Kate Robbins

Last updated
Kate Robbins
Kate Robbins Profile.jpg
Kate Robbins (2011)
Born
Kate Elizabeth Robbins

(1958-08-21) 21 August 1958 (age 66) [1]
Margate, Kent, England [2]
Occupation(s)Actress, comedian, singer, songwriter
Years active1978–present
Spouse
Keith Atack
(m. 1987;div. 2007)
Children3, including Emily Atack
Relatives Ted Robbins (grandfather)
Paul McCartney (first cousin once removed)
Ted Robbins (brother)
Amy Robbins (sister)
Musical career
GenresPop, electronica
Occupation(s)Actress, musician, comedian, singer
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano, keyboards
Years active1978–present
Labels Anchor
Ariola
RCA
Bright
Double Art
International Artists
Website Kate Robbins' website

Kate Elizabeth Robbins (born 21 August 1958) is an English actress, singer, and songwriter. She came to prominence in the early 1980s when she scored a top ten single on the UK Official Charts with "More Than in Love", while she was appearing in the television soap opera Crossroads . She went on to become a prolific voice actress, most notably for nine years with the satirical show Spitting Image .

Contents

Early life

Robbins is the older sister of fellow actress Amy Robbins, sculptor Jane Robbins, and The Sheilas singer Emma Robbins. Her older brother is radio broadcaster and actor Ted Robbins. Through her sister Emma she was the sister-in-law of Simon Shelton and through her sister Amy she is the sister-in-law of actor Robert Daws.

Her father was Mike Robbins, who grew up in Hightown, Wrexham, the son of Ted, who served as the secretary of the Football Association of Wales for more than 35 years. [3]

She attended Wirral Grammar School for Girls in Bebington, Cheshire.

Robbins is a first cousin once removed of Paul McCartney as her mother Elizabeth "Bett" Robbins (née Danher) was McCartney's cousin. In 1960, McCartney and John Lennon performed as "The Nerk Twins" at the Fox and Hounds pub in Caversham, Reading, which was run by Bett and her husband Mike. [4] [5]

Career

Robbins' first released recording, in 1978, was the song Tomorrow , from the musical Annie . Robbins' first chart appearance was as a backing singer, along with her sister Jane, on the minor Top 40 hit "Lines" by Liverpool group Planets, [6] a spin-off from Deaf School.

Her profile was raised soon afterwards when both she and Jane represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980 as part of the group Prima Donna. They finished third.

The following year, Robbins joined the cast of the ITV soap opera Crossroads , playing the part of a pop singer who was recording a single in the fictional motel's basement recording studio. The song, "More Than in Love", was released commercially in the UK, credited as Kate Robbins and Beyond and gave Robbins a major hit single, reaching number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. [7] It was her only lead-vocal hit.

In late 1982, Robbins provided backing vocals on the Top 3 single Story of the Blues by Wah!.

Robbins wrote the first theme tune to Surprise, Surprise performed by Cilla Black.

She provided almost all the female voices on the television show Spitting Image in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She sang the lead vocals on "The Chicken Song" with Michael Fenton Stevens which reached number 1 in 1986. [8]

The 1986 Granada Television sketch show Robbins featured Kate, her brother Ted Robbins, and her sisters Amy Robbins, Jane Robbins and Emma Robbins.

She participated in the 1989 Children's Royal Variety Performance BBC, singing her own comic songs at the piano, and featured in the original series of Dead Ringers on BBC Radio 4 in 2000.

In 1995, Robbins provided all of the voices, including the male ones, in the children's television series The Caribou Kitchen .

During the 1990s, Robbins performed a number of different roles as both an impersonator and a singer in the BBC Radio 4 satirical comedy series A Look Back at the Nineties and its sequel series A Look Back at the Future .

Robbins also provided the English language dubbing for Europeans, featured on the Channel 4 series Eurotrash and, in 2006, made two appearances on the BBC Radio 4 programme Just a Minute .

In 2007, Robbins was awarded an Honorary Bachelor of Arts degree from Bedfordshire University, for her lifetime contribution to the Performing Arts.

In December 2010, Robbins released her third album, a jazz based affair, entitled Soho Nights , which was written as a collaboration with the Italian saxophonist Alessandro Tomei, and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Robbins also co-wrote the easy listening album We're Just Passing Through [9] with broadcaster and journalist Nicky Campbell, which was released in 2014.

Robbins was one of the Grumpy Old Women tour in 2014 with comedian Jenny Eclair and actress Susie Blake which toured again in 2015.

Film and television work

Robbins has acted in many feature films.

She was named Best Supporting Actress at the Angel Awards of the Monaco International Film Festival, for her role as Kathleen in the low-budget British film, Fated.

In 2005, she played Joan in Sex Lives of the Potato Men .

The following year she appeared with James Franco and Jean Reno in the film Flyboys , playing the role of Clarisse, a brothel Madame.

In the comedy Lunchbox she starred as man-hungry teacher, Suzanne.

She also starred in Farrena Films' comedy-thriller short movie The Other Side With Valerie Hope .

Robbins appeared in two series of the comedy series Dinnerladies , playing the character Babs, a friend of Petula Gordeno, played by Julie Walters, BBC.

Robbins later appeared with the sitcom's writer Victoria Wood in the Christmas special Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings and Victoria Wood's Big Fat Documentary .

Alongside daughter Emily Atack, Robbins appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox and is a regular contributor on Steph's Packed Lunch for Channel 4.

Robbins has worked on many comedy and drama TV shows including:

Last of the Summer Wine (BBC), Heartbeat (ITV), The Harry Enfield Show (BBC), Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights (Channel 4), Shooting Stars (BBC), Holby City (BBC), Where the Heart Is (ITV - 2 seasons), Doctors (BBC), Casualty (BBC), Citizen Khan (BBC), The Legend of Dick and Dom (BBC), Soapington Way (ITV -written by Harry Hill), EastEnders (BBC - character of Jen Glover 2021), Mandy (BBC - character of Joan McDonald), After Life (Netflix - character of Penny Spencer-Wright, Season 3)

Robbins can also be heard as a voice-over artist on many commercials.

She was the Edith Piaf soundalike on a lager advert. She was the 'Doris Day' voice in a Waitrose commercial. Her singing can be heard on television advertisements for Clover, Debenhams, First Choice Holidays and many more. She also recorded the Capital Radio jingle package for Sue Manning Productions.[ citation needed ]

She also played The Singing Ring in the mini-series The 10th Kingdom , which aired in 2000.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1990 Bullseye! The Queen (voice)
1995The Band PartsBlossomShort film
2000OgriMitzi (voice)Short film
2003 16 Years of Alcohol Fighting Couple Woman
2004 Sex Lives of the Potato Men Joan
Boo, Zino & the Snurks Female Gayan / Valerie (voice)English version
2005 MirrorMask Female Giant / Mrs. Shoe-Thing / Chicken
2006 Flyboys Clarise
FatedKathleen
2017The Legend of Kung FunkNatalieShort film
2018The Other Side with Valerie HopeValerie HopeShort film
2022Road TripMotherShort film
A Last ResortRoseShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1980–1981 Crossroads: Kings Oak Kate Loring11 episodes
1982Mike Yarwood in PersonsImpressionist (various)1 episode
1986 Saturday Live Cilla Black, Sarah Ferguson Recurring roles (3 episodes)
1986–1996 Spitting Image Various (voice)Regular roles (93 episodes)
1987Spitting Image: The Ronnie and Nancy Show Nancy Reagan (voice)TV film
Kate and Ted’s ShowVarious charactersRegular roles (7 episodes)
1988The Kate Robbins ShowRegular roles (6 episodes)
1989–1990 Round the Bend! Jemimah Wellington-Green / Various (voice)Regular roles (18 episodes)
1989–1991 The Staggering Stories of Ferdinand de Bargos Various (voice)11 episodes
1990 Wicked Willie Voice roleTV film
1991Wicked Willie Rides Again!Video film
1992 Fiddley Foodle Bird 13 episodes
Pallas1 episode: "Pallas 2"
Red Dwarf Woman in Film (voice)1 episode: "Holoship" (uncredited role)
Harry Enfield's Television Programme Cilla Black 1 episode
Sean's Show 1 episode: "Blind Date"
My Little Pony Tales Additional voices1 episode: "Princess Problems"
1993 Comedy Playhouse Bella White1 episode: "Once in a Lifetime"
The Comic Strip Presents... Nurse Larkin1 episode: "Gregory: Diary of a Nutcase"
Dizzy Heights Madame Visniskaye1 episode: "A Star is Bored"
KYTV Truddles1 episode: "Those Sexciting '60s"
ThatcherworldVoice roleTV film
Last of the Summer Wine Gypsy Girl1 episode: "There Are Gypsies at the Bottom of Our Garden"
Drop the Dead Donkey Princess Anne (voice)Series 3, 1 episode: "Awards"
1993–2001 Numbertime Mama (voice)Regular role (68 episodes)
1995–1997 The Caribou Kitchen Narrator / All character voicesRegular role (4 series; 52 episodes)
1996 Jack and Jeremy's Real Lives Pam Ayres (voice)1 episode: "Writers"
Drop the Dead Donkey Sarah, Duchess of York (voice)Series 5, 1 episode: "George's Car"
The Willows in WinterVoice roleTV film
Bimble’s Bucket1 episode: "The Beginning"
1997 Alas Smith & Jones Various roles1 episode: "Hookers."
Animal MadnessTV film
1998 Archibald the Koala Voice role1 episode: "The Dragon"
The National Lottery Big TicketBernie (voice)Regular role (16 episodes)
You Are HereRita CohenTV film
1998–1999 Dinnerladies BabsRecurring role (2 episodes: "Party" and "Holidays")
1999Mimi and Mr. BoboVoice role1 episode
1999–2000 The Big Knights Sorceress Abigail / Aunt Iris (voices)Regular roles (13 episodes)
2000 The 10th Kingdom Singing Ring (voice)Recurring roles (2 episodes)
Where the Heart is Angela TaylorSeries 4, 1 episode: "A Good Day"
2001Beverley GartonSeries 5, 1 episode: "Temptation"
2001–2003 El Nombre Mama (voice)Regular role (26 episodes)
2002 Phoenix Nights Ladies Night Organiser1 episode: "Ladies' Night"
Holby City Leslie HarrisSeries 4, 1 episode: "Design for Living"
2003–2005 Monkey Dust Various characters18 episodes
2004 The Impressionable Jon Culshaw Various characters4 episodes
Doctors Sheila LovattSeries 6, 1 episode: "Wild, Wild West Midlands"
2006 Heartbeat Sheryl Cooper1 episode: "Wine and Roses"
2007 Touch Me, I'm Karen Taylor Prime Minister’s AideRecurring role (4 episodes)
2008 Doctors Marylin HarveySeries 10, 1 episode: "The Hex"
Ruddy Hell! It's Harry and Paul Various roles1 episode
2009 Casualty Jackie1 episode: "Not Over 'Til the Fat Lady Sings"
The Legend of Dick and Dom Baroness ClapSeries 1, 1 episode: "Hairwolf"
2010DanaSeries 2, 1 episode: "Haunted"
2011 In with the Flynns Jackie1 episode: "Guitar"
The Slammer Blue Fairy1 episode: "Angry Puppet"
2012 Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom Miss Jolly2 episodes: "Mrs. Witch's Spring Clean" and "The Dwarf Mine"
2014 Citizen Khan Nail Bar Technician1 episode: "Stags and Hens"
2017 Holby City Stella ClarkSeries 19, 1 episode: "Daylight"
Haters Back Off! Nurse #21 episode: "Modelling at the Hospital"
2019 Hold the Sunset Mrs. Brown1 episode: "The Sale"
2020–2022 The Emily Atack Show Various characters4 episodes
2021 EastEnders Jen GloverRecurring role (5 episodes)
2022 Mandy Joan MacDonald1 episode: "Holiday for One"
After Life Penny Spencer-WrightRecurring role (3 episodes)
The Walk-In Robbie's Mum1 episode
It's What She Would Have WantedAnnie's MumTV film
Midsomer Murders Lyra Kaine1 episode: "The Blacktrees Prophecy"
2023 Silent Witness Bev1 episode: "Familiar Faces - Part 2"
Unforgotten Kate5 episodes
The Couple Next Door Jean6 episodes
The Good Ship Murder Vida Devine1 episode: "Malta"
2024 Death in Paradise Lucky ClaybornSeries 13, 1 episode
Doctors Barbara HillSeries 24, 1 episode: "Dead Woman Talking"

Theatre Credits

YearTitleRoleNotes
2008Songs from the PoolVarious Gilded Balloon (Edinburgh Fringe)
2014 Grumpy Old Women Grumpy Old WomanUK Tour
2015 Grumpy Old Women Grumpy Old WomanUK Tour
2019 Club Tropicana ConsuelaUK Tour

Radio

YearTitleRoleNotes
2000 Dead Ringers Various2 Episodes (BBC Radio 4)

Personal life

Robbins divorced musician Keith Atack in 2007 after 19 years of marriage. The couple had three children: actress Emily Atack (born 1989); Martha Atack (born 1991), a Talent Director; and George Atack (born 1992), a musician and TV researcher.

UK discography

Singles

Albums

Voices

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracey Ullman</span> British-American actress, comedian, singer, dancer, director, producer and writer

Tracey Ullman is a British-American actress, comedian, singer, dancer, screenwriter, producer, and director. Critics have lauded her ability to shift seamlessly in and out of character and accents, with many dubbing her the "female Peter Sellers". Her earliest mainstream appearances were on British television sketch comedy shows A Kick Up the Eighties and Three of a Kind. After a brief singing career, she appeared as Candice Valentine in Girls on Top with Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lulu (singer)</span> Scottish singer (born 1948)

Lulu Kennedy-Cairns is a Scottish singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Her career has spanned six decades. Her debut single, a cover version of The Isley Brothers song "Shout", reached the top ten of the UK singles chart in 1964. In 1967 she rose to international prominence after appearing in the film To Sir, with Love, singing the theme song, which topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cilla Black</span> English singer and media personality (1943–2015)

Priscilla Maria Veronica White, better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer and television presenter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Asher</span> English actress and author (born 1946)

Jane Asher is an English actress and author. She achieved early fame as a child actress, and then through her association with Paul McCartney, and has worked extensively in film and TV throughout her career.

Clodagh Rodgers is a retired singer from Northern Ireland, best known for her hit singles including "Come Back and Shake Me", "Goodnight Midnight", and "Jack in the Box".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keeley Hawes</span> English actress (born 1976)

Clare Julia "Keeley" Hawes is an English actress. After beginning her career in a number of literary adaptations, including Our Mutual Friend (1998) and Tipping the Velvet (2002), Hawes rose to fame for her portrayal of Zoe Reynolds in the BBC series Spooks (2002–2004), followed by her co-lead performance as DI Alex Drake in Ashes to Ashes (2008–2010). She is also known for her roles in Jed Mercurio's Line of Duty as DI Lindsay Denton (2014–2016) and in BBC One drama Bodyguard (2018), in which she played Home Secretary Julia Montague.

Emily Sian Joyce is an English actress best known for playing the role of Janet Dawkins in the BBC comedy series My Hero, between 2000 and 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alma Cogan</span> British pop singer (1932–1966)

Alma Angela Cohen Cogan was an English singer of traditional pop in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dubbed the "Girl with the Giggle in Her Voice", she was the highest paid British female entertainer of her era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Gayle</span> Musical artist

Michelle Patricia Gayle is a British singer, songwriter, actress and writer. Gayle had success as a soul and R&B singer in the 1990s, having achieved seven top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart. These include "Sweetness" and "Do You Know". She released two top 40 albums through RCA Records but they parted company in 1997, and although Gayle has recorded other albums, they have not been released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UK national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest</span> BBC TV show

Eurovision: You Decide is the most recent name of a BBC television programme that was broadcast annually to select the United Kingdom's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. The show had previously gone under several other names, including Festival of British Popular Songs (1957), Eurovision Song Contest British Final (1959–1960), The Great British Song Contest (1996–1999), Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up (2004–2007), Eurovision: Your Decision (2008), and Eurovision: Your Country Needs You (2009–2010), but was known, for most of its history, as A Song for Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debra Stephenson</span> English actress, comedian and impressionist (born 1972)

Deborah Lee Duffield, known professionally as Debra Stephenson, is an English actress, comedian, impressionist and singer, best known for her roles as Diane Powell in Playing the Field (1999–2000), Shell Dockley in Bad Girls and as Frankie Baldwin in Coronation Street (2004–2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernie Nolan</span> Irish actress, singer (1960–2013)

Bernadette Therese Nolan was an Irish actress, singer and television personality, formerly lead vocalist of the girl group the Nolans. She was the second youngest of sisters Anne, Denise, Maureen, Linda and Coleen. From the age of two, Bernie was brought up in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.

Amy Louise Robbins is an English stage, film and TV actress best known for her role as Dr. Jill Weatherill in the British television series The Royal. Before this, she played Police Sergeant Rachel James in the BBC One hospital drama Casualty. Robbins has appeared in many TV series including Emmerdale, EastEnders, Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, Holby City, World's End, Where the Heart Is, Happiness, My Hero, Heartbeat, Dalziel and Pascoe, The Slammer, Doctors, People Like Us and Noah's Ark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prima Donna (British band)</span> British band

Prima Donna were the United Kingdom representatives in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980. The group comprised sisters Kate and Jane Robbins, Sally Ann Triplett, Danny Finn, Alan Coates and Lance Aston. Finn was a former member of The New Seekers and was married to fellow ex-New Seeker Eve Graham. Robbins later embarked on a successful career as a comedian, impressionist and actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donna Jackson</span> Fictional character in Holby City

Donna Jackson is a fictional character from BBC medical dramas Holby City and Casualty, played by actress Jaye Jacobs. Donna entered Holby City in its sixth series as a staff nurse, characterised as a wild-child with a chaotic personal life. During her tenure, she grew to take her work more seriously, becoming a ward sister and accepting more personal responsibilities by adopting her half-niece Mia. A tart with a heart character, Donna had many romantic liaisons with her colleagues, including a one-night stand with midwife Mickie Hendrie. She ultimately fell in love with agency nurse Kieran Callaghan, and departed to be with him after he was injured in Afghanistan as part of the Territorial Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diana Vickers</span> English singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer

Diana Vickers is an English singer, songwriter and actress. She was semi-finalist on The X Factor in 2008. Vickers signed a record deal with RCA Records and, after touring with her fellow finalists from The X Factor, played the title role in a West End revival of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannah Waddingham</span> British actress and singer (born 1974)

Hannah Waddingham is a British actress, singer and television presenter. She is known for playing businesswoman Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso (2020–2023), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2021, and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in both 2021 and 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Atack</span> English actress and comedian

Emily Jane Atack is an English actress, comedian, and television personality. She is best known for playing Charlotte Hinchcliffe on the E4 comedy series The Inbetweeners (2008–2010), and for her roles in Keith Lemon shows, such as Lemon La Vida Loca, The Keith Lemon Sketch Show, and The Keith & Paddy Picture Show.

Catherine Verona Gordon, known professionally as Verona Rose, is an English actress, comedian, television presenter and writer. She is known for writing and starring in various comedy series and for presenting the dating series Secret Crush on ITV2. She is also a regular fixture on British panel shows and was a contestant on the E4 series The Real Dirty Dancing in 2022.

Jane Robbins is a sculptor. She works in cast bronze, resin and also other materials, primarily to make figurative and portrait sculptures. Her sculptures have been commissioned as public art in the UK as well as private works.

References

  1. "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  2. "Kate Robbins". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 26 October 2008.
  3. "Disgusting, immoral and sickening". Wrexham Evening Leader. 22 November 2004. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  4. "Live: Fox And Hounds, Caversham". The Beatles Bible. 24 April 1960.
  5. "McCartney family tree". Famechain.com.
  6. "PLANETS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com.
  7. Kate Robbins And Beyond – More Than in Love Chart Stats
  8. Bailey, Charlotte (8 August 2008). "Edinburgh Festival: John Bishop and Kate Robbins". Telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012.
  9. "We're Just Passing Through - Kate Robbins & Nicky Campbell". Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  10. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 465. ISBN   978-1-904994-10-7.
  11. "Prima Donna Discography - All Countries - 45cat". 45cat.com.