Denise van Outen's Biography
Who is Denise van Outen?
She was born in Basildon on 27 May 1974.Denise Van Outen's father was a security guard and her mother a child carer.
She attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School and as a teenager acted in various TV dramas as well as acting in A Midsummer Night's Dream with the RSC.
Denise van Outen made her name on The Big Breakfast. In 1995, Van Outen joined The Big Breakfast as a weather and travel reporter, but a couple of years later she started co-presenting the show with Johnny Vaughan.
She explained years later why she fell out with Johnny Vaughan.
Van Outen left The Big Breakfast for a while and presented Something For The Weekend, however she returned briefly to The Big Breakfast, when Liza Tarbuck left to concentrate on her acting career.
The versatile van Outen then launched a successful career in musicals. Her West End debut was in 2001 as Roxie in Chicago, and her performance was well received by the public.
Denise van Outen also played the role on Broadway in the Spring of 2002 and then returned to the London version of the show.
In 2003, she starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber's one-woman show Tell Me On A Sunday.
BBC London quoted Denise van Outen at the launch:
"The show's like 'Sex and the City', although not as crude. Most women of my age know what it's like to be on the dating scene, and that's what I wanted to come across."
Denise van Outen used to go out with Jay Kay but was single at the time of Any Dream Will Do and according to The Stage said of the BBC series, "It's rather like speed dating for me, the audition process!"
In a funny way, it turned out to be like speed dating as, in December 2007, The Sun reported that Denise van Outen was going out with Lee Mead.
In the USA, Denise Van Outen hosted a talent search show on NBC, entitled 'Grease: You're The One That I Want' - the UK version of which on ITV is a rival to Any Dream Will Do.
In 2001, The Guardian had an interview with Denise van Outen.
In 2007, Denise van Outen was cast in Rent until her role was taken over by Jessie Wallace.
In 2008, Denise van Outen was cast in The Emperor's New Clothes, part of the BBC's Fairy Tales season.
In February 2008, Denise van Outen and Johnny Vaughan resumed their professional partnership with Capital Breakfast with Johnny and Denise broadcast on Capital Radio.
However, van Outen quit Capital in early August.
In April 2008, Denise van Outen wrote in her column in Now magazine that her face has been left scarred by sunbeds.
On 25 April 2009, Denise van Outen and Lee Mead got married at the Labriz Silhouette Resort in the Seychelles.
In June 2009, it was announced that in the Edinburgh Fringe, Denise van Outen would perform a one-woman musical comedy show called Blondes.
On 11 November 2009, Denise van Outen and Lee Mead announced they were expecting their first child.
Their daughter Betsy was born on 1 May 2010.
In February 2011, Denise van Outen pulled out of co-presenting Channel Five's new show OK! TV.
In July 2011, Denise van Outen, alongside Jason Gardiner became a judge on Born To Shine on ITV1.
In 2012, she was paired with James Jordan in Strictly Come Dancing series 10. Denise and James reached the final and ended up joint runners-up.
In 2013, she broke up with Lee Mead.
In 2020, she took part in The Masked Singer competing as Fox.
In September 2020, ITV revealed that Denise van Outen would be one of the celebrities on Dancing on Ice in 2021.
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