Kylie Minogue

Born: May 28 1968
Where: Melbourne, Australia

The pocket-sized popstrel has enjoyed a stellar career as a singer with records regularly going platinum and sell-out shows across the globe.

However, she has also followed a second, less celebrated, career as an actress as Charlene in Neighbours through to the Green Fairy in Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge!

The daughter of a former dancer, Minogue took lessons in piano, tap and jazz as a child growing up in Melbourne.

Aged 11, she made her TV debut in the Australian series Skyways and went on to appear in The Henderson Kids before playing car mechanic Charlene in Neighbours.

While starring in the soap she was encouraged to perform Little Eva's Locomotion at a charity event and was signed up by Stock, Aitken and Waterman.

A succession of hits followed, including I Should Be So Lucky, Hand On Your Heart and Better The Devil You Know.

In 1989, she made her big screen debut in the Australian drama The Delinquents and went on to star in the action drama Street Fighter with Jean-Claude Van Damme.

In the meantime, she had left the SAW stable and worked with artists including Nick Cave, Manic Street Preachers and INXS frontman - and sometime partner - the late Michael Hutchence.

On the big screen, appearances tended towards the minor in disposable comedies like Jason Bloom's Bio-Dome and the thriller Cut in 2000.

Musically, with the encouragement of Pet Shop Boys, she struck out in a raunchier direction with the single Spinning Around.

In 2001, she played the diminutive Green Fairy in Moulin Rouge! with Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.

The 2002 single Can't Get You Out of My Head was her first number one in America since the 1980s and she went on to work with The Scissor Sisters.

In 2005, she voiced the character of Florence alongside Robbie Williams in the big screen animated version of The Magic Roundabout.