23 Kylie Minogue facts every fan should know
All these facts have got us Spinning Around!
Kylie Minogue has been a music icon since the 80s and despite not technically being a Brit, we've adopted her as one of our own. After the release of her Grammy-Award winning single 'Padam Padam' and her album 'Tension', her Las Vegas residency is now underway. Kylie has also been announced to narrate an episode of a Bluey spin-off, and she's the recipient of BRITs Global Icon Award in 2024, where she gave a fantastic performance. If that wasn't enough, she's released a song with 'Sia' called 'Dance Alone', and performed on stage with Madonna!
With millions of fans around the world, and so much media coverage of the singer over the years, it can feel like you already know everything there is to know about Ms. Minogue. However, she's full of surprises, and took part in An Audience with Kylie shown on TV in December 2023. In honour of the pop princess, we've compiled some of our favourite Kylie facts...
1. 'The Locomotion' was the biggest selling single of the 80s in Australia
Kylie Minogue released 'The Locomotion' as her first single in Australia, and it stayed at Number 1 for a total of seven weeks. At the end of the decade, someone did the maths and it ended up being the biggest selling single of the 1980s in Australia. Who doesn't love a bit of that Kylie classic?
WATCH: Kylie Minogue - 'Locomotion' - Official Video
2. 'I Should Be So Lucky' was written in just 40 minutes
It's one of the most catchy songs and it was written in just over half an hour. Kylie flew to the UK to meet music gurus Stock Aitken Waterman. The story goes that they forgot Kylie was coming, had nothing prepared for her to test out and put together 'I Should Be So Lucky' while they were waiting for her to arrive at the meeting.
WATCH: Kylie Minogue - 'I Should Be So Lucky'
3. Kylie is set to appear digitally in a jukebox musical named after the song
That's right! In July 2023, it was announced that new show I Should Be So Lucky will feature songs by the Hit Factory AND star Kylie Minogue digitally in the production.
She said of being involved: "I’m thrilled to announce that I will be joining Stock Aitken Waterman in presenting the new musical, 'I Should Be So Lucky'! It is the music that inspired a generation (plus my first five albums!) so to have all the SAW hits in this original story will make for a compelling, funny and heartfelt show. Let’s enjoy the magic all over again!"
4. Kylie Minogue's Glastonbury performance was the festival's most watched ever
Kylie was heartbroken when she had to cancel her Glastonbury performance in 2005 due to her breast cancer diagnosis, however 14 years later, she got to fulfil her dream. Performing on the Pyramid Stage of the iconic British music festival, her set became the most viewed ever, with millions taking to their TV screens to watch the 'Confide In Me' singer do her thing. In 2023, Elton John's performance at the iconic festival became the most watched with 7.6 million people tuning in to watch it.
WATCH: Kylie Minogue - 'Love at First Sight' (Glastonbury 2019)
5. 'Spinning Around' wasn't written for Kylie
Those hot pants - how could anyone forget! But 'Spinning Around' wasn't initially supposed to be a Kylie song. Any ideas who it was meant for? Well, you'll be surprised to know that Paula Abdul co-wrote the song and it was supposed to be her comeback single! After the album it would have featured on didn't materialise, it was handed over to Kylie.
WATCH: Kylie Minogue - 'Spinning Around' (Official Video)
6. Kylie Minogue was in Doctor Who
Back in 2007, Kylie Minogue played Astrid Peth in Doctor Who in an episode called Voyage Of The Dammed.
At the time, Kylie said: "It's an incredible thrill to be joining David (Tennant) and the entire Doctor Who production for this year's Christmas special. Doctor Who enjoys a unique history and it is going to be very exciting to be part of that."
In an interview in September 2023, Kylie admitted she wouldn't mind reprising her role. Describing the experience as "amazing to be in such a beloved show", alongside David Tennant, Kylie hinted that she wouldn't be adverse to returning to the TV. She told Hits Radio: "I wouldn't mind if Astrid Peth came back," before whispering: "Just saying!"
7. Kylie Minogue starred in an advert to help promote Australian tourism
Proud of her native country, Kylie Minogue teamed up with Tourism Australia in 2019 for a three-minute musical advert that appeared on TV just before the Queen's Christmas speech.
8. Kylie Minogue has an honorary doctorate
In 2011, Kylie Minogue received an honorary doctorate from Anglia Ruskin University in a ceremony in Chelmsford, Essex. Kylie was awarded the doctorate in Health Sciences, reflecting her work to promote breast cancer after going through it herself.
Her citation at the time read: "Here at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford scientists in the research laboratory for The Helen Rollason Cancer Charity are currently researching blood markers that in the future might be used to identify breast cancer at an early stage. Kylie's story will serve as an inspiration to everyone involved in this work.
"Anglia Ruskin University is proud to honour her today for her amazing career as pop singer, songwriter and actress, and for her support for promoting awareness and removing the fear of breast cancer."
9. Kylie Minogue also has an OBE
Before her honorary doctorate, Kylie received an OBE from Prince Charles in 2008. The OBE was for Kylie's services to music. She took her mum and dad along to the ceremony at Buckingham Palace and wore an incredible white silk YSL dress with glittery stars.
10. Madame Tussauds have no less than four Kylie Minogue waxworks
Well, she is the Queen of Pop after all!
11. Michael Hutchence wrote a song about Kylie
Kylie Minogue dated the late singer Michael Hutchence for 18 months, and she was the inspiration behind the INXS song 'Suicide Blonde'. When Kylie dyed her short hair for a role, she told her then-boyfriend that she was going 'suicide blonde' and Michael took the phrase and turned it into a song.
WATCH: INXS - 'Suicide Blonde'
12. Kylie Minogue was great friends with the fashion designer Jean Paul Gautier
Kylie Minogue is known as a style icon, but her looks are not without an entire team behind her. Kylie forged a friendship with fashion designer Jean Paul Gautier in the early days of her career, and the pair worked together on so many of her iconic looks and tour costumes.
13. Kylie Minogue has a brother
We all know about Kylie's sister Dannii Minogue, but did you know she has a brother? Preferring to work behind the lens, Brendan is a news cameraman in Australia.
14. What star sign is Kylie?
Kylie Minogue was born on the 28th May 1968, making her currently 55-years-old and a Gemini.
15. Kylie Minogue has duetted with some of the biggest names in the music industry
Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan are one of the most well-known duos in pop culture but it's not just 'Especially For You' that has seen Kylie share the vocals - she's also dueted and performed with some seriously big names.
Rumoured to be dating once upon a time, Kylie Minogue colloborated with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on the song 'Where The Wild Roses Grow'. Kylie also teamed up with Enrique Iglesias for 'Beautiful', sang with Nile Rogers and Jake Shears on 'The Other Boys', released 'Music's Too Sad Without You' with Jack Savoretti and also sang with the likes of Taio Cruz, Shaggy and Sam Sparro.
A remix of her single, 'Real Groove' with Dua Lipa was released in December 2020 following the pair performing together during the Studio 2054 livestream.
More recently, Kylie released her song 'A Second To Midnight' with Years & Years in October 2021, and later released 'Kiss Of Life' with Jessie Ware in November 2021.
But one of the best Kylie duets? Kylie and Robbie Williams with the song 2000 'Kids'.
WATCH: Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue's music video for 'Kids'
16. There's a Kylie Minogue bedding range
Kylie Minogue has turned her hand to interior design and its proven hugely popular. As well as Kylie Minogue bedding, think soft grey fabrics, velvet touches and a bit of glitz. You can also jazz up your home with Kylie Minogue curtains, cushions and wallpaper.
17. Her name has an interesting Aboriginal meaning
What do you think when you think of Kylie? Beautiful? Glam? Kind? While they're all good words to describe Kylie, her name actually means boomerang in the Aboriginal language!
18. Kylie returned to Neighbours!
Kylie starred as Charlene Robinson (née Mitchell) in the Australian soap in the 80s, and following the sad news that the show was being axed after 37 years it was announced that Kylie was coming back.
She appeared in the then-final episode with her on-screen husband Scott Robinson played by former real-life flame Jason Donovan. In their original run on the show, the episode with Charlene and Scott's wedding was one of the most-watched TV moments of the decade with more than 20 million people tuning in to watch across Australia and the UK.
Speaking about being back on Neighbours, Kylie said: "It was lovely and emotional. Driving into Ramsay Street was quite something."
19. She's got a residency in Las Vegas
On 28th July 2023, Kylie announced she'd landed her very own residency at the Voltaire nightclub at The Venetian in Las Vegas. She will continue to perform in the desert city throughout 2024.
20. Kylie won a Grammy Award in 2024
Kylie's huge track 'Padam Padam' won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Dance Recording. The win was 20 years after she won the Best Dance Recording accolade in 2004 for 'Come into My World'.
21. Kylie won the BRITs Global Icon Award in 2024
Kylie picked up the Global Icon Award at The BRIT Awards 2024. The award was in recognition of her career spanning across five decades as one of the world’s most successful and iconic music stars. The singer is the only female artist to have a Number 1 album in five consecutive decades in the UK.
22. Kylie has her own Barbie
In March 2024, Kylie was honoured with her own Barbie to celebrate International Women's Day and Barbie's 65th anniversary. Kylie's Barbie is kitted out in her 'Padam Padam' outfit.
23. Kylie performed on stage with Madonna
Not only did Kylie join Madonna on stage during her 'Celebration' tour, she also wore a top with Madonna's name on it. This was reminiscent of the iconic top Madonna worn back in 2000 to perform at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Stockholm in Sweden.
Take a look through celebrities who started on Neighbours:
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue needs no introduction. After appearing in Neighbours as Charlene Robinson (née Mitchell) between 1986 and 1988, she went on to become a hugely successful pop star, as well as appearing some films along the way.
Kylie's first UK single was 'I Should Be So Lucky' in 1987 which was an instant hit with fans going to Number 1. Many albums and Top 10 hits followed over the years, including 'Especially For You', her duet with former co-star and on-screen husband Jason Donovan.
As of 2023, Kylie has now announced her 16th studio album called 'Tension', and released the first single from it called 'Padam Padam'.
Jason Donovan
Like his former co-star Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan appeared on Neighbours in the late 80s playing the role of Scott Robinson.
He then went on to release several albums and had Top 10 hits with 'Nothing Can Divide Us', 'Too Many Broken Hearts', 'Any Dream Will Do' and of course 'Especially For You', with Kylie.
Jason went on to pursue a career in musicals playing the role of Joseph in the West End hit Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which he performed at the 2022 Jubilee celebrations outside Buckingham Palace.
The actor has also worked as a radio presenter and appeared on the 13th series of Dancing on Ice, paired with Alexandra Schauman, however he withdrew from the competition due to injury in week six.
Chris Hemsworth
Best known as the Hollywood actor who played Thor, Chris Hemsworth actually appeared in Neighbours for 18 episodes back in 2002.
After leaving Neighbours he went on to star in Home & Away for a massive 189 episodes as Kim Hyde, before moving onto Hollywood blockbusters such as Thor, Avengers and other Marvel films.
He's also worked as producer, on the Netflix film Extraction where he played the role of Tyler Rake, a sequel of which is due for release this year.
Liam Hemsworth
Starring as Josh Taylor in Neighbours for just 19 episodes in 2007/2008, Liam Hemsworth went on to star in several main film roles including Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games film series, and Jake Morrison in Independence Day: Resurgence.
He is also set to take over the role of Geralt of Rivia from Henry Cavill in The Witcher, when it returns for a fourth season.
Margot Robbie
Playing the role of Donna Freedman in Neighbours between 2008 and 2011, Margot Robbie went on to become a hugely successful actor, on both TV and film.
Some of Margot's biggest roles include starring as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad and several other films, Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, and the upcoming film Barbie, where she will play the lead role Barbie.
Guy Pearce
Guy Pearce, who played the role of Mike Young in Neighbours between 1986 and 1989, reprised his role for the finale in 2022, but has now been announced to reprise his role once again in the new series.
After leaving Neighbours the first time, Guy went on to become a successful film actor appearing in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Memento, The Time Machine remake and The King's Speech.
In 2011, Guy won a Primetime Emmy Award for his work in Todd Haynes' limited series Mildred Pierce as Monty Berago.
Away from acting, he has also released two albums, the most recent in 2018.
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia played the role of Beth Brennan on Neighbours in the early 90s.
Three years after leaving the soap, Natalie released her debut song 'Torn' which was incredibly popular, being a Top 5 hit around the world and even receiving a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Natalie continued to have success into the 2000s with songs such as 'Big Mistake', 'Smoke', 'Shiver', and 'Glorious' all Top 40 hits.
She's also appeared on several TV shows, including joining The X Factor UK and Australian editions, and taking part in The Masked Singer in 2022, which she won as Panda.
Holly Valance
Holly Candy, better known as Holly Valance, appeared as Felicity Scully on Neighbours between 1999 and 2002.
In the year that she left Neighbours she also released her debut song 'Kiss Kiss' which was a huge hit, going to Number 1 in the UK.
As well as having three Top 10 songs, Holly appeared in several TV shows including Prison Break, and Strictly Come Dancing, as well as the film Taken which starred Liam Neeson.
Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe appeared in just four episodes of Neighbours back in 1987, when he played the former cellmate of Henry Ramsey.
He later went on to be a hugely successful actor appearing in films such as Gladiator, The Mummy, Les Misérables and Thor: Love and Thunder.
Alan Dale
Alan Dale played the role of Jim Robinson for many years, the first time between 1985 and 1993, then returning in 2018 and 2019.
After leaving Neighbours the first time, Alan appeared in several TV shows and films such as The X-Files, Ugly Betty, Dominion, Dynasty, Star Trek: Nemesis and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Delta Goodrem
Despite being signed to Sony Music at the age of 15, Delta Goodrem joined Neighbours three years later and starred as Nina Tucker between 2002 and 2005, 2015, then reprising her role 2022.
Outside of her Neighbours role, Delta is a well-known singer and songwriter having releasing seven albums and 40 singles including 'Born to Try', 'Lost Without You', and 'Almost Here', all Top 5 hits in the UK.
In recent years she continues to release music and have success in her native Australia. She's also appeared in a number of TV shows, mainly as guest roles or judges, such as on Australian Idol, The Voice and The Celebrity Apprentice Australia.
Jesse Spencer
Jesse Spencer starred as Billy Kennedy on Neighbours from 1994 to 2000, and later in 2005 and 2022. After leaving Neighbours he took on the lead role of Robert Chase in the American medical drama House, starring Hugh Laurie.
Following his departure from House in 2012, Jesse went on to star as Captain Matthew Casey in Chicago Fire, and its spin-offs.
Most recently, he is set to appear in Last Days of the Space Age, a Disney+ series about three families who live in Perth, Australia in 1979. Jesse will be starring alongside former Neighbours actor Radha Mitchell.
Radha Mitchell
Starting off in Neighbours back in 1996/1997 as Catherine O'Brien, Radha Mitchell went on to star in several other TV shows and films, most notably Red Widow, Phone Booth, Silent Hill, Olympus Has Fallen and its sequel London Has Fallen.
She is also set to appear in the new Disney+ series Last Days of the Space Age, alongside Jesse Spencer.
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