Charlotte’s Road To Fame
From angelic choir girl to pop star mum, we chart the sometimes rocky rise and rise of our glamorous Welsh cover girl, the incomparable Charlotte Church…
Rex FeaturesBecoming Charlotte Church
Aww - isn’t she adorable! Born Charlotte Maria Reed, the Welsh starlet was raised in Llandaff, a district of Cardiff, as a Roman Catholic by mum Maria. She was adopted by her mother’s second husband, James Church in 1998, taking his name with her all the way to the top.
Rex FeaturesVoice Of An Angel
Charlotte’s road to superstardom began somewhat modestly when the dulcet-toned child sang the Latin classic “Pie Jesu” over the telephone on TV game show Talking Telephone Numbers. Smart move - the crackly performance was swiftly followed by a live gig on ITV’s Big, Big Talent Show, leading to several headlining show dates around Cardiff, a gig at the Royal Albert Hall and a slot opening for Shirley Bassey in Antwerp. Not bad for an 11-year-old kid, although Char insisted she was "just like every other girl her age".
PA PhotosFor The Record
Later that year, Charlotte bagged a record deal with Sony BMG. Her first album, Voice Of An Angel - a collection of opera classics, sacred songs and traditional pieces - went platinum, selling millions worldwide and crowning the child star as the youngest artist ever to achieve a No. 1 album on the British classical crossover charts.
Rex FeaturesStar Performer
When most little girls are discarding their dollies and discovering make-up, young Charlotte was busy performing for such prestigious audiences as The Pope, the Queen and the President. Go, Char!
Rex FeaturesMoneybags
The Voice Of An Angel - with the bank balance of a diva. By the time the angelic starling had come of age, Charlotte was reportedly worth £16m - sending gossip columnists (and no doubt possible teenage suitors) wild. The country’s richest teenager soon had everyone speculating on how she would splash her cash; a mansion in London’s hip Primrose Hill? A holiday home on St Lucia? A wardrobe stacked with Prada and Gucci? No - Charlotte put a single item at the top of her wish list: "A £1m ruby-studded bra." Brilliant!
Rex FeaturesThe Green, Green Grass Of Home
Despite her vast wealth, Char refuses to forget her roots - and her beloved Wales. In fact, the starlet still lives in her home country and hangs out with the same gaggle of girl-pals she did as a Cardiff kid.
Rex FeaturesCausing A Commotion
By 2002, 16-year-old Charlotte was no stranger to controversy. The teen was the source of a press meltdown when she was snapped smoking by paps, who questioned the effect the bad habit could have on her voice. But Char was growing up in the public eye, and boozing and boyfriends were just around the corner…
Rex FeaturesKiss And Tell
Such is the risk in every celeb’s private life, poor Char found herself the victim of the infamous ‘kiss n tell’ after hooking up with several ‘wrong ‘uns’ during her teens…haven’t we all? Her first boyfriend, bad boy Steven Johnson, sold his story to the tabloids, revealing all the sordid details of their two-year relationship, including how he took the star’s virginity. Real classy, Steven. The scoundrel even went on to boast how he made over £250,000 from his kiss ‘n’ tells. Shame on you!
PA PhotosHell’s Angel
In the wake of her messy break-up, Charlotte hooked up with seemingly good boy, Kyle Johnson (no relation to Steven) - but the starlet was to be stung again. After their split Kyle was tempted by the offer of dirty money, selling their ‘sex secrets’ to the News Of The World. Char’s reaction upon seeing him again? “I said: ‘You stupid little sh*t!’ and punched him.”
PA PhotosThe Welsh Posh And Becks
Alas, there are some good men out there, as Charlotte discovered in 2005 when she hooked up with Welsh Adonis, Gavin Henson - he of rugby fame, heavenly bod, tall hair and perma-tan.
Rex FeaturesTissues And Issues
2005 also marked a change in musical direction for our Char who, by now 19 and a regular on the boozy Cardiff party scene, abandoned her classical roots to record her first pop album. The cleverly-titled Tissues And Issues, which Charlotte co-wrote herself, went platinum in the UK and earned her the Solo Artist Of The Year gong at the 2006 GLAMOUR Women Of The Year Awards.
PA PhotosCharlotte V Cheryl
But, as ever with Charlotte, controversy wasn’t far away - and everyone’s favourite outspoken starlet found herself embroiled in a very public war of words with Girls Aloud’s Cheryl Cole, who accused Charlotte of ripping off their “sound”. Char responded with “Girls Aloud wouldn't be able to sing Crazy Chick if they possibly tried. They just don't have the range, darling. And when they've sold as many records as me, then they can comment,” prompting Cheryl to make quips about Charlotte’s weight. Ouch!
Rex FeaturesThe Voice Of An Angel Gets Outspoken
In fact, it wasn’t just Girls Aloud who found themselves on the receiving end of Charlotte’s sharp tongue and quick wit. The starlet has engaged in public spats with everyone from dodgy Eurovision entrants to The Pope. Gulp!
Rex FeaturesAngel Delight
But by 2007, the controversial, former party girl had well and truly grown up, and she and Gavin welcomed their daughter, Ruby Megan Henson, into the world on September 20th, saying: "I'm really shocked by how I feel. It's just instant massive amounts of love towards her." Charlotte also revealed she gave birth at home while watching Wales v Japan Rugby World Cup game after going into labour at B&Q!
PA PhotosThe Charlotte Church Show
Char’s career continued to go from strength to strength, and in 2006, the bubbly Welsh diva was given her own Friday night chat show. Far from the bog-standard interview format, the programme featured hilarious skits and comedy interludes, even winning her the award of Best Female Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards that year, and the Readers Favourite TV Personality gong at the 2007 GLAMOUR Women Of The Year Awards.
WennA Baby Boyo!
But it wasn’t long before snaps emerged of Charlotte sporting a rather shapely bump again, sending gossip columnists wild with excitement as she announced her second pregnancy. She and Gavin welcomed son, Dexter Lloyd Henson in January 2009, with Charlotte joking that she was the one woman in the UK guaranteed to weigh less in January than she did at Christmas!
Rex FeaturesWeight Debate
And yet, despite being a healthy young mum-of-two, Charlotte found herself at the centre of a weight debate again following Dexter’s birth. In fact, the starlet’s figure has been the source of much media interest throughout her lengthy career. But Char refused to embrace faddy A-list diets, instead focusing on her children, saying: "I'm happy with how I look. I like looking like this. Why change just to be like everyone else? What's the point of that?" Bravo, Charlotte. Bravo.
Rex FeaturesOver The Rainbow
In February 2010, Charlotte was announced as a new judge on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest talent show, Over The Rainbow. “My career started with Pie Jesu, which was of course written by Andrew, so it feels like I've come full circle," she said.
PA PhotosCharlotte and Gavin Split
Sadly, in May 2010, just six weeks after announcing their engagement, Charlotte and Gavin split. “Something had been happening for a long time,” she said. “We wanted to make it work but decided the break-up was inevitable and we did it when the kids are young. We’ve both been pretty grown up about it and are doing what’s best for our beautiful babies.”
PA PhotosBack To Scratch
Despite the heartache, Charlotte is bouncing back with a svelte new look, a new grown-up album - the brilliant Back To Scratch - and a new fella in musician Jonathan Powell…
WENNA New Chapter
Charlotte, who revealed she asked Gavin’s permission to start dating again, said of her new relationship: “It's great because we like the same stuff. He's very intelligent, very clever and he's an amazing musician. That’s where most of the bond lies.”
Cover Girl
And now Charlotte can add a GLAMOUR cover to her vast list of achievements! We can’t wait to see what the future will bring for this controversial and much-loved star.
