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Kéllé Bryan
English singer presenter and actress (born 1975) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Kéllé Bryan (born 12 March 1975) is an English singer and actress. Known as one of the founding members of girl group Eternal,[1] she sold more than 10 million records[2] and achieved the UK number-one single, "I Wanna Be The Only One" alongside BeBe Winans.[3]
When Bryan was 11, she joined the Italia Conti Academy school where she trained eight years of performing arts and later qualified as a dance teacher. She met friend and future bandmate Louise Redknapp (née Nurding) during her studies.[4] The two would form the girl group Eternal along with Vernie Bennett and her younger sister, Easther.
During her time being in the group, she attained three UK top-ten albums. In 2018, she began portraying the role of Martine Deveraux in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, a role she played until 2022. In 2019, she became part of the Loose Women panel. In October 2020, Bryan, Charlene White, Brenda Edwards and Judi Love became the first all-Black panel in the show's history.
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Life and career
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1975–1992: Early life and career beginnings
Bryan was born on 12 March 1975 in Plaistow, Greater London[5][6] and was born to her mother, Marilyn.[7] Aged 11, Bryan joined the Italia Conti Academy stage school, where she completed eight years of performing arts and qualified as a dance teacher.[8]
While at the school, she met Louise Nurding – the pair met executive record producer Oliver Smallman, who was forming a girl group.[9] According to Nurding, Eternal was initially planned as a trio consisting of her and the Bennett sisters. However, it was then proposed that the group could become a quartet. She suggested to add Kéllé to the now-quartet.[10]
On 31 March 1992 she appeared as Debbie, a college friend of Lloyd Tavernier (Garey Bridges) in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders.[citation needed]
1993-1998: Success in Eternal
In 1993, Bryan and Nurding, together with sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett formed the 1990s British R&B girl group Eternal. The group would sell 10 million records.[2] The group released their debut album, Always & Forever in November 1993.[11] The album included the hit singles "Stay" and "Just A Step From Heaven".[12] It reached number two in the UK Albums Chart.[13] The album sold over one million copies in the United Kingdom, and was awarded four times platinum, making it one of 1994's biggest selling albums.[14] After their debut album, Louise would leave the group, making the group a trio.[15]
Two years later, the group, now a trio, would release their sophomore album, Power of a Woman. The album, including the hit title track,[16] would reach 4x platinum and a song from the album, "I Am Blessed" was performed for Pope John Paul II.[17] Their third album, Before The Rain, would include their first and only-to-date number one hit, "I Wanna Be The Only One" featuring Bebe Winans.[18]
1999-2000: Short-lived solo career and hiatus
After their "rush-released" compilation, Greatest Hits, which included the single "Angel of Mine" that would be given to American singer Monica,[19] Bryan was controversially fired from Eternal by their solicitor via fax.[1]
Following her departure from Eternal, Bryan signed a record deal with Mercury Records and began work on her debut solo album, titled Breakfast in Bed,[20][21] scheduled for release in November 1999.[22] The album would never be released.[23]
Her debut single, "Higher than Heaven", was dropped in the UK on 20 September 1999.[24] It debuted at number 14 on the chart and remains Bryan's only solo hit to date.[25] The song was marked as a "next week hit" in the magazine Hit Music.[26]
The second single, "I Wanna Know", was released to Lithuanian radio on 5 August 2000.[27] The single was released to radio in the United Kingdom,[28][29] and was scheduled to be fully released on 4 September.[30] However, the single release was subsequently shelved after Bryan was diagnosed with Lupus.[31][better source needed] The single would later be digitally reissued by Universal Music on 23 August 2019.[32] The song was also included on the Universal Music TV compilation Hot Pop!.[33]
2006-2018: TV career
In 2006, Bryan was a contestant on Love Island 2, finishing as the female runner-up.[34] Bryan said that being on the show has given her "the confidence to know that [she] did have a life outside of Eternal".[35] Six years later, Bryan also had a starring role in a film called The Naked Poet, playing the part of Michelle.[36] In 2012, she played the part of Fran in the BBC comedy Me and Mrs Jones.[37]
Bryan joined the cast of the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks in September 2018, portraying the role of Martine Deveraux.[38]
After four years of appearing on Hollyoaks, Bryan announced her exit from the show on 3 June 2022 with her final scenes airing that same day.[39]
2019-present: Loose Women and short-lived Eternal comeback
From May 2019, she has been appearing regularly on ITV's show Loose Women.[40] On 1 June 2023, Bryan made a surprise appearance on stage at friend and former bandmate Louise's Shepherd's Bush Empire concert where they performed 1994 Eternal single "Crazy".[41]
In September 2023, Bryan pulled out of a purported Eternal reunion tour as a show of support of the LGBT community.[42] Redknapp and Bryan reported that Easther and Vernie Bennett had refused to perform at a number of proposed LGBT Pride events over objections that the trans community had "hijacked" Pride.[43] Bennetts' manager Denis Ingoldsby commented that the sisters supported the LGBT community and played at many events, but that Vernie has raised concerns about "the trans lobby".[44] Bryan went on to post a statement on her Twitter stating she is “an advocate for inclusion and equality for all.”[45]
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Personal life and health issues
Bryan was diagnosed with lupus in 1998. In 2014, Bryan began to develop serious symptoms of her lupus. She lost a lot of hair and her sight, hearing, and movement deteriorated, and she was unable to speak. She then had a seizure, and the doctors confirmed that her lupus was affecting her brain.[46] After the seizure, Bryan had to relearn how to read and write, and continues to struggle with short-term memory loss.[47] She is a patron of St Thomas' Lupus Trust.[48]
In 2010, she married Jay Gudgeon.[49] The pair have two children together.[50]
In 2024, Bryan was hospitalised due to a kidney stone. She said on Loose Women that the pain was so intense that she asked her 12-year-old son to help have her be taken to the hospital.[51]
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Discography
Eternal discography
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Solo discography
Filmography
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Stage
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Awards and nominations
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References
External links
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