Cheryl Baker is a British television presenter and singer. She was a member of 1980s pop group Bucks Fizz, who won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest.
The group had 20 singles reach the UK top 60 between 1981 and 1988, including three number one hits with “Making Your Mind Up” (1981), “The Land of Make Believe” (1981) and “My Camera Never Lies” (1982). Baker left the group in 1993. She had previously represented the UK at the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest as a member of the band Co-Co. In 2004, she began performing alongside Shelley Preston and fellow original Bucks Fizz member Mike Nolan as The Original Bucks Fizz. Preston was replaced by original Bucks Fizz member Jay Aston in 2009.
In the mid-1980s, while still with the group, Baker embarked on a career in television presenting. She joined Record Breakers as a co-host alongside the long-serving Roy Castle in 1987, continuing alongside new hosts after Castle’s death in 1994, finally leaving the show in 1997 after 10 years.
She also co-presented The Saturday Picture Show with Mark Curry from 1985 to 1986.
She continued her singing and television careers in tandem, although always maintained that singing was her first love. Bucks Fizz scored their final hit in 1988, and in the same year, Baker began presenting her own TV show Eggs ‘n’ Baker. This went on to run for five years.
During this time, she also released two solo singles “If Paradise Is Half As Nice” in 1987 and “Sensuality” in 1992, although neither of these found chart success.
Still touring with the group, Baker finally quit Bucks Fizz in December 1993 to concentrate on raising a family. After leaving Bucks Fizz, Baker carried on presenting Record Breakers as well as other television work.
In 1997 she became the subject of the TV Biography show This Is Your Life. Into the 2000s, Baker made many guest appearances on television. She has also participated in a number of reality television shows, such as Drop the Celebrity (which she won), 24-Hour Quiz (which she also won) and I’m Famous and Frightened!.
For the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, she read out the points from the United Kingdom. In the EBU’s 50th anniversary celebration of the show Congratulations, she introduced the song “Waterloo” by ABBA. Later on during the same programme, she sang Bucks Fizz’s winning song “Making Your Mind Up” live with Mike Nolan and Shelley Preston.
In 2006, Baker played the role of Vi Moore in the London production of Footloose, the musical based on the 1984 motion picture of the same name, at the Novello Theatre. In 2009 she directed a youth production of Footloose in Sevenoaks, playing to sell out audiences. In 2007 she played the part of Ida in the musical Honk! and in 2008 she was seen in the role of Mrs Mayor in a touring production of Seussical the Musical. The tour visited many towns in the South East of England.
In late 2009 she revealed that she had been asked to appear in the 2010 series of Celebrity Big Brother, but declined the offer.
In June 2011, she reached the final of the ITV series Popstar to Operastar, where she was beaten into second place by Joe McElderry. In 2011, Baker appeared in an episode of All Star Family Fortunes. On 5 January 2013, Baker appeared on Celebrity Mastermind. She also appeared on The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins on 23 May 2015 with Dana Rosemary Scallon as her partner.
On 31 October 2017, Cheryl was confirmed as the second celebrity to take part in the tenth series of Dancing on Ice. She was eliminated on 4 February 2018.
