Denise van Outen (born May 27, 1974, Basildon, Essex) is an English television hostess and stage actress. Her most notable roles to date were as a hostess on The Big Breakfast, and as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago on both the West End and on Broadway. Born as Denise Outen in Basildon, Essex, her father is a security guard and her mother a child carer. Denise is the youngest of three siblings; her sister is a doctor's (USA: physician's) assistant and her brother is a hairdresser. ...show more

Denise van Outen (born May 27, 1974, Basildon, Essex) is an English television hostess and stage actress. Her most notable roles to date were as a hostess on The Big Breakfast, and as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago on both the West End and on Broadway. Born as Denise Outen in Basildon, Essex, her father is a security guard and her mother a child carer. Denise is the youngest of three siblings; her sister is a doctor's (USA: physician's) assistant and her brother is a hairdresser.

At the age of seven (7) she began modelling for knitting patterns, and showed an early flair for performing. This resulted in her attending the Sylvia Young Theatre School. As a student, she appeared in the chorus of Les Misérables with fellow Sylvia Young student Melanie Blatt, and then as Eponine - the role paid her school fees; the Anthony Newley directed production of Stop the World - I Want to Get Off, and A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 1994, she had her first shot at the world of music when forming one half of an unsuccessful pop duo called Those 2 Girls.

During her first stint on the Big Breakfast show, she appeared as "Jill" in a racy TV version of the children's pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk. However, she wanted to further develop her acting career, so she left The Big Breakfast at the end of 1998 - but not before, at the height of their popularity, she and co-presenter Johnny Vaughan would hit the charts as Denise and Johnny for a charity cover of Kylie and Jason's 'Especially For You'. In 1999 she appeared on several episodes of The Bill and The Young Person's Guide To Becoming A Rockstar, the BBC's Murder in Mind short series of crime dramas, and on Babes in the Wood with Karl Howman and Samantha Janus. She also appeared on the ITV show 'ABBAmania' where she would again show her musical ability with her cover of 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!'. ...show less