Michelle Heaton didn’t make it to the band Hear’Say as the winner of the British singing contest Popstars but she did get to be in her own runner-up music group Liberty X with four other runner-up singers. As the one fifth of the girl group, Michelle has released several hits over the six years that Liberty X were together. Born on July 19, 1979, Michelle is also a popular British television personality, actress and model. As a reality star, she has starred in television series like Celebrity Big Brother 6, The Apprentice, Weakest Link and Totally Scott-Lee among others.
Michelle has been happily married to Hugh Hanley since 2010 and has been with the businessman since 2008 after her split from her first husband Andy Scott-Lee whom she married in 2006. Her daughter Faith Michelle Hanley was born on January 11, 2012. That year she received a devastating news of her having a specific gene known as BRCA2 which significantly increased her chances of suffering from cancer in her breasts and ovaries. She decided to have a mastectomy that year and also had to get breasts implants after a breast surgery. Her son Aaron Jay Hanley was born on February 28, 2014. Later in 2014, she opted for a full hysterectomy which further reduced the cancer threat to her ovaries. It was revealed that she had inherited the gene from her parent and her daughter was also in danger of inheriting it.
Michelle’s music career began when she and her fellow Popstars contestants were signed a record deal by Richard Branson with V2 Records. Liberty X was formerly known as Liberty but they added the X after a legal dispute with a 90s R&B band with the same name. In the first half of the 2000s, the group released seven singles that entered the Top 10 charts in the UK. Just a Little peaked at no. 1 and the other singles, Thinking it Over, Song 4 Lovers, Holding on for You and Got to Have Your Love peaked at the UK Singles Chart’s top 5. Their first album was their most successful album which peaked at the third spot. Their following albums were also moderately successful. As a group they won Brit Awards for two categories, Best Breakthrough and Best Single. In 2007, the group announced their break up and Michelle was reported to have signed a record deal to begin her solo career but she has yet to present herself as a solo singer. Even before the split, Michelle had begun to take roots in British television. In 2005, she appeared on MTV for Totally Scott Lee. As a celebrity she made appearances in Celebrity World Cup Soccer Six, Weakest Link and Michelle & Andy’s Big Day. She appeared on the judge panel of the Irish show You’re A Star in 2008. She also took part in The Truth About Binge Drinking on ITV1 in 2008 where she consumed alcohol in excessive amounts to show the viewers the negative effects of drinking alcohol. She was seen later in the shows Falite Towers, Come Dine With Me and The Podge and Rodge Show. She is also a prominent contestant of the Celebrity Big Brother’s season six.
For three years, Michelle was a columnist for OK! Magazine’s Hotstars. In 2004, her exercise DVD titled Liberty X-Toned was released. In 2014, she also became the spokeswoman of the Just Add Mushrooms initiative started by Mushroom Bureau.
Michelle Heaton is irresistibly gorgeous and seems really down to earth. Her bond with her family has remained strong through the recent unfortunate events which have made the singer turned actress more thankful towards her children.