You may have recently seen her on your screen for Strictly Come Dancing, but Ashley Roberts’ impressive showbiz career has spanned since 2001. She was part of the popular girl band the Pussycat Dolls, and since going solo, has appeared in numerous reality television shows. Here’s everything you need to know about the singing and dancing 36-year-old.
Ashley was part of the Pussycat Dolls
What was Ashley’s early life like?
Ashley was born in Phoenix, Arizona on 14th September 1981. She went to Shadow Mountain High School, and was interested in performing at a very young age - dancing at three years old and taking up singing at the age of eight. During her summer holidays at school, Ashley would study modern dance in California, and eventually moved to LA permanently at the age of 19, appearing in adverts and music videos such as Counting Crows’ Accidentally in Love. Her early interest stemmed from her parents, as her father, Pat Roberts was the drummer for the Mamas and Papas, and her mother was a Pilates instructor. Sadly, her father Pat took his own life in March 2018, at the age of 70.
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What was Ashley’s singing career?
Shortly after moving to LA, Ashley Roberts auditioned for the Pussycat Dolls, who were a burlesque troupe at the time. They eventually evolved into a pop group with the help of record producers Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair. Their debut album PCD featured the hit singles Don’t Cha, Buttons, Sway, and Stickwitu, and in total, the group has sold 54 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling girl bands of all time. Ashley left the group in February 2010, following the departure of Jessica Sutta and Kimberly Wyatt. She then focused on her solo career, releasing a cover of A Summer Space on iTunes that September, and her first official solo single, Yesterday, in November 2012. Her debut album, Butterfly Effect, was released in September 2014.
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What else has Ashley done?
On 7th November 2012, Ashley was confirmed to appear in the twelfth series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, where she finished runner-up behind Charlie Brooks. That year, she also became a judge on Dancing on Ice. From 2013, she hosted the Ant vs Dec segment on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, which she did until 2016. In December 2014, she appeared as a contestant on The Jump, but was eliminated in week two. In February 2017, she was a guest judge on Let It Shine. She has also been involved with brands - in March 2013, she was announced as Garnier’s new fake tan spokesmodel and became the face of the Ambre Solaire No Streak Bronzer campaign. She designed a range of shoes for SS17, entitled ALLYN (her middle name) in 2016, And she also has a lingerie line.
Who has Ashley dated?
Ashley was in a relationship with American dancer Kenny Wormald between 2003 and 2009. She dated Mark Wright in 2012, and began a brief relationship with Declan Donnelly after meeting him in the jungle during I’m a Celebrity. In 2014, she dated Lawson guitarist Ryan Fletcher.