Dance Ellison studied dance from the age of three, first at a dance school in Liverpool, then later at the Elizabeth Hill School of Dance in
St Helens. She has achieved examination passes with the
Royal Academy of Dance and appeared on instructional videos for the academy. She has also taken examinations with the
International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA) and won Ballet and Modern Dance titles at the IDTA Theatre Dance Championships in 1996 and 1997, and in addition was awarded the
Carl Alan Award for ballet in 1998. Choosing to pursue a professional career in dance, she successfully auditioned for the
Royal Ballet Lower School. She left dance to pursue acting. In 2012, Ellison was a contestant on
Dancing on Ice and made it to the semi-final stages. She hosted the UK version of
Dance Moms on Lifetime,
Dance Mums with Jennifer Ellison in 2014–15.
Television From 1998 to 2002, Ellison played Emily Shadwick in the soap opera
Brookside. Her character was 'killed off' when she fell from a window during a robbery. In 2003, Ellison appeared in the travel documentary
Jennifer Ellison does Thailand and in 2004, she appeared on the
reality television show ''
Hell's Kitchen, which she then went on to win. In 2005, she appeared on the celebrity challenge show With a Little Help From My Friends''. In spring 2007, Ellison appeared in the
BBC reality TV show
The Verdict, based on a fictional courtroom, alongside the likes of
Jeffrey Archer and
Sara Payne. That same year, she appeared as a judge on
Dirty Dancing – Time of your Life, a United States–based reality television show for the
Living TV network. By December of that year, Ellison began appearing as a guest panellist on the ITV daytime show
Loose Women. Additionally, Ellison has also acted in episodes of the British television series
The Brief,
Hotel Babylon,
New Street Law and
The Commander. In September 2008, she appeared in a 2-hour long show, called ''Ghosthunting with Paul O'Grady & Friends'', filmed in Sicily, with fellow Liverpudlians
Paul O'Grady,
Philip Olivier and
Natasha Hamilton. Her first single was "
Baby I Don't Care", released in June 2003, which reached No. 6 in the
UK Singles Chart. In December 2007, she played "Angel" in
Liverpool Nativity, a contemporary retelling of the Christmas story for
BBC Three which was performed live from the streets of the city. Ellison featured in the
Liverpool Empire Theatre's
pantomime version of
Cinderella for 2008, opposite
Cilla Black and
Les Dennis. She also played Beth in ''
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds'' at major arenas of the UK in June 2009. Ellison appeared in the July – October 2010 UK tour of the stage adaption of the film
Calendar Girls. The same year she appeared at the
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, in its pantomime
Robinson Crusoe. As well as these, she was on the UK tour company of
Legally Blonde The Musical, playing the role of 'Paulette'. In 2012, Ellison appeared in
Peter Pan at the Churchill Theatre Bromley alongside
Gemma Hunt,
Ace Bhatti and
Andrew Agnew. From 18 February 2013, she joined
Singin’ in the Rain at the
Palace Theatre, London. Ellison joined the cast to play silent movie screen siren and owner of a voice never meant for the ‘talkies’, Lina Lamont. Ellison was cast in the pantomime of
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, at the
Theatre Royal, Norwich throughout December 2015 to January 2016.
Film Ellison made her film debut as
Meg Giry in the
2004 film version of the stage musical
The Phantom of the Opera, although her lines were
dubbed over. She also starred in the English horror film
The Cottage, which was released in the UK on 14 March 2008.
Modelling and magazine appearances Ellison was featured in
Maxim magazine's "Girls of Maxim"gallery. Ellison took over, from
Jordan, a contract with lingerie giant
Ultimo for its "Young Attitude" line. Though Ultimo boss Michelle Mone had chosen Jordan for being "sexy, fun and outgoing," she later changed her mind, stating, "Jordan was just the wrong choice for [us]. Jennifer is a far better option and far classier."
Other ventures In December 2011, she released a fitness DVD ''Jennifer Ellison's Fat Blaster Workout''. She took part in the 2012 TV series
Dancing on Ice. Ellison and professional partner
Daniel Whiston ended up in fourth place after being voted out in the semi-final. ==Personal life==