Louise Redknapp

Louise Elizabeth Redknapp (née Nurding; born 4 November 1974), known simply as Louise, is an English singer, dancer and media personality. She was a member of Eternal, an R&B girl group which debuted in 1993 with their quadruple-platinum studio album Always & Forever.

In 1995, she departed from the group for a solo career. Aside from music, Redknapp has presented several television shows and was a judge on the UK version of So You Think You Can Dance. She was married to the English former footballer Jamie Redknapp. In 2016, Redknapp reached the final in the fourteenth series of BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing. Her memoir, entitled You've Got This: And Other Things I Wish I Had Known, was released in 2021.

Redknapp has released five studio albums: Naked (1996), Woman in Me (1997), Elbow Beach (2000) and, following a 17-year hiatus from recording, Heavy Love (2020). Redknapp's Greatest Hits was released on 2 June 2023 and contains reimagined versions of her past singles plus five new songs. Her fifth studio album, Confessions, was released in May 2025; a preceding single, "Confession", was released in February 2025. To date Louise has sold over 15 million records worldwide.

Early life and education

Redknapp was born Louise Elizabeth Nurding in Lewisham, London. Her father was a builder and her mother worked at Gatwick Airport. Redknapp and her two younger brothers grew up in Eltham, London, and Oxted, Surrey. She describes herself as having come from a single-parent family with her mother.

At the age of 11, Redknapp won a scholarship

Career

1989–1995: Career beginnings and Eternal

While out clubbing at the age of 15, Redknapp met the music manager Oliver Smallman of First Avenue Management, who was forming an all-girl group. Kéllé and Redknapp, together with sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, formed the band Eternal in 1992. Eternal's debut single "Stay" entered the UK charts at number sixteen and climbed to number four. amid unsubstantiated rumours that she was forced to leave because a radio station in the United States dedicated to black music would not promote the racially mixed group. Redknapp said that she left because she was miserable and homesick.

2002–2016: Lil' Lou and music hiatus

In 2002, Redknapp signed with Positive Records (a division of Universal Music) to record her fourth solo album. The album, titled Lil' Lou was due for release in 2004 alongside the double A-side "Pandora's Kiss"/"Don't Give Up", which peaked at number five and raised money for Tickled Pink/Breast Cancer Care.

Later, on 15 September 2023, Louise released the Lil' Lou extended play, which featured five previously unreleased songs originally recorded for the unreleased album. The EP debuted and peaked at number 73 on the UK Albums Downloads Chart one week later.

In the July 2004 edition of FHM magazine, Redknapp was named the "Sexiest Woman of the Decade".

2018–2024: Heavy Love and Greatest Hits

On 1 February 2018, Warner/Chappell UK confirmed Redknapp had signed a deal with them to release new material later in the year.

On 10 November 2022, Redknapp released the single "Super Magic". In an interview with Fault magazine, Redknapp shared, "I wanted to make music I loved rather than just ticking a box for what worked in the industry. I think I’ve forever had to fight to prove myself [...] I’m still fighting to prove myself. I feel that the hardest hurdle is to keep on knocking down those doors to prove myself." "Super Magic" is Redknapp's first release under BMG. It debuted at number 89 on the UK Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100 on 18 November 2022.

On 12 January 2023, Redknapp announced that her Greatest Hits collection, spanning thirty years in the music industry, would be released in June 2023. The compilation will contain five new songs, including a cover of Janet Jackson's 1997 single "Together Again". In the same month, Louise revealed she had been cast as Teen Angel in the summer 2023 production of Grease. Louise released reimagined versions of her singles "Just A Step From Heaven" and "Naked" as promotional singles from her Greatest Hits compilation. Her single "High Hopes" was released on 27 April 2023. On 1 June 2023, Louise performed in concert at the Shepherd's Bush Empire; Michelle Gayle appeared as a guest and former Eternal bandmate Kéllé Bryan made a surprise appearance on stage to perform 1994 single "Crazy". Louise's compilation album Greatest Hits was released on 2 June 2023.

On 25 September 2023, it was reported that Redknapp and her former bandmate Kéllé Bryan had pulled out of a purported Eternal reunion tour scheduled for 2024 after a row occurred because their former bandmates, sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, purportedly refused to play at LGBTQ and Pride events over objections that the trans community had "hijacked" Pride.

2025–present: Confessions

On 13 February 2025, Louise released the single "Confession", and announced her fifth studio album, Confessions, which was released in May 2025. The album debuted at number 8 on the UK Albums Chart Top 100, becoming her first album since 1997's Woman in Me to reach the top 10. On 31 December 2025, she performed with Irish singer Ronan Keating on the latter's BBC One New Year's Eve programme, Ronan Keating and Friends: A New Year's Eve Party.

Television career

On television, Redknapp has presented editions of SMTV Live, CD:UK, Soccer Aid: Extra Time, This Morning, three series of the revived The Clothes Show for UKTV Style, and in March 2007 the controversial documentary The Truth About Size Zero for ITV.

Louise Redknapp has been seen as the face of a number of advertising campaigns: the "Safe and White" campaign for Boots, Flora's "Omega 3" products, Boots and BT. She became brand ambassador for Orbit gum in 2007

In 2009, Louise Redknapp filmed a follow-up documentary The Truth About Super Skinny Pregnancies displaying the pressures on women to stay in shape during and after their pregnancies. Later that year in September 2009, Redknapp presented The Farmer Wants a Wife for Five, a relaunch of a series that originally appeared on ITV in 2001. In 2009, Redknapp was also announced as the face of online fashion retailer Fashion Union. The following year in January 2010, Redknapp took over as the full-time presenter of the BBC Sunday morning programme Something for the Weekend for two years.

Redknapp was a judge on the UK version of So You Think You Can Dance, broadcast on BBC One. In 2011, Redknapp made her acting debut alongside Ray Winstone as Diana Smith in the feature film The Hot Potato. Redknapp had a cosmetic range named Wild About Beauty, which she launched with make-up artist Kim Jacob; which she sold in 2017.

On 15 August 2016, Redknapp was announced as a contestant for the fourteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing. She reached the 2016 finals with professional dancer Kevin Clifton. In April 2018, Redknapp made her radio debut, guest-presenting two evening shows on Heart, on Sunday 8 April and Sunday 15 April.

In May 2021, Redknapp appeared on The Masked Dancer masked as Flamingo. She was the second celebrity to be unmasked. That same month, Redknapp appeared on the first series of BBC game show I Can See Your Voice, performing "Let's Go Round Again".

Other endeavours

In 2003, Redknapp published a magazine called Icon, aimed solely at professional sports stars and celebrities with then-husband Jamie Redknapp and former footballer Tim Sherwood. They later sold the magazine to another publisher.

Personal life

Nurding married football player Jamie Redknapp at a ceremony in Bermuda on 29 June 1998. They have two sons. Prior to giving birth to her first son, Redknapp suffered from endometriosis, which was treated with laser surgery. The couple confirmed in September 2017 that they had separated. A family court in central London granted a decree nisi for divorce after 19 years of marriage on 29 December 2017.

In December 2024, Nurding was banned from driving for six months, after police caught her using her mobile phone whilst driving.

Philanthropy

In 2003, Redknapp's double A-side single "Pandora's Kiss/Don't Give Up", was released to raise money for Breast Cancer Care's "Tickled Pink" campaign. She also participated in a celebrity edition of The Apprentice in 2008, to raise money for charity. Redknapp organised a charity sale of celebrity designer clothes at the London department store Selfridges for the charity Mothers4Children in November 2009.

Discography

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:14em;"| Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Album details

! scope="col" colspan="4" | Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Certifications

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;" | UK

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;" | FRA

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;" | NLD

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;" | SCO

! scope="row" | Woman in Me

Released: 6 October 1997
Label: EMI
Format: CD, cassette, digital download, streaming

| 5 || 65 || 76 || 11

BPI: Platinum

! scope="row" | Elbow Beach

Released: 31 July 2000
Label: EMI
Format: CD, cassette, digital download, streaming

| 12 || — || — || 23

BPI: Silver

! scope="row" | Heavy Love

Released: 17 January 2020
Label: Warner, Lil Lou
Format: CD, LP, cassette, digital download, streaming

| 11 || — || — || 6

! scope="row" | Confessions

Released: 23 May 2025
Label: Lil Lou
Format: CD, LP, cassette, digital download, streaming

| 8 || — || — || 7

Compilation albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ List of compilation albums, with selected details, chart positions and certifications

!rowspan="2"| Title

!rowspan="2"| Year

! Chart positions

!rowspan="2"| Certifications

!style="width:4em;font-size:90%"| UK

! scope="row"| Changing Faces – The Best of Louise

Released: 10 September 2001
Label: Parlophone
Format: CD, digital download

| style="text-align:center;"| 9

BPI: Silver

! scope="row"| Finest Moments

Released: 23 December 2002
Label: Parlophone
Format: CD, digital download

| style="text-align:center;"| —

! scope="row"| Greatest Hits

Released: 2 June 2023
Label: BMG
Format: CD, streaming, digital download

| style="text-align:center;"| 11

Extended plays

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ List of compilation albums, with selected details, chart positions and certifications

!rowspan="2"| Title

!rowspan="2"| Year

! Chart positions

!style="width:4em;font-size:90%"| UK Digital

! scope="row"| Lil' Lou

Released: 15 September 2023
Label: Tag8; BMG
Format: Digital download, streaming

| style="text-align:center;"| 73

Singles

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ List of singles, showing year, selected chart positions and album

!rowspan="2"| Title

!rowspan="2"| Year

!colspan="6"| Chart positions

!rowspan="2"| Album

!style="width:3em;font-size:90%"| UK

!style="width:3em;font-size:90%"| FRA

!style="width:3m;font-size:90%"| NLD

! scope="row"| "Light of My Life"

| 1995

| style="text-align:center;"| 8

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 18

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 11

|rowspan="5"|

! scope="row"| "In Walked Love"

| rowspan="4"| 1996

| style="text-align:center;"| 17

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 22

! scope="row"| "Naked"

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

| style="text-align:center;"| 70

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 7

! scope="row"| "Undivided Love"

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 7

! scope="row"| "One Kiss from Heaven"

| style="text-align:center;"| 9

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 13

! scope="row"| "Arms Around the World"

| rowspan="2"| 1997

| style="text-align:center;"| 4

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 95

| style="text-align:center;"| 9

|rowspan="3"|

! scope="row"| "Let's Go Round Again"

| style="text-align:center;"| 10

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 30

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 70

| style="text-align:center;"| 8

! scope="row"| "All That Matters"

| 1998

| style="text-align:center;"| 11

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 13

! scope="row"| "2 Faced"

| rowspan="2"| 2000

| style="text-align:center;"| 3

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 13

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 4

|rowspan="2"|

! scope="row"| "Beautiful Inside"

| style="text-align:center;"| 13

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 17

! scope="row"| "Stuck in the Middle with You"

| 2001

| style="text-align:center;"| 4

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 44

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 3

! scope="row"| "Pandora's Kiss/Don't Give Up"

| 2003

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

! scope="row"| "Stretch"

| rowspan="5" | 2019

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="5"|

! scope="row"| "Lead Me On"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

! scope="row"| "Breaking Back Together"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

! scope="row"| "Not the Same"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

! scope="row"| "Hurt"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

! scope="row"| "Super Magic"

|2022

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="3"|

! scope="row"| "Borderline"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

! scope="row"| "Only Dancer"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

Promotional singles

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

|+ List of promotional singles

! scope="col"| Song

! scope="col"| Year

! scope="col"| Album

! scope="row"| "Better Back Off"

| 2000

| Elbow Beach

! scope="row"| "Small Talk"

|rowspan="2"|2019

|rowspan="2"| Heavy Love

! scope="row"| "Hammer"

! scope="row"| "Just a Step from Heaven (Reimagined)"

| rowspan="2"| 2023

| rowspan="2"| Greatest Hits

! scope="row"| "Naked (Reimagined)"

! scope="row"| "Love Me More"

| 2025

| Confessions

Tours

Soft & Gentle No Sweat Tour (1997)
Changing Faces Tour (2001)
Louise Intimate and Live (2017/2018)
Heavy Love Tour (2020)
Naked/Confessions Tour (2027)

Awards and nominations

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+ Awards and nominations received by Louise Redknapp

! scope="col" | Award

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Category

! scope="col" | Nominee(s)

! scope="col" | Result

! scope="col" class="unsortable"|

! scope="row" rowspan=2|Brit Awards

| 1997

| rowspan=2|British Female Solo Artist

| rowspan=6|Herself

| 1998

! scope="row" rowspan=3|NME Awards

| rowspan=2|1998

| Best Solo Artist

|rowspan=3|

| Most Desirable Person

| 1999

| The Pop Personality You Would Most Like To Be Marooned On A Desert Island With

! scope="row" rowspan=5|Smash Hits Poll Winners Party

| rowspan=3|1996

| Best Female Singer

| rowspan=3|

| Best Album

| rowspan=2|Naked

| Best Album Cover

| rowspan=2|2000

| Most Fanciable Female

| rowspan=2|Herself

|rowspan=2|

| Best Dressed Female

Notes

References

External links

Official website
Computer and Video Games issue 193, December 1997