Sophie Charlene Akland Monk aka Sophie biography

Sophie's the blonde beauty from Queensland who was training to be an opera singer before being derailed from her classical path by a stint as a Marilyn Monroe impersonator and a growing passion for pop music.

Her climb to pop stardom started in earnest in 1999 when she drove all night to make it to an audition for the first ever Australian series of Popstars. It's now a matter of Australian pop history that she made the final cut and went on to release a string of gold and platinum-selling singles with five fellow reality-TV graduates who were, by then, called Bardot.

The group's self-titled debut album racked up multi-platinum sales and won the girls fans in Australia, NZ and throughout Asia. The follow-up, Play It Like That, rebirthed the group as a tight four-piece and continued their assault on the charts with hit singles including ASAP and I Need Somebody.

The group made the amicable decision to disband in early 2002, but instead of kicking-back and taking a breather or exploring her options Sophie immediately threw herself into forging her own distinctively up-beat pop path.

Just a matter of months after the break-up Sophie simultaneously launched her first solo single, the pretty pop hit Inside Outside, and a modelling career (as the face Expozay swimwear).

A hot follow-up track, Get The Music On, was released from the debut album Calendar Girl, she filmed her first major acting role, as Marilyn Monroe in a big-budget US television mini-series, and knocked back the chance to host a weekly TV show.

Sophie moved to LA to pursue her acting career, landing roles in Date Movie (from the makers of Scary Movie) and Click (alongside Adam Sandler)

Announced her split from fiance Joel Madden on February 12, 2008. She has been rumored to be dating many celebrities, including Ryan Seacrest. http://perezhilton.com/2008-04-06-dating-upwards