Chart-topping star Sophie Ellis-Bextor is poised to bring the sparkle to BBC's New Year's Eve Disco tonight. The songstress will hit the stage at 11.30pm, belting out her chartbusters before the clock strikes twelve and will return post-fireworks for a second helping of dance anthems.
While she became an online sensation with her viral Instagram kitchen discos during the pandemic, Sophie has been dazzling the music world for over two decades. Now at 45, this West London native boasts media roots - her mother Janet, a former BBC TV presenter, and father Robin Bextor, a filmmaker.
Her rise to stardom began at the tender age of 16 as the frontwoman of rock ensemble Theaudience.
Rise to stardom
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Getty Images for BAFTA)Sophie's passion for tunes was cemented after her stint with the guitar-pop collective. "Until then, I'd been unsure what I wanted to do... but then I started singing and it just felt like it joined the dots for me in terms of all the things I loved," she confided to Thought Economics in 2023, reports the Daily Record.
Established in 1996, Theaudience enjoyed a fleeting yet fruitful spell, clinching the number 22 spot in the UK album rankings with their first release. Alas, their ascent was halted when they parted ways with their label, casting doubt over Sophie's future in the music biz.
Reflecting on a challenging time in her career, she confessed to Thought Economics: "The crucial bit came when I was 20 and we got dropped from our record deal, leaving us high and dry. That was when I thought, 'am I going to be someone who only wants to do music when it's all going well? And only when it's served to me on a plate? Or do I want to do this... no matter what."
Sophie chose to persist with her passion for music, a decision that soon led to chart-topping success. In 2001, she launched her first album, Read My Lips, which climbed to the number two spot on the UK charts.
Saltburn cameo
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AP)The London-born artist also achieved critical acclaim with her popular single Murder on the Dancefloor, which not only reached number two on the UK charts but also gained international recognition. The disco-pop track made a comeback to the number two position in the charts this year, following its inclusion in a risque film scene.
Emerald Fennell's thriller Saltburn featured Murder on the dance floor in a sequence where Barry Keoghan danced naked around a mansion. After the movie's release in November 2023, the song experienced a surge in popularity on TikTok in January 2024, with celebrities like Love Island's Molly-Mae sharing videos set to the catchy tune.
Sophie has previously expressed her delight at the unexpected resurgence of her 23 year old song, describing it as "like having a second honeymoon". On Tuesday, December 31, she appeared on BBC Breakfast to discuss the extent of the song's success since its feature in Saltburn.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor has had a whirlwind year, packed with unexpected twists and turns. "There were some things I knew I was doing this year and there were so many things that I wasn't expecting. I think there's a lot to reflect on. I've never done so many shows in my life. I've done about 110 gigs this year," she revealed.
The pop star added: "That's not just me, that's all my band and crew as well. Amazing. There's been some real highlights. It's an extraordinary thing to get to my stage in my career and to still be doing things, new excitement. So I've just wanted to really grab hold of that. And this is very much part of that as well."
2024 saw Sophie grace stages at high-profile events including the BAFTAs and an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
Is Sophie Ellis-Bextor is hitched?
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Getty Images)Indeed, Sophie is blissfully wed to Richard Jones, the bass player for The Feeling, and together they are parents to five boys.
Their romance began back when Richard was trying out for Sophie's tour band in 2002, leading to their nuptials in 2005.
In a heart-warming recollection shared with The Guardian in 2022, Richard reminisced about his first encounter with Sophie, who was already making waves in the music scene: "I was like, wow, look at this ethereal, beautiful woman that is way more beautiful in real life than I expected."
New Year's Eve Disco airs tonight at 11.30pm on BBC1
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