Francine Lewis
{{Short description|British Impressionist}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Francine Lewis
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|11|7|df=y}}
| birth_place = Blackpool, Lancashire
| occupation = {{hlist|Impressionist|actress|presenter}}
| years_active = {{circa|1997}}{{spaced en dash}}present
| notable_works = Very Important People
Britain's Got Talent
| children = 2
| website = [http://www.francinelewis.com/ Official website]
}}
Francine Lewis (born 7 November 1975) is an English impressionist, actress, model, and television presenter, best known for participating in the ITV talent show series Britain's Got Talent in 2013. She is of Middle Eastern descent.
Biography
=Television=
She has been on several television shows such as Loose Women and The Generation Game.{{cite web|url=http://www.francinelewis.com/index.htm|title=Francine Lewis Official Website|access-date=5 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525013020/http://www.francinelewis.com/index.htm|archive-date=25 May 2013|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1813104/|title=Francine Lewis – IMDb|publisher=IMDb}}
Lewis also appeared on the Channel 4 show Very Important People, in which, alongside Morgana Robinson, she impersonated a host of celebrities.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2144634/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast|title="Very Important People" (2012) – Full cast and crew|publisher=IMDb}}
=''Britain's Got Talent''=
Her audition saw her perform impressions of Stacey Solomon, Amy Childs, Katie Price, Holly Willoughby and Cheryl Cole and she was put through to the next round. When the judges selected whom to put through to the live shows, they said that Lewis and fellow contestants Alice Fredenham and Robbie Kennedy were "the three easiest yeses [they had] ever given". In the semi-final Lewis repeated Childs, Cole, Price and also included Dot Cotton, Sharon Watts, Sharon Osbourne, Nadine Coyle, Audrey Roberts and Deirdre Barlow. She won her semi-final, receiving 23.1% of the public vote to earn a place in the final on 8 June.{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/britains-talent-results-asanda-jezile-1925239|title=Britain's Got Talent results: Singer Asanda Jezile and impressionist Francine Lewis sail through to final|last=Tonks|first=Owen|date=1 June 2013|work=Daily Mirror|publisher=Trinity Mirror|access-date=1 June 2013}}[http://talent.itv.com/2013/videos/liveperformances/watch_facing-the-final-watch-the-amazing-acts-again_item_400086.htm Top ten! Watch the finalists' playlist – Britain's Got Talent – Live Performances]
Her prior notable work caused problems when she auditioned for Britain's Got Talent, as many thought that she was already too notable to enter a talent competition. Lewis however replied stating: "I've been out of it for such a long time and it's a show, it's a variety show, there's no where [else] for people like me. I have gone and stood on stage and did what I do best, it's a competition and there's a different generation out there."{{cite news|url=http://tellymix.co.uk/reality-tv/britains-got-talent/143382-britains-got-talent-2013-francine-lewis-hits-back-i-deserve-my-place.html|title=Britain's Got Talent 2013: Francine Lewis hits back: 'I deserve my place'|last=Darvill|first=Josh|date=23 April 2012|publisher=TellyMix|access-date=5 June 2013}}
=Other work=
Lewis has been in numerous theatre performances, notably Aladdin, Bugsy Malone and Snow White. She had also appeared in Cinderella, Robin Hood and played the Wicked Stepmother in ‘’Snow White’’ recently.{{cite web|url=http://www.francinelewis.com/bio.htm|title=Francine Lewis Biography|date=29 May 2014 |publisher=francinelewis.com}}
=Personal life=
Lewis has two children.{{cite web|title=Interview with Impressionist and Comedienne Francine Lewis|website=Honest Mum|url=https://honestmum.com/interview-with-impressionist-and-comedienne-francine-lewis/|date=13 February 2017}} She is Jewish{{Cite web |last=Peled |first=Daniella |date=30 May 2013 |title=Britain's Got Jewish Talent |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/culture/2013-05-30/ty-article/.premium/britains-got-jewish-talent/0000017f-ef89-d223-a97f-efddfdee0000 |access-date=24 November 2024 |website=www.haaretz.com}}
In April 2022 Lewis revealed that she had lost £90,000 after being persuaded to invest it in a stock market scam.{{Cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/showbiz-tv/itv-britains-talent-star-loses-23706637|title=Britain's Got Talent star loses £90,000 fortune to scam|first=James|last=Rodger|date=16 April 2022|website=BirminghamLive|accessdate=24 April 2022}} During the 22 April edition of the GB News lunchtime discussion programme To the Point in which she discussed her experience with the scammers, Lewis claimed to have recently discovered her husband of 17 years had been having an extramarital affair. Her comments were received positively on social media.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/francine-lewis-gb-news-husband-affair-b2063861.html|title=BGT star shocks GB News presenters as she accuses husband of having affair on air|date=23 April 2022|website=The Independent|accessdate=24 April 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2022/04/22/bgt-star-francine-lewis-claims-husband-had-affair-live-on-air-on-gb-news-16518346/|title=BGT star throws GB News hosts by accusing husband of affair live on air|first=Charlotte|last=Manning|date=22 April 2022|accessdate=24 April 2022}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|1813104}}
- {{Twitter}}
{{Britain's Got Talent}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Francine}}
Category:English impressionists (entertainers)
Category:English stage actresses
Category:English television actresses
Category:English women comedians
Category:Britain's Got Talent contestants
Category:Actresses from Blackpool
Category:Jewish English comedians
Category:Comedians from Lancashire
{{UK-comedian-stub}}