Birkett was the highest placing female contestant on Pop Idol in 2001 and later appeared on Big Brother.
Birkett was born in Consett, a town in County Durham, and began attending stage school from the age of three.
[1] She had hopes of being a performer,[2] and trained at the Amanda McGlynn Academy in Middlesbrough and the Lorraine Murray Dance School.
[3] In 2002, Birkett finished fourth on the first series of Pop Idol, behind Will Young, Gareth Gates and Darius Danesh.
The track was co-written by fellow Pop Idol contestant Sarah Whatmore and peaked at number 12 in the UK Singles Chart.
[9] Birkett's first roles were in pantomime and touring productions such as In Town Tonight, What A Feeling, West End Rocks and Cover Girls.
[10] Since 2009, Birkett has performed in West End theatre and was initially cast in Priscilla Queen of the Desert until 2011.