Kéllé Bryan

Biography

Aged 11, Bryan joined the Italia Conti Academy stage school, where she completed eight years of performing arts and qualified as a dance teacher. On her first day at Italia Conti, Kelle met Louise Nurding – the pair spent almost everyday together for ten years, and remain friends today. While out clubbing aged sixteen one night, the pair met record producer Denis Ingoldsby, who was forming a girl group

Before finding success with Eternal, Bryan worked as an actor. She has appeared in ITV's The Bill, and on 31 March 1992 she appeared as Debbie in BBC's EastEnders who was a college friend of Lloyd Tavernier (Garey Bridges).

In 1993, Bryan and Nurding, together with sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett formed the 1990s award-winning, multi-million selling, chart-topping British R&B girl group Eternal. Eternal sold millions of albums and had many international hits, including 16 consecutive top 15 UK chart singles such as "Stay", "Just a Step from Heaven", "Oh Baby I", "Power of a Woman", "I Am Blessed", "Someday", "Don't You Love Me", "I Wanna Be the Only One" and "Angel of Mine".

After Nurding left Eternal in 1995 to pursue a solo career, the three members continued to enjoy success as a three piece until 1997 when, after the release of their Greatest Hits album, the Bennett sisters sacked Bryan via a fax from their solicitor. Following her departure from Eternal, Bryan signed a £1.2 million deal with Mercury Records and began work on her debut solo album, Breakfast in Bed.

Bryan's first release from the album was the gospel track "Higher Than Heaven", which charted at number fourteen in the UK and was a top three hit on the R&B chart. A year later, this was followed by a second single, an acoustic, mid-tempo track called "I Wanna Know". There was little promotion or airplay for the single and the release was scrapped. Following Bryan's diagnosis with Systemic lupus erythematosus (known as SLE or Lupus), she felt she was unable to complete the promotional obligations connected to the release of the album and decided to leave the label.

Bryan was diagnosed with auto-immune disease Lupus in 1999. She has since become a patron of St Thomas' Lupus Trust.

For a period Bryan hosted the music programme The N List for Nickelodeon with Dave Berry, but in the main concentrated on recovering from her health problems. She excelled in kick-boxing and launched a management company, "Red Hot Entertainment". In 2004 Bryan appeared as a contestant on a celebrity edition of The Weakest Link. She was the 3rd one voted off. In November 2006, Bryan presented the Urban Music Awards 2006 with Ras Kwame. A year later she co-hosted ITV Play's phone-in quiz programme Glitterball.

In 2008, she contributed backing vocals to "I Found Love", the debut single by Lankai. Bryan also had starring roles in the musical comedy, The X-Tra Factor and a film called The Naked Poet, playing the part of Michelle.

Kéllé married Jay Gudgeon on 17 September 2010 and has a son and a daughter. She is now known by her married name Kéllé Bryan-Gudgeon.

In 2012, she played the part of Fran in the BBC comedy Me and Mrs Jones.

In December 2013 it was announced that Kelle would be re-joining her former Eternal bandmates (Easther & Vernie) to take part in ITV2's Big Reunion with one of show at the Hammersmith apollo.

At the end of 2014 Kelle announced that she would be stepping back from Eternal to focus on her talent agency and acting career.

Reality TV

Love Island 2006

In the summer of 2006 Bryan was a contestant on Love Island 2, finishing as the female runner-up.

Dancing on Ice 2010

In November 2009, Bryan was reported by The Sun to be contestant on the fifth series of Dancing on Ice. She became a stand-in for the other celebrities if they were forced to pull out. She commented that she would love to do the show.

Flockstars

Kelle is currently a contestant on the ITV prime-time show, Flockstars. The show follows celebrities as they try to master the art of sheep herding

Pantomimes

Since Christmas 2005, Bryan has starred in the following pantomimes:

with Eternal

Solo

with Eternal (Bryan featured on lead vocals)

Solo