Charlotte Church is making history as one of the stars on the first series of The Celebrity Traitors. The star has been impressing her fellow contestants, opting to give up her 'shield' and chance to avoid murder in order to help the team progress through a challenge. Charlotte has been in the public eye since she was just 11, when she appeared on This Morning singing Pie Jesu. She subsequently performed the song at Rupert Murdoch's wedding to Wendi Deng and appeared on ITV's Big, Big Talent Show. Here's all you need to know about the singer…
Career
Charlotte's career rocketed after her first television appearances, and she released her first album, Voice of an Angel, at the age of 12. Following the album's release, she became the youngest ever person to have a No. 1 in the British classical crossover charts. While she initially continued with classical music, the star eventually started branching out into the pop world.
In 2005, she released her first pop album, and its lead single, Crazy Chick, was a major success for the star, reaching No. 2 in the UK charts. Her final album, Back to Scratch, was released in 2010. Alongside her music career, Charlotte also became a TV star, making her acting debut in 1999 in an episode of Touched by an Angel followed by a guest role in Heartbeat.
© FilmMagicMost of her television appearances saw her as herself, including featuring on The Catherine Tate Show, Over the Rainbow, Kate Garraway's Life Stories and Welcome to Wrexham. She also hosted The Charlotte Church Show for three series between 2006 and 2008, an entertainment show featuring celebrity interviews and musical performances from the singer. During her time on the show, Charlotte interviewed stars like Danny Dyer, Liza Minnelli and Rupert Everett.
Although still in the public eye, Charlotte enjoys living off-grid. When asked by the BBC about competing on The Celebrity Traitors and whether fans would see a different side of her, she replied: "I'm not sure. I don't really do much telly. I keep myself to myself, I've got my beautiful life in Wales, that I love, a lot of it is centred around healing and nature, connection and helping people. I've also got three kids, so I'm a busy mum, so I don't know if people will see a different side, but they are going to see the real me."
Career shift
Charlotte has spoken out in the past about the impact of celebrity culture and spoke about "rebelling" against her celebrity status. She explained to Kate Garraway: "You've got to remember and put me in my context, which is like an impressionable young girl who's trying to fit in. So no, there was definitely no conscious rebellion. The only thing I rebelled against was celebrity. My rebellion was: I will be normal. I will have this life that I'm supposed to have – this life of Charlotte and Cardiff with her friends. This whole showbiz nonsense, which is a facade – this isn't my life."
© Ken McKay/ITV/ShutterstockAs such, the star now runs wellness retreats from The Dreaming, which costs guests over £1,200 for a wellness break; however, for those on a lower income, there's also a 'pay what you can system' and day passes only cost £150. The retreat is designed to allow clients to "activate the witch within". Speaking to the BBC, Charlotte said: "I host groups of people going through, sometimes quite emotional, transformational experiences."
The singer has previously been involved in political activism, and in 2019, she and husband Jonathan Powell, set up their own school, the Awen Project. Speaking about its founding, she told The Guardian: "The future job market will be about everything that computers and AI can't do, so creativity, community, collaboration and compassion. So we need to teach young people to be the most human they can be and help them figure out who they are."
Net worth
Despite making millions through her singing career, the star now lives more frugally and is believed to only be worth between £800,000 and £1million. At the height of her fame, Charlotte was reported to be worth £25million, although she had previously rubbished this claim. "The tax man is looking at my accounts wondering where I'm hiding all my money," she joked to BBC Wales.
© CREDIT LINE:BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan CherryIn 2024, the singer admitted to Closer that she was no longer a millionaire and had downsized from her £1.5million mansion to a semi-detached home in Wales. Speaking to The Big Issue, she revealed that she had given most of her money away. "It's complicated having money, it changes the playing field," she told the publication.
"What I feel most privileged about are the experiences I've had, with lots of echelons of society. From the tippy top with extraordinarily wealthy and powerful people all the way to living down the docks around people living with drug addiction. I've had an embodied, lived insight of the human experience, which has fed my compassion for people."
Relationships and children
Charlotte has previously dated musicians Steve Johnson and Kyle Johnson (no relation), but in 2005 she embarked on a relationship with Welsh rugby star Gavin Henson. Charlotte was won over by the sportsman's rugby skills, admitting: "I remember watching on this television, Wales vs England, when Gavin kicked the kick over. Then that night – I didn't know Gav before that – I was like, 'I'm going to go out and find him in town. He is nice'. Actually I was going round asking everybody, 'Do you know Gavin Henson? Where will he go out drinking afterwards?' Nobody knew – but I did find him."
The couple enjoyed a whirlwind romance together, moving in a year after dating and welcoming their daughter, Ruby, a year later. In 2009, Charlotte gave birth to their son, Dexter, and in 2010, Gavin popped the question to his love. However, just six weeks later, the pair called off their engagement and confirmed that they were ending their relationship.
© Getty ImagesCharlotte and Gavin parted amicably, with the singer explaining: "When he proposed, I was overjoyed. It was amazing. I really was going to marry Gav and spend the rest of my life with him. But then he came back from Norway, and he'd changed, and I'd had time to think. We had both had a change of heart – so we were both of the same mind."
© David M. BenettCharlotte even asked her ex for his blessing when she started dating musician Jonathan Powell. The couple walked down the aisle in 2017 and welcomed their daughter, Frida, in 2020. Charlotte had planned to welcome their daughter outside, revealing: "I laboured under there [a tree in their garden] overnight, which was beautiful, but then I had her screaming on the bathroom floor. Mother Nature came and went, 'Sit down, silly lady.' I live next to a golf course, and I could really hear the golfers. As my noise started to [rise] up, I thought, 'This is not going to work.'"
