23 Kylie Minogue facts you might not know
She's a global icon!
Kylie Minogue has been a music icon since the 80s when she released her debut album 'Kylie'! Fast-forward more than three decades, and in 2025 Kylie took her albums 'Tension' and 'Tension II' on tour. She even made history by joining The O2 21 Club, meaning she's performed at the O2 Arena 21 times.
Despite not technically being a Brit, we've certainly adopted her as one of our own. With millions of fans around the world, and so much media coverage you might think you know everything there is to know about Ms. Minogue. But do you know which song was written in just 40 minutes, and that she has an OBE? In honour of the pop princess, we've compiled some of our favourite Kylie facts...
1. 'Locomotion' was the biggest selling single of the 80s in Austraila!
Kylie Minogue released her cover of 'The Loco-Motion' as her first single in Australia and it stayed at Number 1 for a total of seven weeks. At the end of the decade, someone did the maths and it ended up being the biggest selling single of the 1980s in Oz. Who doesn't love a bit of 'The Loco-Motion'?
2. 'I Should Be So Lucky' was written in just 40 minutes
It's one of the most catchy songs of all time, but it was written in just over half an hour. Kylie flew to the UK to meet music gurus Stock, Aitken and Waterman. The story goes that they forgot Kylie was coming, had nothing prepared for her to test out and quickly wrote 'I Should Be So Lucky' while they were waiting for her to arrive at the meeting.
3. She appeared digitally in a jukebox musical named after 'I Should Be So Lucky'
That's right! In July 2023, it was announced that theatre show I Should Be So Lucky would feature songs by the Hit Factory AND star Kylie digitally in the production. The show had its world premiere in November 2023 and toured the UK and Ireland until May 2024.
Kylie said of the musical: "I’m thrilled to announce that I will be joining Stock Aitken Waterman in presenting the new musical, 'I Should Be So Lucky'! It is the music that inspired a generation (plus my first five albums!) so to have all the SAW hits in this original story will make for a compelling, funny and heartfelt show. Let’s enjoy the magic all over again!"
Show writer and director Debbie Isitt told The Oxford Magazine of Kylie's character in the show: "The concept was Kylie being bride Ella’s reflection in the mirror – playing her inner diva – her inner confidence if you like. I wanted Kylie to play a version of herself – but also to be properly integrated into the story."
4. Her Glastonbury performance was the festival's most-watched ever
Kylie was heartbroken when she had to cancel her Glastonbury performance in 2005 due to her breast cancer diagnosis, however 14 years later, she got to fulfil her dream. Performing on the Pyramid Stage of the iconic British music festival, her set became the most-viewed ever, with millions taking to their TV screens to watch the 'Confide In Me' singer do her thing.
5. 'Spinning Around' wasn't written for Kylie
'Spinning Around' wasn't initially supposed to be a Kylie song. Rather surprisingly, Paula Abdul co-wrote the song and it was supposed to be her comeback single! After the album it would have featured on didn't materialise, it was handed over to Kylie.
6. Kylie was in Doctor Who
Back in 2007, Kylie Minogue played Astrid Peth in Doctor Who in an episode called Voyage Of The Dammed. Her character was a waitress on board a space Titanic.
At the time, Kylie said: "It's an incredible thrill to be joining David (Tennant) and the entire Doctor Who production for this year's Christmas special. Doctor Who enjoys a unique history and it is going to be very exciting to be part of that."
In an interview with Magic Radio, Kylie admitted she'd like to reprise her role. Describing the experience as "amazing to be in such a beloved show", alongside David Tennant, Kylie hinted that she wouldn't be adverse to returning to the TV. She also told Hits Radio: "I wouldn't mind if Astrid Peth came back," before whispering: "Just saying!"
7. Kylie starred in an advert to help promote Australian tourism
Proud of her native country, Kylie and The Last Leg host Adam Hills teamed up with Tourism Australia in 2019 in a three-minute musical advert that broadcast just before Queen Elizabeth's Christmas speech.
8. She has an honorary doctorate
In 2011, Kylie received an honorary doctorate from Anglia Ruskin University in a ceremony in Chelmsford, Essex. She received the doctorate in Health Sciences, reflecting her work to promote breast cancer after going through it herself.
Her citation at the time read: 'Here at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford scientists in the research laboratory for The Helen Rollason Cancer Charity are currently researching blood markers that in the future might be used to identify breast cancer at an early stage. Kylie's story will serve as an inspiration to everyone involved in this work.
'Anglia Ruskin University is proud to honour her today for her amazing career as pop singer, songwriter and actress, and for her support for promoting awareness and removing the fear of breast cancer.'
9. She also has an OBE
Before her honorary doctorate, Kylie received an OBE from then-Prince Charles in 2008 for her services to music. Kylie took her mum and dad along to the ceremony at Buckingham Palace and wore an incredible white silk YSL dress with glittery stars.
10. Madame Tussauds have several Kylie waxworks
Well... She is the Queen of Pop! The waxwork below was unveiled in 2015 to celebrate the festive season, as Kylie released her first Christmas album 'Kylie Christmas'. 10 years later, in November 2025, Kylie announced she would be re-issuing the album with some new songs. The album is called 'Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped)'.
11. Michael Hutchence wrote a song about her
Kylie dated the late Michael Hutchence for two years and she was the inspiration behind the INXS song 'Suicide Blonde'. When Kylie dyed her short hair for a role, she told her then-boyfriend that she was going "suicide blonde" and Michael took the phrase and turned it into a song.
12. She was great friends with the fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier
Kylie is known as a style icon, but her looks are not without an entire team behind her. Kylie forged a friendship with fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier in the early days of her career and the pair worked together on so many of her iconic looks and tour costumes.
13. Kylie has a brother
We all know about Kylie's sister Dannii Minogue but did you know she has a brother? Preferring to work behind the lens, Brendan is a news cameraman in Australia.
In May 2024, Kylie thanked her family, including her brother as she celebrated her 56th birthday.
14. What star sign is Kylie?
Kylie Minogue was born on the 28th May 1968, making her currently 57-years-old and a Gemini.
15. She's collaborated with some of the biggest names in the music industry
Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan are one of the most well-known duos in pop culture but it's not just 'Especially For You' that has seen Kylie share the vocals - she's also duetted and performed with some seriously big names.
Kylie has collaborated with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on 'Where The Wild Roses Grow', she also teamed up with Enrique Iglesias for 'Beautiful', and sang with Nile Rogers and Jake Shears on 'The Other Boys'. She's also released 'Music's Too Sad Without You' with Jack Savoretti and has songs with Taio Cruz, Shaggy and Sam Sparro.
A remix of her single 'Real Groove' with Dua Lipa was released in December 2020, following the pair performing together during the Studio 2054 livestream.
Kylie also released 'A Second To Midnight' with Years & Years in October 2021, and later released 'Kiss Of Life' with Jessie Ware in November 2021.
But one of the more iconic Kylie duets? Kylie and Robbie Williams with the 2000 song 'Kids', which was a Number 2 hit for the duo when it was released. Eventually, the song was certified Gold in the UK in April 2025, selling 400,000 units!
16. Her name has an interesting Aboriginal meaning
What do you think when you think of 'Kylie'? Beautiful? Glam? Kind? While they're all good words to describe Kylie, her name actually means boomerang in the Aboriginal language.
17. Kylie returned to Neighbours
Kylie starred as Charlene Mitchell in the Australian soap in the 80s which launched her career and made her a household name. Following the news that the show was being axed after 37 years, it was only right that Kylie returned to her roots.
She appeared in the final episode with her on-screen husband Scott Robinson played by former real-life flame Jason Donovan. In their original run on the show, the episode with Charlene and Scott's wedding was one of the most-watched TV moments of the decade with more than 20 million people tuning in to watch across Australia and the UK.
Speaking about being back on Neighbours, Kylie said: "It was lovely and emotional. Driving into Ramsay Street was quite something."
18. She had a residency in Las Vegas
On 28th July 2023, Kylie announced she'd landed her very own residency at the Voltaire nightclub at The Venetian in Las Vegas. Her residency finished in May 2024, however she has said she'd like to return.
19. She's won two Grammy Awards
Kylie's huge track 'Padam Padam' won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Dance Recording in 2024. The win came 20 years after she won the Best Dance Recording accolade for 'Come Into My World'. In March 2025, the track was certified Platinum by the BPI, translating to a whopping 600,000 sales in the UK alone!
20. Kylie won the BRITs Global Icon Award
Kylie picked up the Global Icon Award at The BRIT Awards 2024. The award was in recognition of her career spanning across five decades as one of the world’s most successful and iconic music stars. The singer is the only female artist to have a Number 1 album in five consecutive decades in the UK.
21. Kylie has her own Barbie
In March 2024, Kylie was honoured with her own Barbie to celebrate International Women's Day and Barbie's 65th anniversary. Kylie's Barbie is kitted out in her 'Padam Padam' outfit.
22. Kylie paid homage to Madonna on tour
Not only did Kylie join Madonna on stage during her 'Celebration' tour, she also wore a top with Madonna's name on it. This was reminiscent of the iconic top Madonna wore back in 2000 to perform at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Stockholm in Sweden.
23. Kylie joins The O2 21 Club
Kylie Minogue made history with her 'Tension Tour', when she performed at the O2 Arena in May and June 2025. The singer, who has now performed a massive 24 times at the arena, officially joined The O2 21 Club - celebrating artists who have performed at the arena 21 times.
Take a look through celebrities who started on Neighbours:
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue needs no introduction. After appearing in Neighbours as Charlene Robinson (née Mitchell) between 1986 and 1988, she went on to become a hugely successful pop star, as well as appearing in some films along the way.
Kylie's first UK single was 'I Should Be So Lucky' in 1987 which was an instant hit with fans going to Number 1. Many albums and Top 10 hits followed over the years, including 'Especially For You', her duet with former co-star and on-screen husband Jason Donovan.
In recent years, Kylie has released her albums 'Tension' and 'Tension II', followed by a world tour in 2025.
Jason Donovan
Like his former co-star Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan appeared on Neighbours in the late 80s playing the role of Scott Robinson.
He then went on to release several albums and had Top 10 hits with 'Nothing Can Divide Us', 'Too Many Broken Hearts', 'Any Dream Will Do' and of course 'Especially For You', with Kylie.
Jason went on to pursue a career in musicals playing the role of Joseph in the West End hit Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which he performed at the 2022 Jubilee celebrations outside Buckingham Palace.
The actor has also worked as a radio presenter and appeared on the 13th series of Dancing on Ice, paired with Alexandra Schauman, however he withdrew from the competition due to injury in week six. In 2025 he announced he would be going on tour in 2026 for his 'Doin' Fine Encore Tour'.
Chris Hemsworth
Best known as the Hollywood actor who played Thor, Chris Hemsworth actually appeared in Neighbours for 18 episodes back in 2002.
After leaving Neighbours he went on to star in Home & Away for a massive 189 episodes as Kim Hyde, before moving onto Hollywood blockbusters such as Thor, Avengers and other Marvel films.
He's also worked as producer, on the Netflix film Extraction where he played the role of Tyler Rake, a sequel of which was released in 2023. In 2025, he appeared in the National Geographic show Limitless with Chris Hemsworth and the documentary Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember.
Liam Hemsworth
Starring as Josh Taylor in Neighbours for just 19 episodes in 2007/2008, Liam Hemsworth went on to star in several main film roles including Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games film series, and Jake Morrison in Independence Day: Resurgence.
He is also took over the role of Geralt of Rivia from Henry Cavill in The Witcher, when it returned for a fourth season.
Margot Robbie
Playing the role of Donna Freedman in Neighbours between 2008 and 2011, Margot Robbie went on to become a hugely successful actor, on both TV and film.
Some of Margot's biggest roles include starring as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad and several other films, Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, and the blockbuster film Barbie, where she played the lead role Barbie. In 2025, she starred in A Big Bold Beautiful Journey which was released in September.
Guy Pearce
Guy Pearce, who played the role of Mike Young in Neighbours between 1986 and 1989, reprised his role for the finale in 2022.
After leaving Neighbours, Guy went on to become a successful film actor appearing in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Memento, The Time Machine remake and The King's Speech.
In 2011, Guy won a Primetime Emmy Award for his work in Todd Haynes' limited series Mildred Pierce as Monty Berago. In 2025, he has appeared in several films including The Woman in Cabin 10, Killing Faith and Inside.
Away from acting, he has also released two albums, the most recent in 2018.
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia played the role of Beth Brennan on Neighbours in the early 90s.
Three years after leaving the soap, Natalie released her debut song 'Torn' which was incredibly popular, being a Top 5 hit around the world and even receiving a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Natalie continued to have success into the 2000s with songs such as 'Big Mistake', 'Smoke', 'Shiver', and 'Glorious' all Top 40 hits.
She's also appeared on several TV shows, including joining The X Factor UK and Australian editions, and taking part in The Masked Singer in 2022, which she won as Panda. As a singer she continues to perform across the UK and further afield.
Holly Valance
Holly Candy, better known as Holly Valance, appeared as Felicity Scully on Neighbours between 1999 and 2002.
In the year that she left Neighbours she also released her debut song 'Kiss Kiss' which was a huge hit, going to Number 1 in the UK.
As well as having three Top 10 songs, Holly appeared in several TV shows including Prison Break, and Strictly Come Dancing, as well as the film Taken which starred Liam Neeson.
Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe appeared in just four episodes of Neighbours back in 1987, when he played the former cellmate of Henry Ramsey.
He later went on to be a hugely successful actor appearing in films such as Gladiator, The Mummy, Les Misérables and Thor: Love and Thunder. In 2025, Russell appeared in Nuremberg, a film about a psychiatrist who interviews Nazi military members to see if they are fit to stand trial. Russell plays Hermann Göring, a Nazi politician.
Alan Dale
Alan Dale played the role of Jim Robinson for many years, the first time between 1985 and 1993, then returning in 2018 and 2019.
After leaving Neighbours the first time, Alan appeared in several TV shows and films such as The X-Files, Ugly Betty, Dominion, Dynasty, Star Trek: Nemesis and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Most recently he has appeared as Aaron Cross in the Amazon Prime Video series The Assassin.
Delta Goodrem
Despite being signed to Sony Music at the age of 15, Delta Goodrem joined Neighbours three years later and starred as Nina Tucker between 2002 and 2005, 2015, then reprising her role 2022.
Outside of her Neighbours role, Delta is a well-known singer and songwriter having releasing seven albums and 40 singles including 'Born to Try', 'Lost Without You', and 'Almost Here', all Top 5 hits in the UK.
In recent years she continues to release music and have success in her native Australia. She's also appeared in a number of TV shows, mainly as guest roles or judges, such as on Australian Idol, The Voice and The Celebrity Apprentice Australia.
Jesse Spencer
Jesse Spencer starred as Billy Kennedy on Neighbours from 1994 to 2000, and later in 2005 and 2022. After leaving Neighbours he took on the lead role of Robert Chase in the American medical drama House, starring Hugh Laurie.
Following his departure from House in 2012, Jesse went on to star as Captain Matthew Casey in Chicago Fire, and its spin-offs.
Most recently, he appeared in Last Days of the Space Age, a Disney+ series about three families who live in Perth, Australia in 1979. Jesse starred alongside former Neighbours actor Radha Mitchell.
Radha Mitchell
Starting off in Neighbours back in 1996/1997 as Catherine O'Brien, Radha Mitchell went on to star in several other TV shows and films, most notably Red Widow, Phone Booth, Silent Hill, Olympus Has Fallen and its sequel London Has Fallen.
She also appeared in the Disney+ series Last Days of the Space Age, alongside Jesse Spencer in 2024.
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