Katherine Jenkins - Swansea 10km race 9-27-10

Katherine Jenkins (born 29 June 1980) is a Welsh mezzo-soprano, a classical-popular crossover singer. Her albums feature a mixture of arias, popular songs, hymns and light classical music. Jenkins is a judge on Popstar to Operastar and is also set to star in the 2010 Doctor Who Christmas Special alongside Michael Gambon.

Jenkins was born in Neath, Wales, where she and her sister Laura were raised by their parents Selwyn John (1924–1995) and Susan. She has twin half-sisters from her father's first marriage, neither of whom she has met.

She attended Alderman Davies Church in Wales Primary School in Neath and later Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School (also in her home town of Neath), received A grades in GCSEs and A Levels and participated in productions such as Calamity Jane and Guys and Dolls. She attended singing lessons with John Hugh Thomas and passed her Grade 8 examinations with distinction in both singing and piano.

Between 1990 and 1996 Jenkins was a member of the Royal School of Church Music Cathedral Singers and won the St Cecilia Award, the highest RSCM award for female choristers. She was also a member of the National Youth Choir of Wales for three years, won the BBC Radio 2 Welsh Choirgirl of the Year contest (twice), and the BET Welsh Choirgirl of the Year competition. She was also awarded the Pelenna Valley Male Voice Choir Scholarship for the most promising young singer. At the age of 17 she won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music, where she also studied Italian, German, French and Russian, graduating with honours and receiving a music teacher's diploma.

After working as a freelance singing teacher, a tour guide on the London Eye and as a model, she entered a modelling competition and became the Face of Wales 2000. She then decided to follow a musical career. Universal Classics & Jazz heard her demo and she was invited to an interview at which she sang Rossini's "Una voce poco fa". Universal offered Jenkins a six-album deal, the most lucrative in the United Kingdom's classical recording history, reportedly worth £1 million