Faith Brown

Faith Brown (born Irene Carroll on 28 May 1944 in Liverpool, England) is an English actress, singer, comedienne and impressionist, noted for her versatility.

Background and Early Career

Faith Brown began her career as a singer at the age of fifteen, backed by a local group. She then became a resident cabaret singer in Liverpool's Rialto Ballroom. Subsequently, Brown joined her three brothers in The Carrolls, a group who released several records in the 1960s. Brown has also released several solo recordings.

Television career

Brown's television career was launched with appearances on Who Do You Do (1975-1976) - a showcase for a generation of impressionists and comics, and Ken Dodd's World of Laughter (1976).

Brown was a regular guest celebrity participant on several British TV games shows, between 1975 and 1979 on Celebrity Squares, 1979 and 1990 on Blankety Blank and between 1979 and 1992 she was a regular 'girls' team member on the TV charades game show Give Us a Clue.

In 1980 she presented The Faith Brown Chat Show. Here, using split screen special effects, Brown interviewed herself in a succession of celebrity personas. Her "conversations" with Kate Bush are especially fondly remembered; the singer was delighted by Brown's impression, and wrote a four page letter of thanks to the comedienne. Other "guests" included Pam Ayres, Barbra Streisand, Lene Lovich, Angela Rippon, Eartha Kitt, Diana Ross, Mary Whitehouse, Margaret Thatcher and Donna Summer. Brown was never fully happy with her depiction of Margaret Thatcher and stated in a televised interview with Michael Parkinson that her fellow impersonator Janet Brown did a more believable representation.

Other television appearances at that time include Emu's All Live Pink Windmill Show 1984, and as Flast in the Doctor Who serial Attack of the Cybermen 1985. Brown was also featured on This Is Your Life in 1982.

In 1996, Brown appeared as the social climbing Anne Bradley in the soap, Brookside, and toured the United Kingdom in a production of "Summer Holiday", starring alongside Darren Day.

Later career

In 2001, Brown starred to great acclaim as faded icon Norma Desmond in a touring production of Andrew Lloyd-Webber's musical, "Sunset Boulevard". The production toured until the end of 2002 and a CD of songs from the show was also released.

In 2004, Brown appeared on the Living TV reality show I'm Famous and Frightened!, and in 2006, took part in the sixth series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!. She was the third person voted off, having spent fourteen days in the jungle.

She has appeared twice as a guest on daytime women's chat show Loose Women, when the focus of discussions has centred around her bra size and how she manages to cope with being well endowed.

In 2007, Brown toured the United Kingdom in Faith Brown: Up Front, a one-woman show of song, comedy and impressions. Also that year, Brown appeared at the Edinburgh Festival in Boys In The Buff, a musical revue celebrating the male form. On August 10th, she collapsed on stage, and was replaced by her understudy for the following performance, leading to fears about her health. Brown subsequently released a statement dismissing these rumours, commenting that she had only fainted due to the temperature of the room.

In 2008, she starred as the main character, The Voice (previously taking over Eve Karpf), alongside Simon Greenall and Olly Pike, in the CBBC show "Trapped!".

External links

* [http://www.faithbrown.com/ Faith Brown`s official website]
*imdb name|id=0113553|name=Faith Brown