Michelle Patricia Gayle (born 2 February 1971) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and writer. Gayle had success as a soul and R&B singer in the 1990s, having achieved seven

top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "cont ...

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. These include "

Sweetness Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketone ...

" and " Do You Know". She released two top 40 albums through

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also ...

but they parted company in 1997, and although Gayle has recorded other albums, they have not been released. As an actress, Gayle is known for her work on television, in particular playing Hattie Tavernier in BBC's ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'' from 1990 to 1993. She has also had various roles in film and theatre and played Belle in the West End musical ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

'' in 1999. She has taken part in several celebrity-based reality television shows, and, in June 2007, she became a panellist for ITV's topical chatshow ''

Loose Women ''Loose Women'' (previously known as ''Live Talk'' from 2000 to 2001) is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV1 weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about ...

''. Gayle branched into writing and the rights to her first novel were acquired by Walker Books in 2010. The book, ''Pride and Premiership'', was published on 5 May 2011.

Acting, presenting and personal appearances

Acting

1987–88

Gayle was born in 1971 in the northwest part of London, in the

Harlesden Harlesden is a district in the London Borough of Brent, North West London. Located north of the Grand Union Canal and Wormwood Scrubs, the Harrow Road flows through the centre of the area which goes eastwards to Central London and west toward ...

area. She attended the

Barbara Speake Stage School The Barbara Speake Stage School was opened on 10 February 1945 as an independent school, and was initially set up as a dancing school, by the founding principal Miss Barbara Speake, MBE, and was located in East Acton, London. The school was fee ...

in Acton, west London, at a time when

Naomi Campbell Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began her career at the age of 15, and established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the past four decades. Cam ...

Amma Asante Amma Asante (born 13 September 1969) is a British filmmaker, screenwriter, former actress, and Chancellor at Norwich University of the Arts, who was born in London to parents from Ghana. Her love for the film industry started when she receive ...

and Kwame Kwei-Armah were also attending."From Grange Hill to the valleys"
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

''. URL last accessed on 2007-06-25. She first became publicly known when she appeared in the children's BBC television programme ''

Grange Hill ''Grange Hill'' is a British children's television drama series, originally produced by the BBC and portraying life in a typical comprehensive school. The show began its run on 8 February 1978 on BBC1, and was one of the longest-running program ...

'' in 1988 and

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

as Fiona Wilson, who was most notably part of a rap duo named Fresh 'n' Fly."I Love 1978"
''BBC''. URL last accessed on 2007-01-05

1990–1993

Gayle later appeared as an extra in TV Drama '' London's Burning'' and in the Children's ITV television programme '' Press Gang'' in 1990 as a background member of the news team, and that same year she won the role of Hattie Tavernier in the popular BBC soap opera ''

''. The introduction of the Tavernier family heralded the first time that an entire family had joined the programme all at once. Their introduction was also a well-intentioned attempt to portray a wider range of

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

characters than had previously been achieved on the show. Gayle's character remained in the show for three years as Ian Beale's PA and was featured in an array of storylines including being abandoned by her fiancé

Steve Elliot Steve Elliot is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Mark Monero between 8 October 1991 and 12 February 1996. Storylines Steve is first seen in Albert Square in October 1991 as an old school friend of Hattie ...

(

Mark Monero Mark Monero (born 1968) is a British actor and musician. He has had various roles including parts in ''Babylon'', ''Wilt'', ''Prayer for the Dying'', ''Sid and Nancy'' and remains best known for his role as Steve Elliot in the BBC soap opera ' ...

) and suffering a

miscarriage Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks of gestation is defined by ESHRE as biochemica ...

as a result. However, music was always Gayle's first passion, and in 1993 she left ''EastEnders'' to pursue a singing career.

1999 onwards

In 1999, Gayle played Belle, the lead female, in Disney's ''

'', and she returned to television acting in 2003, guest-starring in the BBC television dramas '' Doctors'' and ''

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' Casualty'', and ...

''. She went on to play the role of Lara in the

Five 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awa ...

soap opera, ''

Family Affairs ''Family Affairs'' is a British soap opera that aired on Channel 5. It debuted on 30 March 1997, the day of the launch of said channel and was the first programme broadcast on the channel. It was screened as five thirty-minute episodes per ...

'' (2005), and played the lead female character, Yvonne, in the film ''

Joy Division Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after atte ...

'', which was released in November 2006. The film tells the story of a German boy who is orphaned in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and then groomed as a KGB sleeper. Gayle starred in Jason Barrett's British feature film ''The Naked Poet'' as character Joanne, which was screened in London's Mayfair Hotel December 2011. On stage, she played the role of Brenda in Angie Le Mar's ''The Brothers'' at the Hackney Empire in April 2006, and she went on to play Jill in Pat Ashworth's ensemble stage production, ''Mum's the Word'', which toured the UK from February to June 2007."Mum’s the Word"
''The Stage''. URL last accessed on 2007-02-11 She appeared in the CBBC series ''

Wolfblood ''Wolfblood'' is a fantasy teen drama television series targeted at a young audience. Created by Debbie Moon, it is a co-production between CBBC and ZDF/ZDFE. The television series revolves around the life of the species known as wolfbloods. Th ...

'' as Imara. In March 2018, she began playing the role of as Alison in the musical ''Son of a Preacher Man'', which is based on the life of

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, pop and dram ...

. She is currently playing the role of Hermione Granger in the West End production of ''

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ''Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'' is a play written by Jack Thorne from an original story by J. K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Thorne. Previews of the play began at the Palace Theatre, London, on 7 June 2016 as a two-part play, and it p ...

''.

Presenting and reality television

Gayle was a contestant on ITV's reality-television show '' Reborn in the USA'', competing against artists such as Elkie Brooks,

Sonia Sonia, Sonja or Sonya, a name of Greek origin meaning wisdom, may refer to: People * Sonia (name), a feminine given name (lists people named, Sonia, Sonja and Sonya) :* Sonia (actress), Indian film actress in Malayalam and Tamil films :* Sonia ...

, Gina G,

Leee John Leslie McGregor "Leee" John (born 23 June 1957) is a British musician, singer, and actor of St Lucian descent. He was born in Hackney, London, and educated in New York City, later studying drama at the Anna Scher Theatre School. He is perhaps ...

and

Tony Hadley Anthony Patrick Hadley (born 2 June 1960) is an English pop singer. He rose to fame in the 1980s as the lead singer of the new wave band Spandau Ballet and launched a solo career following the group's split in 1990. Hadley returned to the ban ...

. Gayle made it to the final and finished second behind Hadley. In 2004, Gayle presented the UMA Awards with ex-EastEnder

Gary Beadle Gary Beadle (born 8 July 1965) is a British actor, best known for playing Paul Trueman in '' EastEnders'' and Gary Barwick in ''Operation Good Guys''. Life and career Beadle was raised as one of five children in Bermondsey, South London, w ...

,"BULLETS’N’BLING"
''The Voice''; accessed 2007-01-05 and in 2005, she appeared as a celebrity mentor on the

documentary ''Pushy Parents''. In March 2006, she took part in the fourth series of the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

reality-television show '' The Games'' competing against various other celebrities in a series of sports events. Gayle came third in the competition and raised more than £5,000 for her chosen charity, the

Willow Foundation The Willow Foundation is a national charity established in 1999 by Arsenal footballer and BBC sports commentator Bob Wilson and his wife Megs as a lasting memorial to their daughter, Anna, who died of cancer aged 31. It is the only national charity ...

."Michelle Gayle raises £5,000 for Willow Foundation"
''Willowfoundation''; accessed on 2007-02-11 She later became a guest panellist on ITV's topical chatshow ''

'', in June 2007. In June 2009, it was announced that Gayle would be one of several celebrities competing in ''

Dancing on Wheels ''Dancing on Wheels'' is a British Reality TV show made by production company Fever Media and first broadcast on BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television c ...

'', BBC's spin-off show to the popular reality television competition ''

Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (informally known as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of usually 4 j ...

''. ''

'' paired able-bodied celebrities with those in wheelchairs. The winning pair represented the UK at the Wheelchair Dance Sport European Championships in Israel in October 2009. Gayle and partner Harry Maule reached the semi-finals, but were beaten in the dance-off by Diana Morgan-Hill and Olympic swimmer Mark Foster.

Musical career

1993–1998

Before she gained commercial success, Gayle sang with a rap duo called R-MOR-FUS, performing gigs at various clubs and low-key venues. In 1993, while she was still on the cast of ''EastEnders'', Gayle signed with

and launched herself as a solo artist. Her debut single "Looking Up" reached number 11

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

. By 1994, she had her biggest-selling single to date, "

", which reached number 4,Michelle Gayle
, ''BBC''. URL last accessed on 2007-01-05. spent 16 weeks in the

and was certified silver, selling more than 300,000 copies. Gayle had further chart success in 1994 with the number-26 hit "I'll Find You"; in 1995 with the number-16 "Freedom"; and the number-11 "Happy Just to Be with You" which sampled The Sugar Hill Gang's "

Rapper's Delight "Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 hip-hop track by the Sugarhill Gang, produced by Sylvia Robinson. Although it was shortly preceded by the Fatback Band's "King Tim III (Personality Jock)", "Rapper's Delight" is credited for introducing hip-hop mus ...

" and Chic's "

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was television's first Afric ...

". These five singles were taken from Gayle's self-titled debut album '' Michelle Gayle'', which was released in 1994, peaked at number 30 in the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

, and was certified

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

. Gayle also appeared on the Childliners charity record " The Gift of Christmas" in 1995, alongside acts such as

Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The ...

Boyzone Boyzone were an Irish boy band, created in 1993 by talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's '' The Late Late Show''. Their most successful line-up was composed of Keith Duffy, Steph ...

, E.Y.C.,

Sean Maguire Sean Maguire (born 18 April 1976 in Ilford, London) is a British-American actor and singer, who rose to fame in 1988 when at the age of eleven he took on the role of "Tegs" Ratcliffe on the BBC children's drama ''Grange Hill'', in which he r ...

, Deuce, Ultimate Kaos,

Let Loose Let Loose is a British pop trio, with Richie Wermerling (born Richard John Wermerling, 11 May 1968 in Whitechapel, London) on lead vocals and keyboards, Rob Jeffrey (born Robert George Edward Jeffrey, 30 November 1967 in Romford, East London) o ...

East 17 East 17 are an English pop boy band started by Tony Mortimer, Brian Harvey, John Hendy, and Terry Coldwell in 1991. As of 2020, the group consists of Coldwell, Robbie Craig, and Joe Livermore. East 17 have undergone multiple lineup changes, wi ...

Peter Andre Peter Andre (born Peter James Andrea, 27 February 1973) is an English-Australian singer and television personality of Australian descent. Andre gained popularity as a singer, best known for his singles "Mysterious Girl" and " Flava". He is als ...

, MN8,

Dannii Minogue Danielle Jane Minogue () is an Australian singer, television personality, and actress. She initially gained recognition for her appearances on the television show '' Young Talent Time'' (1982–1988) and for her role as Emma Jackson on t ...

and many more. It peaked at number 9. Gayle returned in 1997 with her sixth single, " Do You Know", which reached number 6. This was followed by the song "Sensational", which reached number 14. Both singles were taken from Gayle's second album, '' Sensational'', which had multiple producers, and was recorded in both London and Los Angeles. Despite ''Sensational'' being praised by critics, the album had disappointing sales. It entered the album chart at number 17, but quickly fell out of the top 40 the following week. Due to poor album sales, Gayle left RCA. During the time she was signed to the label, Gayle received three BRIT Award nominations: two in 1995 for 'Best Single' and 'Best Female Artist', and one in 1998 for 'Best Female Artist'.

1999–2004

Following her departure from RCA, Gayle signed with EMI. She recorded an album for that label, but due to an artist rostering re-shuffle, she had left the company by 1999 before the album was released. After leaving EMI in 1999, Gayle took to the West End stage and played Belle in

Disney's The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

''. After an extended break from show business to look after her son, Isaiah, Gayle began developing her music production company M Media Productions.GOTTA BE ME
", ''anglo plugging''. URL last accessed on 2007-01-05 She also appeared on other artists' albums, including those of

Ivan Matias Ivan Matias is an American singer, songwriter, producer, arranger, hip hop ghostwriter, and entrepreneur. He is primarily known for writing and producing hit songs for artists like En Vogue ("Don't Let Go (Love)"), Angie Stone ("Wish I Didn't ...

Me One Me One (born Eric Martin on 19 August 1970), also known as MC Eric, is a Welsh musician, rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer, who rose to prominence for his work for the Belgian-based recording act Technotronic. Early life Born in ...

, Shabba and Lemon D.Michelle Gayle written by Andrew Davis
, ''Underground soul''. URL last accessed on 2007-02-11 In 2003, Gayle accepted the offer to appear in the reality television series '' Reborn in the USA'', a televised singing competition where former British pop acts were transported to the US, with the hope of revitalising their music careers. Gayle finished second in the competition, taking runner-up position to

in the final. Following her success on the programme, Gayle began working on new material.MICHELLE MARK II
, ''The Voice''. URL last accessed on 2007-01-05 Gayle reinvented herself as a UK R&B artist, and worked on material for her third album with New York record producer Terence Dudley — famous for working on

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...

's album ''

Get Rich or Die Tryin' ''Get Rich or Die Tryin'' is the debut studio album by American rapper 50 Cent. It was released on February 6, 2003, by Interscope Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, Eminem's Shady Records, and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records. After signing ...

''. At the end of 2004, Gayle appeared on several TV shows promoting the release of her new single, "Gotta Be Me", but the single was pulled before its release. In an interview with '' The Voice'' newspaper in April 2006, she divulged that she did make a new album, but her record company (N2 Records) folded.LE MAR'S TALE
, ''The Voice''. URL last accessed on 2007-01-05

Eurovision 2008

Gayle was one of the participants of the pre-selection stage of '' Eurovision – Your Decision'', which determined who the United Kingdom would send to the ''

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

'' in

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...

on 24 May 2008. Gayle co-wrote her song, "Woo (U Make Me)", with Rashelle Davies and Morten Schjolin, and described it as "pop in essence, but with a very cool 60's vibe to it". Gayle came second in the public vote on 1 March 2008, behind

Andy Abraham Andrew Abraham (born 17 July 1964) is a British singer. He was the runner-up in the second UK series of TV talent show ''The X Factor'' in 2005 to Shayne Ward, and also represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. Before ...

Writing career

During an interview with the ''Blackpool Gazette'' in February 2007, Gayle mentioned that she was in the process of writing her first novel. The plot involved an unpleasant TV talent-show judge who discovers he is dying. She said: "It's sort of fiction but not fiction but it is made up and true, so when you read it you'll see it's fictional but also real, and I hope it explains a few things about the pop business.""Michelle's a mum on move"
''Blackpool Gazette''; accessed 2007-02-11 It was never published. Walker Books acquired the rights to Gayle's novel, ''Pride and Premiership'', in 2010 and the book was published on 5 May 2011. The novel, aimed at a teen market, depicts the story of two girls who aspire to be

WAGs WAGs (or Wags) is an acronym used to refer to wives and girlfriends of high-profile sportsmen. The term may also be used in the singular form, WAG, to refer to a specific female partner or life partner who is in a relationship with an athlete. Th ...

, or wives/girlfriends of football players. Gayle, who was once married to a professional footballer, has commented, "In the time of

Jane Austen Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...

's ''

Pride & Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appre ...

'' a woman had to get married to support herself. We’ve got to an age where a woman can support herself but still wants to marry a footballer to support her. I'm not WAG-bashing or footballer-bashing, I just want girls to make informed decisions about their future." She has also written for television, contributing episodes of ''

'' and '' A Discovery of Witches''.

Personal life

Gayle was married to ex-professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugb ...

and football pundit Mark Bright"Passion for sport"
, ''BBC''. Accessed 2007-01-05. for ten years, and had one son, Isaiah, with him. The couple separated in 2007 and divorced on 18 April 2008. Gayle is godmother to the daughter of the actress Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence, who played her on-screen mother, Etta Tavernier, in ''EastEnders''. Gayle is a

teetotal Teetotalism is the practice or promotion of total personal abstinence from the psychoactive drug alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler or teetotaller, or is ...

ler and does not eat meat.'' Come Dine with Me'', Channel 4 22 December 2010 On 4 August 2011 it was announced on ''

The Wright Stuff ''The Wright Stuff'' is a British television chat show which was hosted by former tabloid journalist Matthew Wright from 2000 until 2018. It aired on Channel 5 on weekday mornings from 9:15 to 11:15am. The series characterised itself as "Br ...

'' that she was pregnant. On Twitter, she announced the birth of her son, Luke, on 2 November 2011.

Discography

Albums

Singles

B-sides and other tracks

*"Say What's on Your Mind" ("Sweetness"

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

/'' Michelle Gayle'' album track) *"Tell Me" ("I'll Find You" B-side) *"I Thought I Was Your Lady" ("Happy Just to Be with You" B-side) *"Juicy" ("Sensational" B-side) *"Give Me a Try" ("Sensational" B-side) *"Sunshine After Rain" ("Sensational" B-side) *"Until You Come Back to Me" (''Reborn in the USA'' album track) *"Love Me Tender" (''Reborn in the USA'' album track) *"Got to Be Me" (unreleased single) *"Don't Want It" ("Got to Be Me" unreleased B-side)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gayle, Michelle 1971 births Living people 20th-century Black British women singers British contemporary R&B singers English soap opera actresses English television actresses English musical theatre actresses Actresses from London Black British actresses English people of Saint Kitts and Nevis descent English women pop singers People educated at Barbara Speake Stage School 21st-century Black British women singers