Denise van Outen
Van Outen in 2007
Born	Denise Kathleen Outen (1974-05-27)27 May 1974 (age 50) Basildon,Essex, England
Occupations	Actress singer dancer presenter
Years active	1986–present
Television	The Big Breakfast Babes in the Wood Any Dream Will Do Who Dares, Sings! Born to Shine Strictly Come Dancing EastEnders Loose Women Ireland's Got Talent Celebrity Gogglebox The Masked Singer Neighbours Dancing on Ice
Spouse	Lee Mead ​ ​ (m. 2009; div. 2015)​
Partner(s)	Jay Kay (1998–2001), Eddie Boxshall (2014–2022)
Children	1

Denise van Outen (bornDenise Kathleen Outen; 27 May 1974)^[1] is an English actress, singer, dancer and presenter. She presentedThe Big Breakfast, played Roxie Hart in the musicalChicago both inthe West End andon Broadway and finished as runner-up in thetenth series of theBBC One dancing showStrictly Come Dancing.

She was a judge onAny Dream Will Do in 2007,Born to Shine in 2011, andIreland's Got Talent which ran for two seasons (2018–2019). Van Outen also narrates theITVBe reality television seriesThe Only Way Is Essex.

Born Denise Kathleen Outen inBasildon,Essex, England,^[2] she has a brother Terry^{[citation needed]} and sister Jackie.^{[citation needed]} She claims that her ancestors "are allDutch", which was the reason she added "van" into her name.^[3][4][5] At the age of seven, she began modelling for knitting patterns,^[4] and showed an early flair for performing. This resulted in her attending theSylvia Young Theatre School.^[6]

In 1986, she played the youngÉponine inLes Misérables^[7] (the role paid her school fees^[8]), theAnthony Newley-directed production ofStop the World - I Want to Get Off, andA Midsummer Night's Dream with theRoyal Shakespeare Company.^[4]

As a teenager, van Outen had brief roles on a number of television dramas; these includedKappatoo^[9] andThe Bill.^[10] In 1992, she appeared in aDrinking and Driving Wrecks Lives commercial.^[11] She also performed backing vocals withMelanie Blatt for the bandDreadzone.^[7] In the mid 1990s, she sang with formervideo game soundtrack singer Cathy Warwick in a 'girl group' called Those2Girls, by which time she had become Denise van Outen. Those2Girls were signed to BMG's Final Vinyl record label and had a minor Top 40 hit in 1995, called "All I Want".^[12]

During her first stint onThe Big Breakfast show, she appeared as Jill in ITV1's version of thepantomimeJack and the Beanstalk^[13] alongsideJulie Walters andNeil Morrissey. Wanting to further develop her acting career, she leftThe Big Breakfast at the end of 1998. In 1999, she appeared on several episodes ofThe Bill andThe Young Person's Guide To Becoming A Rock Star, theBBC'sMurder in Mind short series of crime dramas,^[14] and on 2 series ofBabes in the Wood withKarl Howman andSamantha Janus.^[13]

Van Outen has also appeared in film, initially as Maureen in the crime comedyLove, Honour and Obey. In theanthology filmTube Tales, set on theLondon Underground, she played the lead character of Alex in the "Horny" segment, directed byStephen Hopkins.^[15] Van Outen has played a small role in theromantic comedyAre You Ready For Love?

She first played Roxie Hart on the stage in the hit musicalChicago at theAdelphi Theatre in the West End in April 2001.^[16] Her run proved a hit with theatre-goers, selling out for the entire 20 weeks. Unknown in the United States, she reprised her role on Broadway in the spring of 2002, before returning to the show's London version in late April 2002.^[17] Late the same year, Van Outen appeared as one of many special guest stars in a performance ofThe Play What I Wrote once again in London's West End.

In 2003, she returned to the London stage at theGielgud Theatre inAndrew Lloyd Webber's one-woman showTell Me on a Sunday,^[18][19] which he reworked for her. She was a huge success and the show ran for nearly a year.^[20] She then joined the cast of the established ITV sentimental dramaWhere the Heart Is as one of the lead characters, playing single mother Kim Blakeney, continuing for two series.^[21]

Van Outen played Maureen in the 2007 London revival ofRent Remixed directed by William Baker until 22 December.^[22] She was forced to cancel some performances owing to a throat infection.^[23] In July 2009, van Outen played Mary inHotel Babylon for the BBC. Her character was at the hotel for a science convention.^[24] In August 2009, van Outen made herEdinburgh Festival Fringe debut inBlondes,^[25] a show byJackie Clune.

Van Outen took over the role of Paulette Bonafonté fromJill Halfpenny in theWest End production ofLegally Blonde on 25 October 2010.^[26] She continued in the role for 6 months. In 2012, Van Outen was cast in the film of theRay CooneyfarceRun for Your Wife alongsideDanny Dyer,Sarah Harding and Neil Morrissey.^[27] In 2013, she co-wrote the one-woman musical playSome Girl I Used To Know withTerry Ronald,^[28] which she will tour in from January 2014.^[29]

In February 2015, it was announced that Van Outen would be joining the cast ofEastEnders.^[30] Van Outen plays intelligent businesswomanKarin Smart who gets involved withMax Branning (Jake Wood), and has business history withPhil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). In August 2015, Van Outen performed the title role in a concert performance of the musicalSweet Charity atCadogan Hall,^[31] with actor/singerMichael Xavier, herSCD co-star, ex-Girls Aloud band memberKimberley Walsh, and West End starKerry Ellis.

In September 2018, it was announced that she would be joining the cast of the 2018 London revival ofChicago at thePhoenix Theatre in the West End as Velma Kelly.^[32] Due to start rehearsals on 10 September 2018, in preparation for her first performance on 24 September, it was discovered that Van Outen had suffered a stress fracture in her heel, postponing her return to the production with her new dates yet to be announced.^[33]

Van Outen joined the cast of Australian soap operaNeighbours asPrudence Wallace in June 2019.^[34] She filmed her first scenes alongside cast membersStefan Dennis andRebekah Elmaloglou in London, before flying out to join the cast at the serial's Melbourne studios.^[34] Her first scenes aired in September 2019.^[35]

In 2007, Van Outen co-presentedWho Dares, Sings! withBen Shephard and in 2008 she frontedSky1'sHairspray: The School Musical. She currently narrates theITVBe seriesThe Only Way Is Essex.

Van Outen guest presentedThis Morning in 2005,The Friday Night Project in 2006,The 5 O'Clock Show in 2010,Lorraine in 2010 and 2012, andSunday Brunch in 2013. She was a judge on the 2011 seriesBorn to Shine. She was a guest panellist on an episode ofLoose Women in 2014 and became a regular panellist on the show in September 2017.

Van Outen has been the presenter ofMatalan Presents: The Show since 2016. On 30 August 2017, she was announced as one of the four judges on the first season ofIreland's Got Talent in 2018.^[36] In 2020, she competed in theITV singing competitionThe Masked Singer as 'Fox', where she placed fifth.^{[citation needed]}

On 4 February 2008, van Outen reunited with her formerBig Breakfast partnerJohnny Vaughan as co-host ofCapital Breakfast onCapital Radio.^[37] On 29 July 2008, she quit the show, halfway through her contract, because of TV commitments and the early mornings.^[38] However, in April 2011 van Outen said that she left the show because relations between her and Vaughan had soured. She claims Vaughan has not spoken to her since.^[39] In spring 2013, van Outen started presenting her own Saturday afternoon radio show on London'sMagic 105.4, airing between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm.

In September 2012, van Outen was announced as one of the celebrities competing on thetenth series ofStrictly Come Dancing. She partnered with professional dancerJames Jordan. The couple secured top of the leaderboard 7 times. However, controversy arose when viewers criticised her participation in the competition because of the advantage of having had previous stage experience.^[40] On 20 December 2012, van Outen and Jordan finished as runners-up alongsideGirls Aloud singerKimberley Walsh &Pasha Kovalev, behind winning couple, Olympic gymnastLouis Smith &Flavia Cacace.^[41]

On 23 September 2020, van Outen was announced as one of the celebrities competing on thethirteenth series ofDancing on Ice. She was partnered withMatt Evers. On 16 January 2021, van Outen suffered a partially dislocated shoulder and tendon damage to her left shoulder after falling during rehearsals for the launch show of series 13 ofDancing On Ice; van Outen was able to perform a modified dance routine with her professional skate partnerMatt Evers on the launch show. On 26 January 2021, van Outen withdrew from the competition as a result of her dislocation, as well as three bone fractures which were confirmed after further MRI scans.^[42]

Van Outen has designed two collections thus far for the website Very, part of theShop Direct Group. The first collection was a maternity range launched in March 2010 and the second an autumn/winter collection.^[43]

In 1998 and 1999, she also co-hosted theChildLine Concert in Dublin.^{[citation needed]}

In 2021, she returned to music and released a cover of theLes Misérables musical song "On My Own" as a charity single in aid of the Make A Difference Trust.^[44] In February 2021, she launched her first podcast alongside partner Eddie Boxshall. Before We Say I Do follows the couple as they investigate types of relationship counselling in an attempt to iron out any differences they may have before they get married. It is produced by Yahoo! UK.^[45] In September 2023, Van Outen released the duet "That's What Friends Are For" withDuncan James. The single, in aid ofMacmillan Cancer Support, was recorded in tribute to their friend, singerSarah Harding, who died from breast cancer in 2021.^{[citation needed]}

From 1998 to 2001, she datedJamiroquai lead singerJay Kay. The couple were engaged,^[46] but they split up in 2001. The Jamiroquai song "Little L" is said to have been inspired by their break-up.^[47]

From 2009 to 2015 (separated 2013), she was married toAny Dream Will Do winnerLee Mead.^[48] They have a daughter together, Betsy, who was born in 2010. From July 2014, she was in a relationship with commodities trader Eddie Boxshall; they lived together inChelmsford. The relationship ended in January 2022.^[49]

Van Outen has worked with charity. She actively supportsBreast Cancer Care andGreat Ormond Street Hospital.^{[citation needed]} In 2009, Van Outen climbedMount Kilimanjaro forComic Relief, and in 2013 took part in a trek across theGreat Wall of China forthe Royal Marsden Hospital.^[50]

• A Bit of Me: From Basildon to Broadway, and Back (Ebury Spotlight Books, 2022)ISBN 9781529109979^[69]

• List ofStrictly Come Dancing contestants

• Denise van Outen atIMDb

• 1974 births
• Living people
• 20th-century English actresses
• 21st-century English actresses
• English female dancers
• Alumni of the Sylvia Young Theatre School
• Capital (radio network) presenters
• English female models
• English film actresses
• English musical theatre actresses
• English people of Dutch descent
• English pop singers
• English stage actresses
• English television actresses
• English television presenters
• English women television presenters
• Actors from Basildon
• People from Corringham, Essex
• Television personalities from Essex
• Actresses from Essex
• Models from Essex

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