Katherine Jenkins
Encyclopedia
Katherine Jenkins is a Welsh
mezzo-soprano
. She is a classical-popular crossover
singer who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns.
, Wales
, where she and her sister Laura were raised by their parents Selwyn John and Susan. She has half-sisters from her father's first marriage, neither of whom she has met.
She attended Alderman Davies Church in Wales Primary School in Neath and later Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School
, received A grades in GCSEs and A Levels and participated in productions such as Calamity Jane
and Guys and Dolls
. She attended singing lessons with John Hugh Thomas and passed her Grade 8 examinations with distinction in both singing and piano.
Between 1990 and 1996 Jenkins was a member of the Royal School of Church Music
Cathedral Singers and won the St Cecilia Award, the highest RSCM award for female choristers. She was also a member of the National Youth Choir of Wales for three years, won the BBC Radio 2
Welsh Choirgirl of the Year contest (twice), and the BET Welsh Choirgirl of the Year competition. She was also awarded the Pelenna Valley Male Voice Choir Scholarship for the most promising young singer. At the age of 17 she won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music
, where she studied Italian, German, French and Russian, graduating with honours and receiving a music teacher's diploma.
After working as a freelance singing teacher, a tour guide on the London Eye
and as a model, she entered a modelling competition and became the Face of Wales 2000. She then decided to follow a musical career. Universal Classics and Jazz
heard her demo
and she was invited to an interview at which she sang Rossini's "Una voce poco fa". Universal offered Jenkins a six-album deal, the most lucrative in the United Kingdom's classical recording history, reportedly worth £1 million.
, made her the fastest-selling mezzo-soprano
to date she became the first British classical crossover artist to have two number one albums in the same year. She is the first female artist to win two consecutive Classical BRIT Awards: her second album, Second Nature
, reached number 16 in the UK Albums Chart
, and was Album of the Year in the 2005 BRIT Awards.
Jenkins's Italian-language version of Dolly Parton
's "I Will Always Love You
" ("L'Amore Sei Tu"), first performed live at Nostell Priory
, West Yorkshire
on 28 August 2005, was the first cut on her third album Living a Dream
. After that album was released, uniquely, she held the top three positions in the classical crossover music chart. The album held the number one position for nearly a year and reached number four in the pop album charts. Jenkins repeated the success of Second Nature with her Living a Dream album when she won the classical BRIT award for Album of the Year for a second time.
Her fourth album, Serenade
was released on 6 November 2006 and reached number five in the mainstream charts selling more than 50,000 copies in its first week, a record in the genre. The top four albums on HMV
's classical charts were hers.
Her fifth album, Rejoice
, was released on 19 November 2007 and included songs written specially for her, two by Take That
's Gary Barlow
. The album entered the pop album charts at number three, beating the Spice Girls
and Girls Aloud
. Jenkins commented "I never imagined when I was a young girl listening to them on the radio that I would outsell the Spice Girls and Celine Dion
. It’s almost too much to take in. I can’t thank my fans enough for all their support."
On 20 October 2008 Jenkins released Sacred Arias
, which is her last album with Universal Music. On 19 October The Daily Telegraph stated that Jenkins had signed the biggest classical recording deal in history, for US$10 million (£5.8 million), with Warner Music.
Jenkins released her latest album, Believe
, on 26 October 2009, the first with Warner Music. This album featured Andrea Bocelli
and other musicians like André Rieu
and Chris Botti. She made various TV appearances such as GMTV
, Something for the Weekend
and Piers Morgan's Life Stories
on 24 October 2009 and on The Graham Norton Show
on 2 November 2009. She performed the theme from The Godfather, Parla Piu Piano at Gary Barlow
's Children In Need Rock The Albert Hall with cellist Julian Lloyd Webber
. Later in December 2009, she performed a cover of Evanescence
's "Bring Me to Life
" at The Royal Variety Performance. On 23 May 2010, she went to Argentina for the first time and sang Parla Piu Piano in the popular Argentinian show Susana Giménez
.
honouring Pope John Paul II
's silver jubilee in October 2003 and then supporting Aled Jones
on tour. At the Rugby World Cup
in 2003 she made her Sydney Opera House
debut and, in August 2004, her first USA appearance, supporting Hayley Westenra
at Joe's Pub
in New York City.
Jenkins was the first person to perform the Home Nations
anthem "The Power of Four
" and began to appear regularly to sing the Welsh national anthem "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
" at Welsh international rugby union
matches, singing with Bryn Terfel
at the 2005 Wales
vs. England
Six Nations
match at the Millennium Stadium
. She is now the official mascot for the Wales rugby union team.
On 22 January 2005 Jenkins sang in Cardiff at the Tsunami Relief Concert
and in April and May of that year supported Irish tenor
Ronan Tynan
on his first US tour as a solo artist. That May she sang at Trafalgar Square
to a 15,000-strong audience celebrating the 60th Anniversary of VE Day. At the Berlin stage of Live 8
in 2005, Jenkins sang the hymn
"Amazing Grace
", and she later helped to launch The Royal British Legion
's poppy appeal at Covent Garden
whilst wearing a dress made of 2,500 poppies.
With the Blue Man Group
, Jenkins sang "I Feel Love
" in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance
on 21 November 2005. She performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert
in Oslo, Norway, on 11 December 2005.
In November 2006 she performed before the Queen at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall
and joined fellow Welsh singer James Fox
in the final verse of "Anthem" from the musical Chess
.
In July 2007 Jenkins gave a concert at Margam Park in south Wales, performing alongside Paul Potts
and Juan Diego Flórez
. Jenkins extended a personal invitation to Potts to sing "Nessun dorma
" at the concert.
In September 2007 Jenkins catwalk modeled at Naomi Campbell
's Fashion Relief event for charity in a Julien Macdonald
dress which was then bought by Sir Philip Green
for £10,000.
In November 2007 she sang again at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall and was named classical performer of the year at the Variety Club Showbiz Awards.
With Darcey Bussell
she has appeared in a stage song-and-dance production, entitled Viva la Diva, paying tribute to stars including Madonna
and Judy Garland
. The show opened in Manchester
in November 2007. Jenkins learned to tap dance
, spending eight hours a week learning the choreography and running three miles a day to get fit. She performed the Welsh National Anthem on 17 May 2008 at the 2008 FA Cup Final
between Cardiff City
and Portsmouth, becoming the first person to do this at an FA Cup Final.
At the beginning of 2009, Jenkins performed in South Korea with Plácido Domingo
. This was Jenkins's third concert with Domingo having performed with him in Hong Kong in 2008 and Athens in 2007. They then performed together in May 2009 at The Classical Brit Awards.
On 8 July 2009 Jenkins performed at the opening ceremony of the Ashes Test Series between England and Australia at Sophia Gardens cricket ground in Cardiff. On Saturday 12 September 2009 she performed in Hyde Park for the Last Night of the Proms. On Monday 21 September she performed at the memorial service for Sir Bobby Robson, singing "Pie Jesu" at the request of Lady Robson.
On 12 November 2009, Jenkins performed a duet with cellist Julian Lloyd Webber
for Children in Need
at the Royal Albert Hall. The same month, Jenkins performed "I Believe" (from Believe) with Andrea Bocelli
on his PBS Christmas Special
. The duet appears in his album, My Christmas
. Jenkins was scheduled to do her first Arena tour in March 2010.
On 24 May 2010, as part of the Argentina Bicentennial she performed the Canadian Anthem
at the Argentina
VS. Canada
World Cup warm-up football match in the River Plate Stadium at Buenos Aires. On 11 June 2010, Jenkins performed a live comedy routine with Armenian comedy pianist Kev Orkian
for a private birthday party at which Motown legend Lionel Richie performed, along with the LSO (London Symphony Orchestra) and comedians Bobby Davro
and Jethro
. The comedy sketch was an updated version of an old Victor Borge
routine which Orkian had written and developed with Jenkins. In her official blog, Jenkins mentions that she may one-day perform the routine in public. On 3 July 2010, Jenkins took the stage at Cheltenham Racecourse, with the National Symphony Orchestra. She was supported by violinist Diana Yukawa
.
's Parkinson
show, backed by the Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir
and a brass band
.
She made a cameo appearance
in two episodes of Emmerdale
which saw 11.6 million viewers tune in to find out who killed popular character Tom King who was murdered on Christmas Day. She appeared in the show on 16 and 17 May 2007 which saw her opening the village pageant
.
In July 2007, she performed live on Saving Planet Earth on BBC 1 to raise money for the BBC Wildlife Fund.
On 12 August 2007 she appeared on ITV's Britain's Favourite View, nominating Three Cliffs Bay
on the Gower Peninsula
as Britain's favourite view. She commented; "I grew up on the edge of the Gower, but it was still a holiday place for our family. We’d go on weekend breaks to Three Cliffs Bay – six miles down the road! That’s how gorgeous it is."
On 21 October 2007 she sang "Time to Say Goodbye" with Andrea Bocelli
on the Strictly Come Dancing
results show. Jenkins and Darcey Bussell performed a segment of their show Viva la Diva before the Queen at the 79th Royal Variety Performance
, televised on 9 December 2007. On 15 December, Jenkins performed on The X Factor
final with contestant Rhydian Roberts
, performing the song "You Raise Me Up
". Jenkins made an appearance on Saturday Kitchen LIVE in December 2008.
Jenkins appeared in episode 3 of the fifth series of The Apprentice
, performing Leonard Cohen
's "Hallelujah" as part of a private recital to winning team Ignite. The programme was aired on BBC One
on 8 March 2009. 2009 saw Jenkins performing on a large number of TV shows – The Royal Variety Performance, Children In Need Rocks The Albert Hall, The Alan Titchmarsh Show
, This Morning
, GMTV
, Something for the Weekend
, The Paul O'Grady Show
, presenting for the BBC the week long series The Week We Went To War, Piers Morgan's Life Stories
for ITV1
, Strictly Come Dancing, The Graham Norton Show
and The Andrew Marr Show.
Jenkins started 2010 by appearing as one of two mentors on ITV1s prime time Friday night show, Popstar to Operastar
. She appeared in the 2010 Christmas Special of Doctor Who
, "A Christmas Carol", in which she played Abigail Pettigrew – her first major acting role. Jenkins appeared as the featured singer on the 11 April 2011 episode of ABC
's show Dancing with the Stars
(DWTS) singing "Con te partirò
" (Time To Say Goodbye) and "O mio babbino caro
". She later sang "The Flower Duet
" with DWTS regular Beverley Staunton.
On 23 October 2011, Jenkins appeared live on US television network FOX from Wembley Stadium
, performing "God Save the Queen
" before the NFL
game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
and the Chicago Bears
.
After Jenkins and Dame Vera Lynn
were together at centre stage at the 60th Anniversary of VE Day in 2005 during the song "We'll Meet Again
", the newspapers dubbed Jenkins "the new Forces' Sweetheart", a nickname given to Lynn during World War II. Lynn had said to Jenkins that she should "go out and entertain the troops," which Jenkins promised she would. In December 2005 and 2006 Jenkins travelled to Iraq
to entertain the soldiers for Christmas. On her first visit to Iraq in 2005, when travelling to Shaibah
, the largest British base in Southern Iraq, the helicopter she was travelling in was targeted by missile
s. Anti-missile flares were deployed and the group landed safely.
In November 2008 Jenkins revealed to the Daily Mail
that when she was a student she had taken class A drugs (cocaine and ecstasy) and cannabis. She noted that she was introduced to them by people she socialized with at the time and that she stopped taking them after signing her record deal in 2003. In the article Jenkins said "taking drugs is the biggest regret of my life".
Jenkins's autobiography, Time to Say Hello
, was released on 28 January 2008, and was also serialized in The Mail on Sunday
.
At the start of 2007 Jenkins made her first appearance in the British young people's Sunday Times Rich List
which ranked her as the sixty-second richest young person in Britain with an estimated wealth of £9 million. In 2010, the Sunday Times Rich List placed her at joint 11th in the Top 20 Young Millionaires list alongside Leona Lewis and Charlotte Church with an estimated wealth of £11 million.
In July 2010, Jenkins was reported to have bought a house with TV presenter Gethin Jones
, to whom she has recently become engaged.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
. She is a classical-popular crossover
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
singer who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns.
Early life and education
Jenkins was born in NeathNeath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, where she and her sister Laura were raised by their parents Selwyn John and Susan. She has half-sisters from her father's first marriage, neither of whom she has met.
She attended Alderman Davies Church in Wales Primary School in Neath and later Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School
Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School
Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School is a comprehensive school in the town of Neath in South Wales.-Admissions:...
, received A grades in GCSEs and A Levels and participated in productions such as Calamity Jane
Calamity Jane (musical)
Calamity Jane is a musical stage play based loosely on tales from the life of Martha Jane Cannary.The stage play was adapted in the 1960s from the highly successful 1953 Warner Brothers film Calamity Jane. It was premiered at the Municipal Theatre in St. Louis in 1961.-Credits:Adapted by Ronald...
and Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
. She attended singing lessons with John Hugh Thomas and passed her Grade 8 examinations with distinction in both singing and piano.
Between 1990 and 1996 Jenkins was a member of the Royal School of Church Music
Royal School of Church Music
The largest church music organisation in Britain, the Royal School of Church Music was founded in 1927 by Sir Sydney Nicholson and has 11,000 members worldwide; it was originally named the School of English Church Music. It seeks to enable church music in the present and invest in its future,...
Cathedral Singers and won the St Cecilia Award, the highest RSCM award for female choristers. She was also a member of the National Youth Choir of Wales for three years, won the BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
Welsh Choirgirl of the Year contest (twice), and the BET Welsh Choirgirl of the Year competition. She was also awarded the Pelenna Valley Male Voice Choir Scholarship for the most promising young singer. At the age of 17 she won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
, where she studied Italian, German, French and Russian, graduating with honours and receiving a music teacher's diploma.
After working as a freelance singing teacher, a tour guide on the London Eye
London Eye
The London Eye is a tall giant Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames, in London, England.It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people annually...
and as a model, she entered a modelling competition and became the Face of Wales 2000. She then decided to follow a musical career. Universal Classics and Jazz
Universal Classics and Jazz
Universal Classics and Jazz is the name of two record label divisions of the Universal Music Group.- UCJ Germany :Universal Music Classics & Jazz is a division of Universal Music Germany and is marketed under websites called Klassik Akzente and Jazz Echo.- UCJ Japan :This Universal Music Japan...
heard her demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
and she was invited to an interview at which she sang Rossini's "Una voce poco fa". Universal offered Jenkins a six-album deal, the most lucrative in the United Kingdom's classical recording history, reportedly worth £1 million.
Record success
Six out of seven of Jenkins's studio albums reached number one in the classical charts between 2004 and 2008, selling a total of more than 4 million copies. After her first album, PremierePremiere (Katherine Jenkins album)
Premiere is the debut album by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, released on 5 April 2004, in the UK. It charted at number 31 on the UK Albums Chart and at number 1 on the UK Classical Album Chart.- Track listing :# "Questo E Per Te" 3:39...
, made her the fastest-selling mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
to date she became the first British classical crossover artist to have two number one albums in the same year. She is the first female artist to win two consecutive Classical BRIT Awards: her second album, Second Nature
Second Nature (Katherine Jenkins album)
Second Nature is the second album by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, released on 18 October 2004, in the UK. It charted at number 16 on the UK Albums Chart and at number 1 on the UK Classical Album Chart....
, reached number 16 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, and was Album of the Year in the 2005 BRIT Awards.
Jenkins's Italian-language version of Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
's "I Will Always Love You
I Will Always Love You
"I Will Always Love You" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton in 1973, who first released the song as a single in 1974.-Dolly Parton version:...
" ("L'Amore Sei Tu"), first performed live at Nostell Priory
Nostell Priory
Nostell Priory is a Palladian house located in Nostell, near Crofton close to Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, approached by the Doncaster road from Wakefield...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
on 28 August 2005, was the first cut on her third album Living a Dream
Living a Dream
Living a Dream is the third album by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, released on 31 October 2005, in the UK. It charted at number 4 on the UK Albums Chart and at number 1 on the UK Classical Album Chart.- Track listing :...
. After that album was released, uniquely, she held the top three positions in the classical crossover music chart. The album held the number one position for nearly a year and reached number four in the pop album charts. Jenkins repeated the success of Second Nature with her Living a Dream album when she won the classical BRIT award for Album of the Year for a second time.
Her fourth album, Serenade
Serenade (Katherine Jenkins album)
Serenade is the fourth album by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, released on 6 November 2006, in the UK. It charted at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart and at number 1 on the UK Classical Album Chart.- Track listing :...
was released on 6 November 2006 and reached number five in the mainstream charts selling more than 50,000 copies in its first week, a record in the genre. The top four albums on HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
's classical charts were hers.
Her fifth album, Rejoice
Rejoice (Katherine Jenkins album)
Rejoice is the fifth album by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, released on 19 November 2007, in the UK. It charted at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart.- Track listing :# "Rejoice" written by Steve Mac/Wayne Hector# "I "...
, was released on 19 November 2007 and included songs written specially for her, two by Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
's Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...
. The album entered the pop album charts at number three, beating the Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
and Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
. Jenkins commented "I never imagined when I was a young girl listening to them on the radio that I would outsell the Spice Girls and Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
. It’s almost too much to take in. I can’t thank my fans enough for all their support."
On 20 October 2008 Jenkins released Sacred Arias
Sacred Arias (Katherine Jenkins album)
Sacred Arias is the sixth album by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, released on 20 October 2008 in the UK. It is her final album with the Universal Music label.A Deluxe Edition containing a second disc was also released...
, which is her last album with Universal Music. On 19 October The Daily Telegraph stated that Jenkins had signed the biggest classical recording deal in history, for US$10 million (£5.8 million), with Warner Music.
Jenkins released her latest album, Believe
Believe (Katherine Jenkins album)
- Deluxe edition :The deluxe edition of the album, released on 29 March 2010 in the UK, includes two new tracks: "Love Never Dies" and "Endless Love", with a total of 13 tracks.The track "Se Si Perde Un Amore" from the standard edition is not included....
, on 26 October 2009, the first with Warner Music. This album featured Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli, is an Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist. Born with poor eyesight, he became blind at the age of twelve following a soccer accident....
and other musicians like André Rieu
André Rieu
André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu is a Dutch violinist, conductor, and composer best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra.- Early life and studies :...
and Chris Botti. She made various TV appearances such as GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
, Something for the Weekend
Something for the Weekend (2000s BBC TV series)
Something for the Weekend is a British television series, broadcast on BBC Two on Sunday mornings. It features cookery, drinks, interviews with celebrity guests and clips from the week's television, as well as classic clips in the 'Deja View' section...
and Piers Morgan's Life Stories
Piers Morgan's Life Stories
Piers Morgan's Life Stories, also known as Life Stories, is a British television chat show presented by journalist Piers Morgan. Filmed in front of a studio audience, each programme is devoted to one special celebrity guest. The interviews are intimate, in-depth and emotionally-charged as Piers...
on 24 October 2009 and on The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show is a British comedy chat show that is broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom. It was originally shown on BBC Two from February 2007 to May 2009 until it moved to BBC One from October 2009...
on 2 November 2009. She performed the theme from The Godfather, Parla Piu Piano at Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...
's Children In Need Rock The Albert Hall with cellist Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber is a British solo cellist who has been described as the "doyen of British cellists".-Early life:Julian Lloyd Webber is the second son of the composer William Lloyd Webber and his wife Jean Johnstone . He is the younger brother of the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber...
. Later in December 2009, she performed a cover of Evanescence
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
's "Bring Me to Life
Bring Me to Life
"Bring Me to Life" is a song by American rock band Evanescence. It was written by Amy Lee, Ben Moody and David Hodges and produced by Dave Fortman. It also features guest vocals from Paul McCoy of the band 12 Stones. Wind-up released "Bring Me to Life" in 2003 as the lead single from Evanescence's...
" at The Royal Variety Performance. On 23 May 2010, she went to Argentina for the first time and sang Parla Piu Piano in the popular Argentinian show Susana Giménez
Susana Giménez
Susana Giménez, née María Susana Giménez Aubert is an Argentine actress, ex-vedette and television host....
.
Concerts
Jenkins first came to public attention when she sang at Westminster CathedralWestminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster...
honouring Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
's silver jubilee in October 2003 and then supporting Aled Jones
Aled Jones
Aled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
on tour. At the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
in 2003 she made her Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
debut and, in August 2004, her first USA appearance, supporting Hayley Westenra
Hayley Westenra
Hayley Dee Westenra is a New Zealand soprano, classical crossover artist, songwriter and UNICEF Ambassador. Her first internationally released album, Pure, reached No. 1 on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide...
at Joe's Pub
Joe's Pub
Joe's Pub at Public Theater is a nightclub that hosts live performances regularly. The venue, which is a non-profit operation, is located at 425 Lafayette Street near Astor Place in Manhattan, New York City...
in New York City.
Jenkins was the first person to perform the Home Nations
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
anthem "The Power of Four
The Power of Four
"The Power of Four" is a joint anthem for the four Home Nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland...
" and began to appear regularly to sing the Welsh national anthem "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is the national anthem of Wales. The title – taken from the first words of the song – means "Old Land of My Fathers", usually rendered in English as simply "Land of My Fathers". The words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James James, both residents...
" at Welsh international rugby union
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
matches, singing with Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel Jones CBE is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Figaro and Leporello, but has subsequently shifted his attention to heavier roles, especially those by Wagner....
at the 2005 Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
vs. England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
Six Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
match at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
. She is now the official mascot for the Wales rugby union team.
On 22 January 2005 Jenkins sang in Cardiff at the Tsunami Relief Concert
Tsunami Relief Cardiff
Tsunami Relief Cardiff was a charity music concert held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on 22 January 2005, in aid of the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which had occurred the month before...
and in April and May of that year supported Irish tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
Ronan Tynan
Ronan Tynan
Ronan Tynan is a singer in the classical Irish style. He is most famous for his renditions of "God Bless America" at Yankee Stadium during important New York Yankees games, such as Opening Day, nationally-televised games, the last game at the old Yankee Stadium, and playoff games...
on his first US tour as a solo artist. That May she sang at Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
to a 15,000-strong audience celebrating the 60th Anniversary of VE Day. At the Berlin stage of Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
in 2005, Jenkins sang the hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
"Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
", and she later helped to launch The Royal British Legion
The Royal British Legion
The Royal British Legion , sometimes referred to as simply The Legion, is the United Kingdom's leading charity providing financial, social and emotional support to those who have served or who are currently serving in the British Armed Forces, and their dependants.-History:The British Legion was...
's poppy appeal at Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
whilst wearing a dress made of 2,500 poppies.
With the Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is an organization founded by Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring popular music, comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows such as The Tonight...
, Jenkins sang "I Feel Love
I Feel Love
"I Feel Love" is a song by Donna Summer, taken from her 1977 concept album I Remember Yesterday.The song constituted the "future" segment of the album, which represented a stylistic progress through time...
" in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
on 21 November 2005. She performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert
Nobel Peace Prize Concert
The Nobel Peace Prize Concert has been held annually since 1994 on 11 December, one day after the date of Alfred Nobel's death, to honour the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The award ceremony on 10 December takes place in the Oslo City Hall, while the concert is in the Oslo Spektrum Arena, with the...
in Oslo, Norway, on 11 December 2005.
In November 2006 she performed before the Queen at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
and joined fellow Welsh singer James Fox
James Fox (singer)
James Fox, real name . is a pop music singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist. He represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 in Istanbul...
in the final verse of "Anthem" from the musical Chess
Chess (musical)
Chess is a musical with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA, and with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story involves a romantic triangle between two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other;...
.
In July 2007 Jenkins gave a concert at Margam Park in south Wales, performing alongside Paul Potts
Paul Potts
Paul Robert Potts is an English pop opera tenor who won the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent in 2007, singing an operatic aria, "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot". As a singer of operatic music, Potts recorded the album One Chance, which went to #1 in nine countries...
and Juan Diego Flórez
Juan Diego Flórez
Juan Diego Flórez is a Peruvian operatic tenor, particularly known for his roles in bel canto operas. On June 4, 2007, he received his country's highest decoration, the Gran Cruz de la Orden del Sol del Perú....
. Jenkins extended a personal invitation to Potts to sing "Nessun dorma
Nessun dorma
Nessun dorma is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, and is one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, il principe ignoto , who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot...
" at the concert.
In September 2007 Jenkins catwalk modeled at Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world...
's Fashion Relief event for charity in a Julien Macdonald
Julien MacDonald
Julien Macdonald OBE is a Welsh fashion designer.Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Macdonald attended Cyfarthfa High School in Merthyr Tydfil. Macdonald was taught knitting by his mother, and soon became interested in design...
dress which was then bought by Sir Philip Green
Philip Green
Sir Philip Green is a British businessman. Green was born into a Jewish family in 1952, beginning as a businessman at the age of 15. The first and last quoted company Green took lead of was "Amber Day", from which he stepped down as CEO and Chairman in 1992...
for £10,000.
In November 2007 she sang again at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall and was named classical performer of the year at the Variety Club Showbiz Awards.
With Darcey Bussell
Darcey Bussell
Darcey Andrea Bussell CBE is a retired English ballerina. Trained at the Arts Educational School and the Royal Ballet School, she was later employed by the Royal Ballet, where she was promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer and would become recognised as one of the greatest English ballerinas of...
she has appeared in a stage song-and-dance production, entitled Viva la Diva, paying tribute to stars including Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
. The show opened in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in November 2007. Jenkins learned to tap dance
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
, spending eight hours a week learning the choreography and running three miles a day to get fit. She performed the Welsh National Anthem on 17 May 2008 at the 2008 FA Cup Final
2008 FA Cup Final
The 2008 FA Cup Final was a football match held at Wembley Stadium on 17 May 2008 and was the final match of the 2007–08 FA Cup competition. The match was the 127th FA Cup Final, and the second to be held at the new Wembley Stadium since its redevelopment. The match was contested by Portsmouth and...
between Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
and Portsmouth, becoming the first person to do this at an FA Cup Final.
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
. This was Jenkins's third concert with Domingo having performed with him in Hong Kong in 2008 and Athens in 2007. They then performed together in May 2009 at The Classical Brit Awards.
On 8 July 2009 Jenkins performed at the opening ceremony of the Ashes Test Series between England and Australia at Sophia Gardens cricket ground in Cardiff. On Saturday 12 September 2009 she performed in Hyde Park for the Last Night of the Proms. On Monday 21 September she performed at the memorial service for Sir Bobby Robson, singing "Pie Jesu" at the request of Lady Robson.
On 12 November 2009, Jenkins performed a duet with cellist Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber is a British solo cellist who has been described as the "doyen of British cellists".-Early life:Julian Lloyd Webber is the second son of the composer William Lloyd Webber and his wife Jean Johnstone . He is the younger brother of the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber...
for Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
at the Royal Albert Hall. The same month, Jenkins performed "I Believe" (from Believe) with Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli, is an Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist. Born with poor eyesight, he became blind at the age of twelve following a soccer accident....
on his PBS Christmas Special
My Christmas Special
The Andrea Bocelli & David Foster Christmas Special, is the PBS Great Performances Christmas special of Andrea Bocelli's first ever Holiday album, My Christmas, produced by multiple Grammy Award winner David Foster...
. The duet appears in his album, My Christmas
My Christmas
My Christmas is the thirteenth studio album and first holiday album released by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.The album is a compilation of seasonal holiday favorites, mainly in English, with a few selections in Italian, German, and French, produced by multiple Grammy Award winner David Foster,...
. Jenkins was scheduled to do her first Arena tour in March 2010.
On 24 May 2010, as part of the Argentina Bicentennial she performed the Canadian Anthem
O Canada
It has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
at the Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
VS. Canada
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
World Cup warm-up football match in the River Plate Stadium at Buenos Aires. On 11 June 2010, Jenkins performed a live comedy routine with Armenian comedy pianist Kev Orkian
Kev Orkian
Kev Orkian is a British-Armenian musician, comedian and actor born in London to Armenian parents. He has performed around the world from New York, Los Angeles and Toronto to Dubai, Oman and Australia...
for a private birthday party at which Motown legend Lionel Richie performed, along with the LSO (London Symphony Orchestra) and comedians Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro is a British actor and comedian. He is mainly known for his work as an impressionist...
and Jethro
Jethro
In the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible, Jethro |Shu-ayb]]) is Moses' father-in-law, a Kenite shepherd and priest of Midian. He is also revered as a prophet in his own right in the Druze religion, and considered an ancestor of the Druze.-In Exodus:...
. The comedy sketch was an updated version of an old Victor Borge
Victor Borge
Victor Borge ,born Børge Rosenbaum, was a Danish comedian, conductor and pianist, affectionately known as The Clown Prince of Denmark,The Unmelancholy Dane,and The Great Dane.-Early life and career:...
routine which Orkian had written and developed with Jenkins. In her official blog, Jenkins mentions that she may one-day perform the routine in public. On 3 July 2010, Jenkins took the stage at Cheltenham Racecourse, with the National Symphony Orchestra. She was supported by violinist Diana Yukawa
Diana Yukawa
is an Anglo-Japanese solo violinist. She has had two solo albums with BMG Japan, one of which opened to #1.-Early life:Diana Yukawa was born in Tokyo, Japan to English ballet dancer Susanne Bayly and Japanese banker Akihisa Yukawa one month after her father died in the 1985 Japan Airlines Flight...
.
Television
On 23 December 2006, Jenkins appeared on ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Parkinson
Parkinson (TV series)
Parkinson is a British television talk show that was presented by Sir Michael Parkinson. It was first shown on the BBC from 1971 to 2004, and on ITV from 2004 to 2007.-Background:...
show, backed by the Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir
Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir
The Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir , also known as the Fron Choir , is an award-winning amateur male voice choir based in the village of Froncysyllte, near Llangollen in Denbighshire, Wales.-Origins & History:...
and a brass band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
.
She made a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in two episodes of Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
which saw 11.6 million viewers tune in to find out who killed popular character Tom King who was murdered on Christmas Day. She appeared in the show on 16 and 17 May 2007 which saw her opening the village pageant
Beauty contest
A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
.
In July 2007, she performed live on Saving Planet Earth on BBC 1 to raise money for the BBC Wildlife Fund.
On 12 August 2007 she appeared on ITV's Britain's Favourite View, nominating Three Cliffs Bay
Three Cliffs Bay
Three Cliffs Bay , otherwise Three Cliff Bay, is a bay on the south coast of the Gower Peninsula in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. The bay takes its name from the three sea cliffs that jut out into the bay...
on the Gower Peninsula
Gower Peninsula
Gower or the Gower Peninsula is a peninsula in south Wales, jutting from the coast into the Bristol Channel, and administratively part of the City and County of Swansea. Locally it is known as "Gower"...
as Britain's favourite view. She commented; "I grew up on the edge of the Gower, but it was still a holiday place for our family. We’d go on weekend breaks to Three Cliffs Bay – six miles down the road! That’s how gorgeous it is."
On 21 October 2007 she sang "Time to Say Goodbye" with Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli, is an Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist. Born with poor eyesight, he became blind at the age of twelve following a soccer accident....
on the Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
results show. Jenkins and Darcey Bussell performed a segment of their show Viva la Diva before the Queen at the 79th Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
, televised on 9 December 2007. On 15 December, Jenkins performed on The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
final with contestant Rhydian Roberts
Rhydian Roberts
Rhydian James Roberts , popularly known as Rhydian, is a classically trained Welsh baritone and crossover artist. He rose to fame on The X Factor in 2007...
, performing the song "You Raise Me Up
You Raise Me Up
"You Raise Me Up" was the debut single from Westlife's fifth studio album, Face To Face.This version is considered by many to be the most popular , of all the various versions of the same song. The single peaked at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the band's 13th Number One. It was the first...
". Jenkins made an appearance on Saturday Kitchen LIVE in December 2008.
Jenkins appeared in episode 3 of the fifth series of The Apprentice
The Apprentice (UK series five)
Series Five of The Apprentice was a British reality television series which was won by Yasmina Siadatan. The series began airing on BBC One on 25 March 2009 and ran for twelve weekly hour-long episodes, as in all previous years. Auditions and interviews took place during July 2008 in London,...
, performing Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
's "Hallelujah" as part of a private recital to winning team Ignite. The programme was aired on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on 8 March 2009. 2009 saw Jenkins performing on a large number of TV shows – The Royal Variety Performance, Children In Need Rocks The Albert Hall, The Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show is a British daytime TV chat show broadcast between 3 and 4pm weekdays on the ITV Network.-Format:The programme made its debut on ITV in 2007. It focused on the theme of "The Best of British" focusing on food, entertainment and celebrities in a mid-afternoon slot...
, This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
, GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
, Something for the Weekend
Something for the Weekend (2000s BBC TV series)
Something for the Weekend is a British television series, broadcast on BBC Two on Sunday mornings. It features cookery, drinks, interviews with celebrity guests and clips from the week's television, as well as classic clips in the 'Deja View' section...
, The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
, presenting for the BBC the week long series The Week We Went To War, Piers Morgan's Life Stories
Piers Morgan's Life Stories
Piers Morgan's Life Stories, also known as Life Stories, is a British television chat show presented by journalist Piers Morgan. Filmed in front of a studio audience, each programme is devoted to one special celebrity guest. The interviews are intimate, in-depth and emotionally-charged as Piers...
for ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
, Strictly Come Dancing, The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show is a British comedy chat show that is broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom. It was originally shown on BBC Two from February 2007 to May 2009 until it moved to BBC One from October 2009...
and The Andrew Marr Show.
Jenkins started 2010 by appearing as one of two mentors on ITV1s prime time Friday night show, Popstar to Operastar
Popstar to Operastar
Popstar to Operastar is a British television programme singing competition based around the training of pop stars of current to be able to sing opera. The show began airing on ITV on 15 January 2010 at 9pm. The show is repeated on TV3 Ireland on Saturday evening. The programme is produced by...
. She appeared in the 2010 Christmas Special of Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, "A Christmas Carol", in which she played Abigail Pettigrew – her first major acting role. Jenkins appeared as the featured singer on the 11 April 2011 episode of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's show Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
(DWTS) singing "Con te partirò
Con te Partiró
- History :The song's original single release by Polydor Records was not commercially successful in Italy, and received little radio airplay there. Elsewhere, however, it was a massive hit. In France and Switzerland, the single topped the charts for 6 weeks, earning a triple Gold sales award. In...
" (Time To Say Goodbye) and "O mio babbino caro
O mio babbino caro
"O mio babbino caro" is a soprano aria from the opera Gianni Schicchi , by Giacomo Puccini, to a libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. It is sung by Lauretta after tensions between her father Schicchi and the family of Rinuccio, the boy she loves, have reached a breaking point that threatens to...
". She later sang "The Flower Duet
The Flower Duet
The Flower Duet is a famous duet for sopranos from Léo Delibes' opera Lakmé, first performed in Paris in 1883. The duet takes place in Act 1 of the three act opera, between characters Lakmé, the daughter of a Brahmin priest, and her servant Mallika, as they go to gather flowers by a river...
" with DWTS regular Beverley Staunton.
On 23 October 2011, Jenkins appeared live on US television network FOX from Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, performing "God Save the Queen
God Save the Queen
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...
" before the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
and the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Personal life
Her father, Selwyn, died of lung cancer at age 70 when she was 15. She has remarked on missing him in her album liner notes and has dedicated any award she received to him.After Jenkins and Dame Vera Lynn
Vera Lynn
Dame Vera Lynn, DBE is an English singer-songwriter and actress whose musical recordings and performances were enormously popular during World War II. During the war she toured Egypt, India and Burma, giving outdoor concerts for the troops...
were together at centre stage at the 60th Anniversary of VE Day in 2005 during the song "We'll Meet Again
We'll Meet Again
"We'll Meet Again" is a 1939 song made famous by British singer Vera Lynn, and it also may refer to:* We'll Meet Again , a musical starring Lynn that includes the song...
", the newspapers dubbed Jenkins "the new Forces' Sweetheart", a nickname given to Lynn during World War II. Lynn had said to Jenkins that she should "go out and entertain the troops," which Jenkins promised she would. In December 2005 and 2006 Jenkins travelled to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
to entertain the soldiers for Christmas. On her first visit to Iraq in 2005, when travelling to Shaibah
Shaibah
Shaibah is the name of small village and a site of a military airfield near Az Zubayr, south west of Basrah in Iraq.It was the site of RAF Shaibah from 1920 until 1956 when it was then handed over to the Iraqi Air Force....
, the largest British base in Southern Iraq, the helicopter she was travelling in was targeted by missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
s. Anti-missile flares were deployed and the group landed safely.
In November 2008 Jenkins revealed to the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
that when she was a student she had taken class A drugs (cocaine and ecstasy) and cannabis. She noted that she was introduced to them by people she socialized with at the time and that she stopped taking them after signing her record deal in 2003. In the article Jenkins said "taking drugs is the biggest regret of my life".
Jenkins's autobiography, Time to Say Hello
Time to Say Hello
Time to Say Hello: The Autobiography is a 2008 autobiography by Katherine Jenkins. It was published in hardback in January 2008 by Orion Books.It was released on paperback on 5 February 2009....
, was released on 28 January 2008, and was also serialized in The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday is a British conservative newspaper, currently published in a tabloid format. First published in 1982 by Lord Rothermere, it became Britain's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper following the closing of The News of the World in July 2011...
.
At the start of 2007 Jenkins made her first appearance in the British young people's Sunday Times Rich List
Sunday Times Rich List
The Sunday Times Rich List is a list of the 1,000 wealthiest people or families in the United Kingdom, updated annually in April and published as a magazine supplement by British national Sunday newspaper The Sunday Times since 1989...
which ranked her as the sixty-second richest young person in Britain with an estimated wealth of £9 million. In 2010, the Sunday Times Rich List placed her at joint 11th in the Top 20 Young Millionaires list alongside Leona Lewis and Charlotte Church with an estimated wealth of £11 million.
In July 2010, Jenkins was reported to have bought a house with TV presenter Gethin Jones
Gethin Jones
Gethin Clifford Jones is a Welsh television presenter who has co-presented the BBC children's programme Blue Peter....
, to whom she has recently become engaged.
Discography
- PremierePremiere (Katherine Jenkins album)Premiere is the debut album by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, released on 5 April 2004, in the UK. It charted at number 31 on the UK Albums Chart and at number 1 on the UK Classical Album Chart.- Track listing :# "Questo E Per Te" 3:39...
(2004) - Second NatureSecond Nature (Katherine Jenkins album)Second Nature is the second album by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, released on 18 October 2004, in the UK. It charted at number 16 on the UK Albums Chart and at number 1 on the UK Classical Album Chart....
(2004) - Living a DreamLiving a DreamLiving a Dream is the third album by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, released on 31 October 2005, in the UK. It charted at number 4 on the UK Albums Chart and at number 1 on the UK Classical Album Chart.- Track listing :...
(2005) - SerenadeSerenade (Katherine Jenkins album)Serenade is the fourth album by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, released on 6 November 2006, in the UK. It charted at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart and at number 1 on the UK Classical Album Chart.- Track listing :...
(2006) - RejoiceRejoice (Katherine Jenkins album)Rejoice is the fifth album by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, released on 19 November 2007, in the UK. It charted at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart.- Track listing :# "Rejoice" written by Steve Mac/Wayne Hector# "I "...
(2007) - Sacred AriasSacred Arias (Katherine Jenkins album)Sacred Arias is the sixth album by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, released on 20 October 2008 in the UK. It is her final album with the Universal Music label.A Deluxe Edition containing a second disc was also released...
(2008) - BelieveBelieve (Katherine Jenkins album)- Deluxe edition :The deluxe edition of the album, released on 29 March 2010 in the UK, includes two new tracks: "Love Never Dies" and "Endless Love", with a total of 13 tracks.The track "Se Si Perde Un Amore" from the standard edition is not included....
(2009) - DaydreamDaydream (Katherine Jenkins album)Daydream is the 8th studio album by Welsh classical crossover artist Katherine Jenkins and was released on October 10, 2011. The album is her second with Warner Bros.- International edition :...
(2011)