Get to know Michelle Heaton – Liberty X Star and TV personality who is Just a Little favourite at Thrillz.
Former Liberty X star and TV personality Michelle Heaton rose to fame in the naughties and is still at the top of the pops today. A style icon in her own right, donning the sleek leather look and stiletto heels that put Tyra Banks to shame. Thrillz reports with everything you need to know about Michelle; so in no particular order, let's get straight to it.
1. Michelle's horoscope is Cancer
Michelle was born on the 19th July 1980, making her a proud Cancerian woman. This star sign is known for its devotion to family, as well as being loyal and caring. Their particularly sensitive nature is what makes a Cancer so empathic, something Michelle embodies to a T.
2. She began her pop career in the band Sirens
Before joining the smash-hit band, Liberty X, Michelle Heaton actually began her singing career by becoming a finalist for the band Girl Thing from Newcastle. She then became a member of the British girl band Sirens, who are best known for their track 'Baby (Off the Wall)'.
After this, the star found fame on the ITV talent competition Popstars (the preface of ITV's X Factor) before landing a major opportunity as the 5th member of the hugely popular band Liberty X.
3. Michelle appeared on Celebrity Big Brother
In 2009, Michelle joined the cast of Celebrity Big Brother including Gladiators presenter Ulrika Johnson, Tina Malone and Verne Troyer. She was the ninth person to enter the CBB house, but was the third to be evicted.
4. Michelle Heaton is a best-selling author
Michelle wrote an autobiography titled Hot Flush: Motherhood, the Menopause and Me in 2018, which documents her life to date. Critically acclaimed for being an "inspiring, raw and unfailingly honest" account, her debut book peaked at number 1 in the charts.
5. She is married to Hugh Hanley and has two children
Michelle's husband, Hugh Hanley, is an Irish businessman and their story is very much that of a fairytale. The couple has one daughter, Faith, and one son, AJ (short for Aaron Jay) and they live in Hertfordshire.
6. Michelle is teetotal and loves fitness
After her own battle with alcohol addiction, Michelle is fully committed to sobriety. The star shares her ongoing recovery journey and progress on social media, including a very poignant post that bravely showed Michelle in her most vulnerable state. In the picture, Michelle shared a picture side-by-side of herself pre and post-recovery.
She wrote: "It’s National Sober Day And it encourages us to celebrate Sober life and bring awareness to addiction. It’s also National Recovery Month, and today supports removing the stigma associated with addiction. It opens the lines of communication that lead to better understanding. The day provides an opportunity to build educated support networks."
Michelle Heaton celebrated each milestone achieved, including the process of the 12-step recovery programme. She's also a fitness fanatic, regularly at the gym practising a mixture of meditation, yoga, strength training, boxing and more!
7. Michelle is a sponsor for Alcoholics Anonymous
Michelle captioned a recent Instagram post vowing that her "passion is to help others get sober and clean." The former singer is dedicated to bringing awareness to drink and drug addiction and how to get help or access a rehab facility.
As a seasoned TV presenter, Michelle also filmed a documentary to help others who struggle with the disease and feel completely powerless. Titled "Michelle Heaton: Road to Recovery" the project shed light on the issues and was an emotional watch; it aired on Lorraine on ITV.
In an exclusive ITV chat for Loose Women, Michelle revealed how she lost complete control and regained her autonomy; now she aims to give back to others.
8. Michelle joined the old Liberty X crew for the Big Reunion
In July 2021, pop star Michelle Heaton briefly reunited with her crew, alongside Jessica Taylor and Kelli Young. The group split back in 2007, and their return filled fans with nostalgia at the Durham Pride event.
During their prime, the band achieved 10 UK top singles and won the Brit Award for Best British Single.
9. She raises awareness for breast cancer
At just 35 years old, Michelle discovered that she was a carrier for the BRCA2 gene for breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy and hysterectomy. With a family history of the disease, Michelle took this precaution to prevent cancer from developing and also protect her own family.
After this scare, which the star admitted "completely turned [her] world upside down", she now continues to share her story and spread information to help others.
10. Michelle came third in Celebrity Come Dine with Me
Michelle Heaton breaks onto the cooking scene in 2009, appearing on an episode of Celebrity Come Dine with Me on Channel 4. After admitting she's never hosted a dinner party in her life, the former singer earned a respectable third place position.
The star cooked a respectable three-course meal despite being a novice. For starters, she whipped up an oriental salad with prawns. The singer showed some culinary genius for her main course, searing fillet beef with a leak and bean medley with roast potatoes. Finally, the moment we're all waiting for: Michelle's dessert option was a mouth-watering chocolate fondue, with fruit, marshmallows and mini-doughnuts. What a domestic goddess!
11. She won an Emmy award
Michelle is one of the fabulous cast of 'The Real Full Monty: Ladies Night' on ITV. In 2019, they won an Emmy for the best non-scripted entertainment programme.
One of the episodes was a striptease show, which aimed to raise awareness about breast cancer. We just love celebrities who use their platform in the most positive ways possible.
12. Michelle has a new tattoo
Last, but certainly not least, Michelle Heaton has several funky tattoos, one is print of the names of her family with a butterfly, as well as a trail of butterflies down her waist.
Recently, she got a new tattoo that reads "God grant me the serenity" with a feather. It's a symbolic feature on her forearm that motivates her to carry on and be strong.
Michelle shared with her followers on Instagram: "The first day a feather fell to my feet as I walked into the Priory. I picked it up, I kept it and I have it now on my wall..."
If you ever needed another reason to adore this woman, just follow her Instagram page and watch your mood elevate.
Bonus Fact!
Just FYI, the pop star is available on Thrillz so you can get a personalised message from Michelle Heaton right here. Get a video or a rendition of your fave Liberty X song for any occasion – it really makes the perfect gift.
For anyone who was affected by this article and is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, please contact Alcohol Change or Action on Addiction to get the support you need.
