Louise Redknapp

Louise Elizabeth Redknapp ( née  Nurding) (born 4 November 1974) is an English singer and media personality. She was a member of  Eternal, a  girl group prominent in the 1990s, before becoming a solo singer (known simply as " Louise"). She has presented several television shows and was a judge on the UK version of  So You Think You Can Dance. She is married to the English  football player and television  pundit  Jamie Redknapp. ==Early life [edit] ==

Redknapp was born in Lewisham, London. Her father was a builder and her mother worked at Gatwick Airport. Louise and her two younger brothers grew up in Eltham, London, and Oxted, Surrey.

At the age of 11, she joined the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London, where she met her future Eternal bandmate Kéllé Bryan on her first day. ==Music career [edit] == ===Eternal [edit] ===

While out clubbing at the age of 16, Louise met the music producer Denis Ingoldsby, who was forming an all-girl group. She subsequently introduced Denis to Kéllé Bryan. Kéllé and Louise, together with sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, formed the band Eternal in 1992. They performed a mixture of heavy R&B, soul, pop and dance. Eternal's debut single "Stay" entered the UK charts at number four, and their debut album, Always and Forever, sold over 1.2 million copies in the UK.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Louise left the group in 1995, amid rumours that she had been asked to leave by the Eternal's management and/or record company as they wanted to market Eternal in the US as an all-black R&B group. However, these rumours were denied. ===Solo career with EMI <span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;">[edit] ===

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">In late-1995, Louise signed a record deal with First Avenue management and EMI Records. Now professionally known simply as "Louise", her debut solo single was the orchestral ballad "Light of My Life" (which reached number eight on the UK charts). Her second solo release, "In Walked Love" (previously a hit from the self-titled 1992 album by the dance/pop group Exposé), fared less well and missed the UK Top Ten.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">However, Louise's third single, "Naked", turned things around and became her then biggest hit to date, peaking at number five in the UK.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Louise's debut solo album, also entitled Naked, was subsequently released in 1996 on the back of the single's success. The album received lukewarm reviews, but nevertheless peaked at number seven in the UK album charts. It was later certified Platinum by the BPI for over 300,000 copies sold. Two further singles were released: "Undivided Love" (UK #5) and "One Kiss From Heaven" (UK #9).

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">In 1997, Louise returned with the single "Arms Around The World", which reached number four in the UK. Her second solo album, Woman in Me, peaked at number five in the UK and went on to be gain multi-platinum status. The album also made an impact across Europe, charting well in a number of countries. To support and celebrate the success of the album, Louise embarked on a UK wide 'sell-out' arena tour of over twenty dates, including Wembley Arena.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">"Let's Go Round Again" (a cover of a song by The Average White Band) was the second single released from the album, which reached number ten.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">At the start of 1998, Louise's career was at a high point: her second album had gone platinum, she was on the cover of magazines such as Smash Hits and GQ, and had been voted The Sexiest Woman In The World by the readers ofFHM magazine.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">In 1998, Louise married the footballer Jamie Redknapp, then focused on making what she described<sup class="Template-Fact" style="line-height:1em;white-space:nowrap;">[citation needed]  as her "most personal album to date", Elbow Beach. Released in 2000, Louise was more involved in the process of this album than her previous two, co-writing all 12 tracks and co-producing most of them.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">The lead single from Elbow Beach, the R&B-styled "2 Faced" went straight into the charts at number three, and became Louise's highest charting single. Despite the initial hype and critical praise, total sales for Elbow Beach were weaker than the previous two productions, and the album peaked at number twelve. The same year, Louise was hired to 'sex up' the 2000 National Egg Awareness Campaign.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">After Elbow Beach was released, she had one album left on her five-album deal with EMI (including Eternal's Always and Forever). In 2001, the label decided to release a greatest hits compilation, incorporating all of her top ten hit singles (including those she had performed with Eternal), called Changing Faces – The Best Of Louise. The collection featured three new tracks, including a cover of Five Star's 1987 hit "The Slightest Touch". The album peaked at number nine in the UK, and she embarked on the second solo tour of her career.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">EMI later released a second greatest hits album entitled Finest Moments, with a slightly different tracklisting. ===After EMI <span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;">[edit] ===

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">In 2002 Redknapp signed a £1.5 million contract with her manager Oliver Smallman's Positive Records (a division of Universal Music) to record her fourth solo album. The album was due for release in 2004 alongside the single "Bounce Back". However, due to becoming pregnant with her son Charley, the album was never released. The only single released from the album was the double A-side "Pandora's Kiss"/"Don't Give Up", which peaked at number five and raised money for Tickled Pink/Breast Cancer Care. The unreleased album saw Louise work with the likes of Sylvia Bennett Smith and Marc 'M2E' Smith (Destiny's Child, Jamelia, Stacie Orrico, Terri Walker), Mark Hill (Craig David) and Pete Martin (Sugababes, Dannii Minogue, Nate James). The album would also have included Louise's first duet with boyband 3rd Wish on the track "Don't Ever Change". ==Career beyond music <span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;">[edit] ==

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">On television, Louise has presented editions of SMTV Live, CD:UK, Soccer Aid: Extra Time, This Morning (interviewing fashion designer Tracy Boyd and others), three series of the revived The Clothes Show for UKTV Style, and in March 2007 the controversial documentary The Truth About Size Zero for ITV1.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Alongside her husband Jamie Redknapp and former footballer Tim Sherwood, Louise published a magazine called Icon Magazine, aimed solely at professional sports stars and celebrities. She later sold the magazine to another publisher.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Louise has been seen as the face of a number of advertising campaigns: the "Safe And White" campaign for Boots, Flora's "Omega 3" products, Boots and BT. She is currently brand ambassador for the new Orbit gum Complete detox guide to teeth and mouth and a model for Avon.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">In autumn 2007 Redknapp was unveiled as the new face of Triumph lingerie for 2007, 2008 and 2009. In November 2008 The Redknapp Family were also unveiled as the Nintendo Wii Family for their Christmas 2008 Advertising Campaign followed by The Louise Redknapp Nintendo Wii Fit Campaign in March 2009. In 2010 Louise and husband Jamie also fronted a new Campaign by Thomas Cook promoting their Holidays on TV and throughout the media.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">In 2009 Louise filmed a follow up Documentary 'The Truth about Super Skinny Pregnancies' displaying the pressures on women to stay in shape during and after their pregnancies.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">In September 2009 Redknapp presented The Farmer Wants a Wife for Five, a relaunch of a series which originally appeared on ITV in 2001. In 2009 Louise was also announced as the face of online fashion retailer Fashion Union.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">In January 2010 Redknapp took over from Amanda Hamilton as the full-time presenter of the BBC Sunday morning programme Something for the Weekend. However she has not been asked to join her co-presenters when the show moves to channel 4 in March 2012.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">She was a judge on the UK version of So You Think You Can Dance, broadcast on BBC1.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">In the July 2004 edition of FHM, Louise was named the "Sexiest Woman of the Decade".

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">In 2011, Louise made her acting debut alongside Ray Winstone as Irene Smith in the feature film The Hot Potato.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Louise’s next project sees her branching out into the beauty world. She’s launched a cosmetic range, Wild About Beauty, in partnership with make-up artist Kim Jacob. Louise, who only uses her own products. The Wild About Beauty make-up range is available at Wildaboutbeauty.com and selected Debenhams and House Of Fraser stores ==Personal life <span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;">[edit] ==

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Louise married football player Jamie Redknapp on 29 June 1998.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">After a diagnosis of back pain from endometriosis, and treatment by laser surgery, Louise gave birth to a boy named Charles William "Charley" Redknapp on 27 July 2004 at London's Portland Hospital. Charley was named after Louise's grandfather, who died on the day that Louise found out that she was pregnant. She gave birth to her second son, Beau Henry Redknapp, 10 November 2008, also at Portland Hospital. Louise stated that Beau was named as a tribute to Jamie's father, the football manager Harry Redknapp, because Harry was born in Bow.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">In an interview with Fabulous magazine on 13 January 2013 Louise spoke about her wish for a daughter. "If I'm really honest, I'd love another one and, after two boys, it'd be ideal to have a little girl. I'm 39 now so I know I haven't got much time to work this one out. I'm under a bit of pressure. My mum keeps reminding me that I haven't got long!' Asked whether she and former England and Liverpool footballer Jamie have already begun trying for a little girl, Louise hinted: 'Just watch this space." ==Charitable activities <span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;">[edit] ==

<p style="line-height:19.1875px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">In 2003, Louise's single "Pandora's Kiss"/"Don't Give Up", was released to raise money for Breast Cancer Care's "Tickled Pink" campaign. Louise has also participated in a celebrity edition of The Apprentice in 2008 to raise money for charity. (Over £400,000 was raised.) Louise organised a charity sale of celebrity designer clothes at the London department store Selfridges for the charity Mothers4Children in November 2009.