Born in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire,[1] she attended the Pamela Gray Dancing Academy in Hull.
[2] Having auditioned and subsequently gained a place at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, McKenzie-Brown relocated from Hull's Hymers College to lodge with a guest family in London, aged 11.
She then lent her voice to radio plays, including a production of the Arthur Ransome version of Old Peter's Russian Tales, and The Monstrous Mother.
In 2008, she took part in a closed audition in London and Los Angeles for the role of Tiara Gold in High School Musical 3: Senior Year.
[3] After gaining the role and filming in Salt Lake City, Utah,[6] she generated much worldwide fame.