Michelle Heaton

Singer, actress and TV favourite Michelle Heaton (32) was born in Gateshead in July 1979. She found fame in 2000 as a finalist in the original hit ITV1 talent search "Popstars" and formed pop group Liberty X with four of the runners up.

For seven years Liberty X dominated the charts, achieving ten consecutive UK Top 20 singles, a Brit Award, Disney Award, Smash Hit Award as well as the prestigious Ivor Novello for their single "Just A Little'.

2007 saw the subsequent break up of Liberty X with Michelle going on to present ITV2 show 'I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here Now'.

2008 heralded a fresh start for Michelle and a move to Dublin where she set up home with new partner, Irish fitness trainer Hugh Hanley. With Hugh's inspiration and guidance she found a new passion for health and fitness, revolutionized her lifestyle and shed three stone in weight. Michelle's new passion for health and fitness led in 2010 to her achieving the status of Level 6 FETAC qualified personal trainer and instructor with credits in nutrition, step, aerobics, weight work and dance. She also ran the New York and London Marathons as part of the Virgin Unite team alongside her former record label boss Richard Branson. That year Michelle graced the cover of OK! with her engagement to Hugh in January, their Bahamas wedding in July and their wedding party in Dublin in September.

The newly married couple relocated to London in January 2011 where Michelle made her theatre debut in touring production 'The Naked Truth' (Dir.Stephen Leatherland) alongside an all star cast including Claire King, Maureen Nolan, Julie Buckfield and Olivier award winner Leanne Jones.

Michelle and Hugh are awaiting the arrival of their first child (due January 2012) and Michelle recently qualified as a Pre and Post Natal fitness instructor. She intends to keep fit throughout her pregnancy and to impart health and fitness advice through her social networking sites. On discovering this year that she has a serious heart condition caused by sustained use of slimming pills in her teens, Michelle now campaigns against the use of slimming aids and the importance for women of all ages of losing weight the healthy way.