Ashley Roberts

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ashley Roberts
Ashley Roberts 2006-12-10.jpg
Roberts performing in 2006
Born
Ashley Allyn Roberts

(1981-09-14) September 14, 1981 (age 40)
Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Occupation
  • Singer
  • dancer
  • actress
  • television personality
  • model
Years active2001–present
Musical career
OriginLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
InstrumentsVocals
Labels
Associated actsThe Pussycat Dolls

Ashley Allyn Roberts (born September 14, 1981)[1] is an American singer, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is a member of the pop/R&B girl group and dance ensemble The Pussycat Dolls.

In 2014, Roberts released her debut solo studio album, Butterfly Effect. She has also appeared in various British television shows, including I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (2012), Dancing on Ice (2013–2014), Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2013–2016), The Jump (2015), and Strictly Come Dancing (2018).[2]

Life and career[]

1981–2002: Early life and career beginnings[]

Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and attended Shadow Mountain High School. She is of English, Irish, Welsh, Swedish and Spanish descent. She began dancing at the age of three and singing at eight. Roberts' father was a drummer for the Mamas & the Papas, later becoming an auto dealer and her mother was a Pilates instructor. They both inspired her to be a part of the entertainment industry.

Roberts' hair was brunette during her teenage years, as shown in Aaron Carter's "Oh Aaron" and "Not Too Young, Not Too Old" music videos.[3]

During high school summer breaks, Roberts traveled to California to study modern dance. After high school, at 19 years old, she moved permanently to Los Angeles. Roberts has appeared in television commercials and music videos such as Counting Crows "Accidentally in Love", Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up", Jane's Addiction's "True Nature", Aaron Carter's "Oh Aaron" and "Not Too Young, Not Too Old" and Pink's "Trouble". Roberts cites Goldie Hawn, Kate Moss, Sienna Miller and Gwen Stefani as her main role models and inspirations.[4]

2003–10: The Pussycat Dolls[]

Main article: The Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls performing "Buttons" in Aberdeen, Scotland during the Doll Domination Tour

Within six months of her move, Roberts auditioned for the Pussycat Dolls. At that time the Pussycat Dolls were an underground modern burlesque troupe. Following their growing popularity, music producers Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair became involved with the group helping them to transform into a franchise. The former dance troupe evolved into a Pop music recording group. The only troupe members who remained after the re-casting process were Robin Antin (taking on the creative, executive and managerial roles), Carmit Bachar, Cyia Batten, Kasey Campbell, Kimberly Wyatt, Jessica Sutta and Ashley Roberts. After a few more auditions, singers Nicole Scherzinger, Melody Thornton and Kaya Jones were added to the line-up. In 2004, they recorded "We Went as Far as We Felt Like Going" for the Shark Tale soundtrack and recorded the single, "Sway" which is featured on the soundtrack of Shall We Dance?. Jones left the group in 2005, Batten and Campbell had left earlier.

The Pussycat Dolls were launched into mainstream recognition following the release of PCD, which contained the number-one singles "Don't Cha", "Buttons" and "Stickwitu". Roberts sang co-lead with Bachar and Sutta in the "Stickwitu" single B-side, "Santa Baby". Bachar's departure from the group preceded the release of their second and final studio album, Doll Domination, which contains hit singles, "When I Grow Up", "I Hate This Part" and "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)". Roberts recorded a solo song called "Played" for the Doll Domination's deluxe edition.

On January 29, 2010, Jessica Sutta revealed to E! Online that she had been ousted from the group, following a broken rib she sustained whilst on tour with the group, and thus confirmed her exit.[53] On February 26, Kimberly Wyatt confirmed she was also leaving the group.[54] The next day, Ashley Roberts announced her departure from the group via her website.[53] In a letter to her fans, she made the following announcement:[5]

Yes, I have left the Pussycat Dolls. I love you all sooo much!!! I am so grateful to have the love and support of all of you. It was an amazing ride and I learned so much! You all mean the world to me and I'm excited to take you all on a new adventure. An adventure full of creativity, inspiration, learning, growing and lots of fun.

Wyatt would later go on to confirm that all of the members had left the group, including Melody Thornton.[55]Despite these changes, on May 24, a rumored third line-up would join Scherzinger.[56] However, in late 2010, Scherzinger officially left the group to pursue a solo career.[57] As a result, the original recording group line-up had officially disbanded. The group has sold 54 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.[2][3]

Roberts made her film debut as Brooke in the dance film Make It Happen with actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Riley Smith. Production lasted from August 8 to September 17, 2007, and the film was directed by Darren Grant and distributed by The Weinstein Company. It premièred on August 8, 2008 in the UK to generally negative reviews.[6]

2010–2018: Solo career and Butterfly Effect[]

Roberts at the Tacoma Dome, December 2006

After leaving the Dolls, Roberts traveled around the world, followed guru Amma and took several dance/acting classes. In 2010, Roberts released her first solo song, a cover of "A Summer Place" and was released on iTunes on September 28. Roberts also made an appearance in ex-bandmate Wyatt's music video for the single, "Stars in Your Eyes".[7] On June 14, 2012, she made a cameo appearance in Bobby Newberry's music video for his debut single "Dirrty Up", with ex-bandmate Melody Thornton.[8] On October 10, 2012, Roberts released a preview of a cover version of Bobby Newberry's "All In A Day", produced by the Invaders. The full version was released at the end of October.[9] On November 5, 2012, Roberts announced that her first official solo single would be "Yesterday" and would be released that week.

On November 7, 2012, it was confirmed that Roberts would compete in the twelfth series of the British reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, airing on ITV[10] finishing as runner-up to Charlie Brooks. Despite not winning, she proved to be a popular public figure during her time on the show and it launched her solo career in the United Kingdom.

On May 25, 2014, Roberts' single "Clockwork" was released.[11] On September 1, 2014, Roberts' debut album, Butterfly Effect, recorded at Metropolis in Chiswick, London was released. It was preceded by new single "Woman Up".[12]

In late 2018, Roberts appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in the United Kingdom and finished as a finalist.

2019–present: The Pussycat Dolls reunion[]

In June 2019, Roberts became the showbiz correspondent of the Heart Breakfast, a British radio show hosted by Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden.[13] That following month, she made her West End debut, portraying Dawn, in the musical, Waitress.[14] On November 29, 2019, after months of speculation for a possible Pussycat Dolls reunion, Roberts along with Bachar, Scherzinger, Sutta, and Wyatt confirmed their reunion on Heart radio station, where they also announced a tour originally scheduled for 2020.[15] A live performance on the finale of The X Factor: Celebrity followed, which included a medley of previous singles and their new song, "React".[16] British media regulator Ofcom received over 400 complaints from viewers who criticized the band's perceived provocative nature of their performance.[17]

"React" was released in February 2020 to moderate success.[18] The Pussycat Dolls are committed on embarking their reunion tour, which was postponed until September 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[19][20]

Other ventures[]

Television[]

On her official blog, Roberts announced that she would work on a variety of projects. She worked on her acting, and was a host on Maxim Does Spring Break on E!. Roberts also shot a pilot for MTV with Aubrey O'Day, Marques Houston, and Amanda Ghost.[5]

She appeared on 90210 in the episode "Into the Wild" which aired on November 5, 2010, where she played a stripper.

On November 7, 2012, it was confirmed that Roberts would compete in the twelfth series of the British reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.[10] She finished as the runner-up behind Charlie Brooks.

In December 2012, it was confirmed that Roberts would be one of the judges on the British celebrity skating show Dancing on Ice, from its eighth series. She returned as a judge for its ninth series in 2014.

She hosted the Ant vs Dec segment on the revived version of Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway from 2013 to 2016. She also hosted 1st Look on NBC from 2016 until 2018.

In 2014, she hosted WWE Legends' House, a show which featured several wrestling legends living together and Roberts would provide them daily challenges. It is streamed exclusively on the WWE Network.

In December 2014, Roberts was announced as a contestant for the second series of The Jump. She was eliminated in the second week.

Roberts served as a guest judge on BBC One's Let It Shine in February 2017.

Roberts appeared alongside Jamie Theakston on Channel 4's Celebrity Gogglebox in 2020.

Strictly Come Dancing[]

Main article: Strictly Come Dancing (series 16)

On August 17, 2018, it was announced that Roberts would be a contestant on the sixteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing.[21] Her professional partner was Pasha Kovalev. They finished as joint runners-up to winners Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton on December 15, 2018.

Week Dance / Song Judges' score Total Result
Revel Horwood Bussell Ballas Tonioli
1 Viennese Waltz / "Perfect" 7 8 7 7 29 No Elimination
2 Cha-cha-cha / "Boogie Wonderland" 8 8 7 9 32 Safe
3 Salsa / "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" 8 9 9 9 35 Safe
4 Tango / "Look What You Made Me Do" 8 8 8 8 32 Safe
5 Rumba / "Something About The Way You Look Tonight" 9 9 9 9* 36 Safe
6 Charleston / "Witch Doctor" 9 10 10 10 39 Safe
7 Foxtrot / "Orange Colored Sky" 9 10 10 10 39 Safe
8 Contemporary / "Unsteady" 9 10 10 10 39 Safe
9 Jive / "Shake a Tail Feather" 10 10 10 10 40 Safe
10 Samba / "Hot Hot Hot"
Lindy Hop-a-thon / "Do Your Thing" 		8
Awarded 		9
7 		9
extra 		10
points 		36
43 		Bottom two
11 Quickstep / "Don't Rain on My Parade" 9 10 9 10 38 Bottom two
12 Paso Doble / "Spectrum (Say My Name)"
American Smooth / "Ain't That a Kick in The Head" 		9
10 		9
10 		9
10 		9
10 		36
40 		Bottom two
13 Salsa / "(I've Had) The Time of My Life"
Showdance / "Keeping Your Head Up"
Charleston / "Witch Doctor" 		10
10
10 		10
10
10 		10
10
10 		10
10
10 		40
40
40 		Runners-up
  • Green number indicates Ashley and Pasha were at the top of the leaderboard

Products and endorsements[]

In March 2013, Roberts was announced as Garnier's new self-tan spokesmodel and the face of Ambre Solaire No Streak Bronzer campaign.[22]

Roberts has launched her first line of lingerie designed for the beach in Sydney, Australia.[5][23]

In 2016, Roberts designed a women's shoe collection for spring/summer 2017 called ALLYN, after her middle name.[24]

Discography[]

Main article: Ashley Roberts discography
See also: The Pussycat Dolls discography

Filmography[]

Film[]

Title Year Role Director Notes Ref.
Be Cool
2005
 Herself F. Gary Gray Cameo
Make It Happen
2008
 Brooke Darren Grant [25]

Television[]

Title Year Role Notes Ref.
Dance Your Ass Off 2010 Guest judge [26]
90210 2012 Penny 1 episode
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! 2012 Contestant Series 12 [27]
Dancing on Ice 2013–14 Judge Series: 8–9 [26]
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway 2013–16 Presenter Series: 10–13; "Ant vs. Dec" segment [28]
WWE Legends' House 2014 Host
The Jump 2015 Contestant Series 2 [29]
1st Look 2016–17 Host [30]
Let It Shine 2017 Guest Judge 1 episode [31]
Strictly Come Dancing 2018 Contestant Series 16 [32]
Celebrity Gogglebox 2020 Herself Series 2

Theatre[]

Year Title Role Venue Ref.
2019
 Waitress Dawn Adelphi Theatre
[14]

Awards and nominations[]

See also: List of awards and nominations received by the Pussycat Dolls
Year Award Nominated work Category Result Ref.
2007
 Grammy Awards "Stickwitu" Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals Nominated
[33]
2018
 Daytime Emmy Awards 1st Look Outstanding Travel and Adventure Program[a] Nominated
[34]

Notes[]

  1. ^ as a producer.

References[]

  1. ^ "pcdworld.co.uk | PCDWorld > Pussycat Dolls Biography > Ashley Roberts". PCDWorld. Archived from the original on April 15, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  2. ^ "Ashley Roberts Speaks Up On Scarlett Moffatt Replacing Her On Saturday Night Takeaway". Heart FM. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  3. ^ Aaron Carter – I'm not too old, Not too Young. YouTube. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  4. ^ Carrucan, Catrin (May 11, 2013). "Celebrity secrets: Ashley Roberts". express.co.uk. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Tumblr.com". Ashleyroberts.tumblr.com. February 27, 2010. Archived from the original on March 10, 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  6. ^ "Make It Happen". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  7. ^ Her Majesty & The Wolves – Stars In Your Eyes Official Video. YouTube. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  8. ^ Bobby Newberry Ft. Jessie & The Toy Boys – Dirrty Up – Official Music Video. Youtube.com. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  9. ^ Ashley Roberts- All in a day teaser. YouTube. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b "Ashley Roberts – I'm A Celebrity 2012: Celebrities". Digital Spy. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  11. ^ Geddes, Robin (March 31, 2014). "Ashley Roberts announces new single 'Clockwork', debut solo album". Digital Spy. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  12. ^ "Ashley Roberts confirms new single 'Woman Up', details debut album – Music News". Digital Spy. June 30, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  13. ^ Sawyer, Miranda (June 9, 2019). "The week in radio and podcasts: All New Heart Breakfast". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 2, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b Wood, Alex (June 21, 2019). "Lucie Jones, Ashley Roberts and Blake Harrison join Waitress in the West End: first look". WhatsOnStage.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  15. ^ Mccreesh, Louise (November 28, 2019). "Pussycat Dolls officially announce reunion tour 9 years after split". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  16. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (November 28, 2019). "The Pussycat Dolls Reunite for First Time in a Decade on U.K.'s 'X Factor': Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  17. ^ Mustafa, Filiz (December 2, 2019). "X Factor: Celebrity receives over 400 complaints about Pussycat Dolls performance". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  18. ^ McIntyre, Hugh (February 19, 2020). "Justin Bieber, 5 Seconds Of Summer And The Pussycat Dolls: 5 Major Moves On This Week's U.K. Singles Chart". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  19. ^ "Luis Fonsi & Nicole Scherzinger Release New Single/Video". Forbes. February 19, 2020. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  20. ^ McGrath, Nick (August 15, 2021). "Kimberly Wyatt: The taxman made life hard. I had to work day and night to stay afloat". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  21. ^ "Strictly Purrfect! Pussycat Dolls star Ashley Roberts joins our 2018 line-up!". bbc.co.uk. August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  22. ^ Ledger, Emma (March 30, 2013). "It's fake tan time! Ashley Roberts shows us how it's done as the new face of Garnier No Streaks Bronzer". The Mirror. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  23. ^ Sexy Beach Lingerie. Youtube.com. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  24. ^ "Ashley Roberts: Musical Influences and KickAss Shoes For Every Occasion". Neon Music. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  25. ^ "Make It Happen". The Guardian. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b Houghton, Rianne (August 17, 2018). "Strictly Come Dancing star Ashley Roberts responds to criticism over 'professional' dance training". Digital Spy. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  27. ^ Bell, Amy (December 1, 2012). "Charlie Brooks wins 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'". Digital Spy. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  28. ^ Lee, Ben (February 19, 2016). "Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway welcomes back Ashley Roberts in a new role". Evening Standard. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  29. ^ Hegarty, Tasha (February 2, 2015). "Heather Mills and Ashley Roberts eliminated from The Jump". Digital Spy. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  30. ^ Kuperberg, Jonathan (October 6, 2015). "Ashley Roberts to Host NBC Owned TV Stations' '1st Look'". NextTV. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  31. ^ "Let It Shine, Episode 7". BBC One. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  32. ^ Frodsham, Isabel (August 26, 2019). "Strictly Come Dancing: Ashley Roberts 'underestimated' the 'physical and emotional ride' of being on the show". Digital Spy. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  33. ^ "Ashley Roberts - Artist". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  34. ^ "The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Announces Nominations for the 45th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2021.

External links[]

Preceded by
Audrina Patridge 		1st Look host
2016–2018 		Succeeded by
Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio
Retrieved from ""