For this new series, the pop star recreates a childhood photo with her Blue Peter presenter mother, as they talk clothes, careers and childhood friendships
Born in Hounslow, west London in 1979, Sophie Ellis-Bextor is the daughter of the broadcaster Janet Ellis and the director and producer Robin Bextor. The sunny face of children’s TV – notably Blue Peter – Janet spent most of her career on screen, until releasing The Butcher’s Hook, the first of two acclaimed novels, in 2016. Meanwhile Sophie’s artistic pursuits began as an indie darling in the band Theaudience, before the stratospheric summer hit Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) catapulted her into the mainstream in 2000. During the UK lockdown in 2020, her live-streamed kitchen discos saw her perform songs from her six solo albums. Her memoir, Spinning Plates: Thoughts on Men, Music and Motherhood, is released on 7 October. She lives in London with her husband and their five sons; Janet lives nearby.
