Sophie Ellis-Bextor's life off-stage including famous mum and ...

Chart-topping artist Sophie Ellis-Bextor is poised to set the New Year's Eve party ablaze with her appearance on BBC's New Year's Eve Disco tonight.

The show, slated to begin at 11.30pm, will feature the pop sensation delivering a medley of her smash hits leading up to midnight. Following the annual fireworks spectacle, she will continue to delight audiences with more dance-inducing classics.

While newer fans recognize her from the viral Instagram kitchen discos that captured hearts during lockdown, Sophie Ellis-Bextor has enjoyed a remarkable music career stretching over two decades.

Now aged 45, she hails from West London, the daughter of Janet Ellis, a former BBC TV presenter, and Robin Bextor, a filmmaker.

Claim to fame

Sophie's ascent in the music world was meteoric, rocketing to prominence at just 16 as the frontwoman for the rock outfit Theaudience, reports the Daily Record.

Her passion for music was always present, but it wasn't until joining the guitar-pop ensemble that Sophie found her calling.

"Until then, I'd been unsure what I wanted to do... but then I started singing and it just felt like it joined the dots for me in terms of all the things I loved," she expressed in an interview with Thought Economics in 2023.

Established in 1996, Theaudience experienced a brief but memorable heyday, achieving a milestone when their debut album hit number 22 on the UK album charts.

Despite their early success, the band's journey was abruptly derailed as they were let go by their record label, leaving the Murder on The Dancefloor superstar contemplating her path within the music sphere.

Reflecting on a challenging point in her career with Thought Economics, she shared: "The crucial bit came when I was 20 and we got dropped from our record deal, leaving us high and dry. That was when I thought, 'am I going to be someone who only wants to do music when it's all going well? And only when it's served to me on a plate? Or do I want to do this... no matter what."

Sophie decided to persist and perfect her musical talents, leading to notable success on the charts. Her initial album, Read My Lips, launched in 2001, soared to the number two position on the UK album charts.

Her much-adored track Murder on the Dancefloor also ascended to the number two slot in the UK singles chart and earned international acclaim.

The iconic disco-pop anthem resurfaced in the charts this year, climbing back up following its provocative use in a film scene.

Success story in Saltburn

Sophie's Murder on the Dancefloor made a screen appearance in Emerald Fennells thriller Saltburn, coupled intriguingly with a sequence of Barry Keoghan dancing naked within a luxurious mansions halls.

The track witnessed an upsurge in popularity on TikTok starting January 2024, following the movie's debut in November 2023, with influencer and reality TV personality Molly-Mae Hague among those posting TikTok clips featuring the infectious tune.

Acknowledging the surprising resurgence of her two-decade-old hit, Sophie expressed that it felt like having a second honeymoon.

She made an appearance on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, December 31, offering insight into the remarkable trajectory of her song post-Saltburn.

She reflected on her whirlwind year, packed with unexpected events alongside planned engagements. "There were some things I knew I was doing this year and there were so many things that I wasn't expecting. I think there's a lot to reflect on. I've never done so many shows in my life. I've done about 110 gigs this year," she remarked.

The star added: "That's not just me, that's all my band and crew as well. Amazing. There's been some real highlights. It's an extraordinary thing to get to my stage in my career and to still be doing things, new excitement. So I've just wanted to really grab hold of that. And this is very much part of that as well."

Sophie has certainly kept busy with a schedule that included stints at prestigious venues such as the BAFTAs and an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon during her 2024 tour.

Is Sophie married?

Sophie is married Richard Jones, bass guitarist for The Feeling, and together they have five sons.

The romance came about after Richard auditioned to be part of Sophie's touring ensemble in 2002. They exchanged vows three years later in 2005.

Recounting his first memorable encounter with Sophie to The Guardian in 2022, Richard shared: "I was like, wow, look at this ethereal, beautiful woman that is way more beautiful in real life than I expected."

New Year's Eve Disco airs tonight at 11.30pm on BBC1