Public Servant Lifestyle

Ex Brookside babe Jennifer Ellison releases her hotly anticipated musical debut – and she’s vamping it up!

Baby I Don’t Care by Jennifer Ellison

The stunning track is a cover of Transvision Vamp’s 1989 almost indie/almost The Troggs’ Wild Thing rock pop classic. Already widely known and well loved for her portrayal of Emily Shadwick in Brookside, this track effectively launches Jennifer’s new pop persona on the world.

To understand the phenomenon that is Jennifer Ellison, you would need to take it right back to her childhood. It is not easy to capture on paper fully, the energy transmitted by 19-year-old star – Jennifer Ellison.

Multi-Talented

A truly multi-talented performer, she seems to excel at anything she puts her mind to. To understand the phenomenon that is Jennifer Ellison, you would need to take it right back to her childhood, when perched upon the counter of a Liverpool chip shop, she declared her future plans for world domination...

"Hello!" she bellowed, "My name's Jennifer Ellison and one day I'm going to be famous!" She was 8 years old at the time. Funnily enough, she was right. As fate would have it, her future agent - Collette Fenlon Byatt - was stood in that very queue, in that very chippy. She has been with her ever since.

Quickly, Jennifer excelled at anything she put her mind to. She performed in various productions, sang at various shows and became a keen student to the arts. She became a classically trained ballet dancer, and was a member of the National Youth Ballet – where she danced the role of Cinderella at the Royal Albert Hall, directed by Wayne Sleep. But at the tender age of 14, her career was already catapulting her in a different direction – television.

Emily Shadwick

Jennifer first wrote to the producers of Brookside when she was just 9, asking if her home team's soap treasure would like to audition her for any parts they had going spare. Her mum still keeps the polite rejection letter framed on the living room wall. She knew too that it was only a matter of time before Jennifer would be clasped to the nation's bosom.

When she was 14, her agent sent her to audition for the role of Emily Shadwick in that same said soap. Subsequently, Jennifer dominated the Brookside skyline with her own inimitable charm. Emily's loves, losses, heartbreaks and mischiefs - with her erstwhile paramour, Tinhead - captivated the nation from the moment she arrived at Brookside Close.

Her first contract lasted precisely six episodes. But she stayed in the show for five years, just enough time to secure her a full time post as Merseyside's official sweetheart. However, singing and dancing had always been her main passion, and it is to them that she now returns. Jennifer’s career to date has shown but a tiny glimpse of her capabilities. Six years into the game and still only 19, she is really just at the start of her true fame.

Fan Mail

Which is where we meet her now, in her new record company, surrounded by a heap of fan mail. The Mersey TV press office used to have two piles in their in-tray: Brookside fan mail and Jennifer Ellison fan mail. "I came out of the womb born to sing and dance. I know people are always going to talk about someone who goes from a soap into music, but I have to follow my heart. (Brookside's) Phil Redmond told me not to do it. He said you never know how long you'll get with a pop career but it’s just something I have to try."

Jennifer’s single is a minxy cover of Transvision Vamp's 1989 hit Baby I Don't Care. "I know that people will probably criticise me for doing a cover but it’s one of my favourite songs and I’ve just found the whole process an amazing experience. It’s like I have settled into a whole new vibe and because all the people around me are very supportive, it hasn’t been like a heavy pressure to me. I think I have been relaxed with what I am doing."

Debut Album

She is already halfway through her debut album, scheduled for release later this year. "I started singing when I was three and I've been dancing for just as long. When I quit Brookside last September I didn't have a record contract. I just had a dream. This isn't a game for me. It's something that I know I can do and make a success out of."

Jennifer’s career to date has showed but a tiny glimpse of her capabilities. No one can deny her talent. She can act. She can dance. She looks great and oozes a unique star quality, which is probably why she is so sought after by the paparazzi. However, most importantly, as she enters the pop arena - she can sing. Her vocal is as dazzling and as dynamic as the album she is making. Showcasing the diversity of her vocal range, she takes centre stage working with the likes of Padley & Geofrey, Andy McClusky as well as Brain Rawling. Audiences will be wowed by the energy Jennifer gives off with each live performance.

Armed with passionate dedication to her art, she truly is a rising star. Just watch this girl go!

For more information on all things Jennifer Ellison related, visit her official website: www.jenniferellison.com

Baby I Don’t Care is available now, through eastwest records.

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