, Katherine Jenkins revealed that she taken drugs when she was younger. According to a BBC report, Katherine Jenkins stopped taking drugs in 2003.

In 2010, Katherine Jenkins was one of the mentors and judges on Popstar to Operastar on ITV1.

In 2011 Katherine Jenkins and Gethin Jones got engaged. However, in December 2011 they revealed that they were breaking up.

In 2012, Katherine Jenkins partnered by Mark Ballas came second in Dancing with the Stars.

On 31 December 2013, Katherine Jenkins was appointed an OBE for her contribution to music and services to charity.

In April 2014, Katherine Jenkins and American film director and artist Andrew Levitas announced their engagement.

They married later that year.

In September 2015, Katherine Jenkins gave birth to a baby girl, Aaliyah.

In August 2016, it was announced that Katherine Jenkins and Andrew Levitas were to produce an animated children's show for S4C called Symphony Street.

On 13 July 2017, the BBC announced that Katherine Jenkins was to be a main presenter on Songs of Praise.

In November 2017, Katherine Jenkins revealed that she was expecting her second child.

In December 2019, Katherine Jenkins intervened in a street robbery and was then mugged on her way to a charity carol concert rehearsal.

In 2023, the BBC commissioned Christmas with Katherine Jenkins to air on Saturday 23 December.