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Emma Bunton

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For a complete list of releases, see Emma Bunton discography.
Emma Bunton

Emma Lee Bunton (born 21 January 1976) is an English pop singer-songwriter and actress. She was a member of the 1990s girl group, the Spice Girls, in which she was known as Baby Spice as she was the youngest member. In 2010 she joined the judging panel on ITV's Dancing On Ice and is the host of Channel 5's Don't Stop Believing

Biography

1976–1992: Early life and career beginnings

Bunton was born in Finchley, raised a Catholic, and grew up in Woodside Park.[1] Her parents, Pauline, a karate instructor, and Trevor, a milkman, split up when she was 11, after which she stayed with her mother. She has a younger brother, Paul James.[2] Bunton went to St. Theresa's primary school, in Finchley, then Sylvia Young Theatre School in Marylebone. She appeared briefly in the BBC series EastEnders in 1992 as a mugger.[3] In 1993 she appeared in the ITV1 police series, The Bill, and also made a brief appearance as a prostitute in the BBC drama series To Play the King.

1993–2000: Spice Girls

Main article: Spice Girls

She joined the Spice Girls (then called Touch) in 1993 after Michelle Stephenson left. The Spice Girls sold over 85 million albums[4], with Spice in 1996, Spiceworld in 1997, and Forever in 2000. Bunton was called Baby Spice because she was the youngest, had long blonde pigtails, wore babydoll dresses and had a girly girl personality.

The debut single "Wannabe" was the first of nine number ones in the United Kingdom and reached the top in 37 countries. As a songwriter, Bunton set the shortest time to achieve six #1 UK singles, one year and five months from Wannabe to Too Much. In 1999 she presented Emma on VH1. She recorded "(Hey You) Free Up Your Mind" for the film Pokémon: The First Movie. The Spice Girls stopped recording in 2000; reformed in June 2007 for The Return of the Spice Girls tour and the Greatest Hits CD.

2001–04: A Girl Like Me and Free Me

Her debut solo album A Girl Like Me brought the UK number-one "What Took You So Long?" as well as top five hits "What I Am" (a cover of a 1988 song by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians) and "Take My Breath Away" and the top 20 hit "We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight". The album sold 125,000 copies in the UK. Disappointing sales led to Bunton's leaving Virgin in 2002.[5]

Bunton's second album Free Me was in 2003 through 19 Entertainment/Universal Records. It was successful and had four singles, "Free Me", "Maybe", "I'll Be There" and "Crickets Sing For Anamaria". After success in the American dance charts the album was sold in North America. The American edition included remixes and a different cover.

In 2005, Bunton filmed guest roles in two Bollywood films: Pyaar Mein Twist and Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets.

2006–08: Life in Mono, pregnancy and Return of the Spice Girls

In October 2006, Bunton was a contestant in the BBC programme Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with Darren Bennett. She finished third, the last female contestant to be eliminated.

In November 2006, Bunton released the charity single for the BBC Children in Need appeal, recording Petula Clark's '60s "Downtown". It reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and was followed by her third studio album, Life in Mono on 4 December. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at 65, selling 13,000 copies in its first week. It has sold around 48.000 copies in the UK. [citation needed] The second single from it was "All I Need to Know", on 12 February 2007, intended for Valentine's Day . Bunton shot the video around Old Street in east London, in the week before Christmas 2006.[6] Entering the UK Singles Chart at 60, "All I Need to Know" became Bunton's lowest-charting single of her solo career.

Her boyfriend of ten years is former Damage and current CherryBlackStone lead singer Jade Jones, with whom she currently lives in a house in Hertfordshire. In October, 2006, there were rumours that the couple were engaged, with plans to marry in March 2007.[7] This rumour was denied several days later.[8] Bunton has stated multiple times that she does not need a wedding to justify her relationship with Jones.

We've been rumoured to be engaged about 20 times, but we don't need a wedding to justify our relationship. But if we ever do get married, I couldn't run off and do it in secret - my family would be so upset.

Bunton has been seen in a high-profile television commercial for the supermarket chain Tesco. She also had a cameo role on the Australian soap opera Neighbours as herself on the episode titled "What's a Spice Girl Like You...?", aired on 19 March 2007 in Australia, and on 25 May 2007 in the UK. Bunton returned to US screens with a nationwide commercial for Prego in May 2007.

After being diagnosed with endometriosis,[9] a condition which can inhibit fertility, Bunton and Jones announced in January 2007 that they were expecting their first child together.[10][11] On 10 August 2007, Bunton gave birth to a 7-lb. 15-oz. baby boy named Beau Lee Jones.[12]

In July 2008, Bunton stood in as co-presenter alongside Richard Madeley on the UK television show Richard & Judy while Judy Finnigan was recovering from a knee operation. In October 2008, Bunton appeared on the UK series of The X Factor to assist judge Dannii Minogue in choosing the three best over-25s acts to take to the live X Factor finals. In December 2008 Bunton debuted as a member of the panel on Loose Women on ITV.

2009–present: Television

In February and again between May and June 2009 she starred as guest presenter on Heart London's Heart Breakfast alongside Jamie Theakston and Harriet Scott.[13] Bunton will be hosting her own radio show on Heart; she will be hosting the Saturday afternoon slot 4pm - 7pm starting on Saturday 13 June.[14] In 2009 several of Bunton's unreleased songs were published on the internet, including demos and discarded tracks from studio albums ("Crazy", "Crazy Beautiful", "Secrets", "To Have and to Let Go" and "In Another Life") and a new unknown song: "Ladylike."

In January 2010, Emma joined the "Ice Panel" on ITV dancing show Dancing on Ice replacing former judge Ruthie Henshall. There has been some criticism of her role on the show as she has little skating experience herself. She is meant to represent the "performance" element; however, other people have been suggested as an alternative.

In February 2010 Bunton appeared in a UK National Television campaign first aired during Coronation Street,[15] showing her in the Heart Radio studios at the start and the end of the advert. The soundtrack is Sharleen Spiteri singing Xanadu, the original Olivia Newton-John and ELO song. In summer 2010 she presented the Five program Don't Stop Believing.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1993 Thatcherworld Josie Jenkins TV movie
1997 Spice World (film) Herself (Baby Spice) Main Role
2001 Yes You Can Pop Angel Supporting role
2004 Pyaar Mein Twist Kylie Milligan Cameo
2005 Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets Tabetha Gagoh Cameo
2009 Ant & Dec's Christmas Show Evil Stepmother TV movie
Television
Year Title Role Number of Episodes
1992 EastEnders[16] Unknown 1
1993 The Bill Janice 1
The Police[16] Bridget 1
To Play the King[16] Prostitute 1
1994 EastEnders Casey 12
2000 The Norm Show Herself (Baby Spice) 1
Emma presenter -
2003 Absolutely Fabulous Herself 2
2006 Neighbours Herself 1
2007 Strictly Come Dancing Herself/Contestant 23
2008 Richard & Judy1 presenter 10
The X Factor Herself/Judge 1
2009 Eurovision: Your Country Needs You Herself/Judge 1
Let's Dance for Comic Relief Herself/Judge 1
2010 Dancing On Ice Herself/Judge 12
Don't Stop Believing Herself/presenter -

|GMTV With Lorraine |2010 || Herself/Presenter

  • 1: Emma presented the program Richard & Judy while Judy Finnigan was recovering from a knee operation.

Discography

Main article: Emma Bunton discography

References

  1. ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20031026/ai_n12748928 [dead link]
  2. ^ Hattenstone, Simon (18 November 2006). "Bye-bye Baby". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
  3. ^ SECRETS OF THE SQUARE
  4. ^ Sinclair, David; Paphides, Pete (28 June 2007). "The Prefab Five are back Are you ready". The Times. London.
  5. ^ "Spice Girls dismiss comeback plan". BBC News. 2003-02-13. Retrieved 2008-04-25. ...her album A Girl Like Me sold poorly and she lost a contract with Virgin Records.
  6. ^ "'All I Need To Know' - Emma Bunton". EntertainmentWise.com. 31 January 2007. Archived from the original on March 2, 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
  7. ^ "Emma Bunton heads for the altar". Hello! magazine. 9 October 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
  8. ^ "No wedding for Emma Bunton". SoFeminine.co.uk. 13 October 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
  9. ^ "Emma Bunton announces pregnancy". BBC News. 26 January 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-28.
  10. ^ "Emma Bunton is pregnant". The Sun. 26 January 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-26.
  11. ^ "Baby Spice Expecting a Baby". People. 26 January 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-28.
  12. ^ "Bouncing baby Beau for Emma". The Sun. 2007-08-10. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  13. ^ Emma Bunton joins Heart, Radio Today, 19 May 2009
  14. ^ Emma Joins Heart.
  15. ^ Emma Bunton Video
  16. ^ a b c [1]

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