Ten Things About... Charlotte Church

It may be almost five years since Charlotte Church last released an album, but the tabloid favourite has never been out of people's minds for too long. When not judging West End hopefuls or presenting her chat show, the once-dubbed Voice of an Angel has been raising her young family. The 24-year-old has had a rocky 2010, notably because six weeks after announcing her engagement to long-term boyfriend Gavin Henson, the couple split. With the upcoming release of her new album Back to Scratch, we take a look back at the life and times of Miss Church.

1. Born Charlotte Maria Reed on February 21 1986 in Llandaff - a district of Cardiff - to Stephen and Maria Reed, Charlotte was adopted by her mother Maria's second husband James Church in 1998.

2. The UK first heard the soon-to-be-crowned Voice of an Angel when an 11-year-old Charlotte sang Pie Jesu down the telephone on ITV's This Morning. A record deal followed after Jonathan Ross asked Charlotte to sing as she made an appearance to introduce her aunt on the Big, Big Talent Show.

3. In 2002 Charlotte came under fire for her smoking habit. However, she has since claimed that she likes what the 25-a-day habit has done for her voice. "But I quite like the tone it's giving my voice - lots of lovely depth, and I haven’t lost the top end at all," she said earlier this year.

4. Church has performed live in front of some of the world's most famous faces including: Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, former US President Bill Clinton, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Pope John Paul II. She recently admitted that she felt sorry for The Queen who she described as being "cool". "She’s an old lady now, she doesn’t really know who I am, she doesn’t care," she said.

5. She made her acting debut in 2003 British comedy I'll Be There. She took on the role of Olivia Edmonds, the daughter of a Scottish rock star played by Craig Ferguson. The film was a box office flop and lasted only ten days in UK cinemas.

6. Church was told that she was too old to play Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series when she auditioned for the role that eventually went to Emma Watson. She also reportedly turned down an audition for the role of Christine Daaé in the 2004 film version of Phantom of the Opera, as she was told to lose weight. Speaking about her decision, she said: "I think if I'd just fitted in with everything that everybody told me to I would have been in rehab aged 12."

7. She sparked controversy in 2001 when discussing the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York during an interview with the Sunday Times. Church, 15-years-old at the time, claimed that people had lost perspective but later insisted that her comments had been "distorted and misrepresentative".

8. In December 2000, she became the youngest British star to have a top 10 album in the US charts. Dream a Dream's success came the same week she met Bill Clinton at the White House in Washington DC to turn on the Christmas lights.

9. In 2002 she won 'Rear of the Year' - becoming the youngest ever 'winner' of the accolade. However eyebrows were raised at a 16-year-old receiving the title. Church said of the matter: "Now that I'm sixteen it seems it's okay to give me an award like this. A year ago people would have said it was a bit sick".

10. Church began dating Rugby star Gavin Henson in 2005 and they now have two children together. Ruby Megan was born in September 2007 and weighed 6lbs12 oz - the same birth weight as Charlotte was. Their son Dexter Lloyd was born in January 2009.