Jessica Taylor

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Jessica Pietersen

| image =

| caption =

| background = solo_singer

| birth_name = Jessica Taylor

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1980|06|23}}

| birth_place = Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom

| genre = Pop

| occupation = Singer

| years_active = 1999–2007
2013–present

| spouse = {{marriage|Kevin Pietersen|2007}}

| current_member_of = Liberty X

}}

Jessica Pietersen ({{nee|Taylor}}; born 23 June 1980) is an English singer. She is best known as member of the pop group Liberty X.{{Cite web |date=2013-02-27 |title='Big Reunion' stars return to the stage |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/music/a461960/big-reunion-stars-return-to-the-stage-at-hammersmith-apollo-pictures/ |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=Digital Spy |language=en-GB}}

Career

=1999–2007: Liberty X and hiatus=

In a 1999 Pietersen starred the musical Gigi as the title role.{{cite web|url=http://www.preston.gov.uk/about/facts--faces-and-places/faces/jessica-pieterson/ |title=Jessica Pietersen |publisher=Preston City Council |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090915200716/http://www.preston.gov.uk/about/facts--faces-and-places/faces/jessica-pieterson/ |archive-date=15 September 2009 }} In 2001, Pietersen auditioned for the ITV reality television music competition Popstars, a show intended to form a new group from individual contestants, becoming one of the finalist. While the five winning contestants formed Hear'Say, the five runner-up contestants – Young, Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Kelli Young and Michelle Heaton – formed the group Liberty X and signed a multimillion-pound record contract with Richard Branson and V2 Records. Liberty X released three studio albums and enjoyed seven Top 10 singles from 2001 to 2005: Their biggest hit, "Just a Little", reached number one in May 2002; "Thinking It Over", "Got to Have Your Love", "Song 4 Lovers", and "Holding on for You" all reached the top 5 in the UK Singles Chart. They split up in 2007 after selling over 3 million records worldwide.

During this time, Pietersen also appeared on BBC's Strictly Ice Dancing in 2005, finishing in second place, and Dancing on Ice in 2009, finishing in third place. After the split, Pietersen took a long hiatus from her artistic career.{{cite web |url=http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/broadcasters/itvs-to-reform-pop-bands-for-the-big-reunion/5047889.article |title=ITVS to reform pop bands for The Big Reunion|first=Balihar |last=Khalsa |website=Broadcast |date=18 October 2012 |access-date=27 September 2024}}

=2013–present: Liberty X return=

In 2013 Pietersen reunited with Liberty X for ITV2's reality show The Big Reunion, along with other pop groups of their time – B*Witched, Honeyz, 911, Five and Atomic Kitten – to solve past problems and do a live performance at the London Hammersmith Apollo on 26 February.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a431534/atomic-kitten-5ive-bwitched-911-more-to-reunite-for-itv2-show.html |title=Atomic Kitten, 5ive, B*Witched, 911, more to reunite for ITV2 show |last=Goodacre |first=Kate |work=Digital Spy |date=18 October 2012}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/atomic-kitten-5ive-liberty-x-1385345|title=Atomic Kitten, 5ive, Liberty X, 911, B*Witched and The Honeyz are all to reunite for ITV2 show The Big Reunion|last=Harvey|first=Joanna|work=Daily Mirror|date=18 October 2012}} Due to the success, Liberty X returned for a full tour between 2013 and 2014.{{cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2012/10/18/atomic-kitten-and-5ive-set-to-reform-for-itv2s-the-big-reunion-602922/ |title=Atomic Kitten and 5ive set to reform for ITV2's The Big Reunion |work=Metro|location=UK |date=18 October 2012}} She also appeared in the game shows Hole in the Wall and The Chase, facing Mark Labbett and winning £75,000 in her individual chase.{{cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep7week47/chase-celebrity-special|title=The Chase Celebrity Special Episode 7|publisher=presscentre|date=4 November 2013|access-date=13 June 2015}} In 2017, Pietersen, Kelli Young and Michelle Heaton reformed Liberty X again, but as a three-piece girl group, without Tony and Kevin.{{cite news|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/liberty-x-reforming-girl-band-1949703|title=Liberty X are reforming as a girl band|last=Bychawski|first=Adam|website=NME|date=2017-01-18|access-date=2022-11-13}} Since then, they continued touring at music festivals and Pride events.{{cite news|url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/celebs/members-liberty-x-now-what-21346090|title=Where Liberty X are now, what they look like and net worths|first=Melissa|last=Sigodo|date=18 August 2021|website=MyLondon}}{{cite news |last=Benson |first=Rhianna |date=5 July 2022 |title=Michelle Heaton admits 'Booze gave me the confidence to perform with Liberty X' |url=https://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/michelle-heaton-terrified-liberty-x-27377769 |access-date=10 July 2022 |website=OK! |language=en}}

Personal life

On 29 December 2007, she married England cricketer Kevin Pietersen at a service in Castle Combe.[http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/81727-stars-enjoy-pietersen-wedding Stars enjoy Pietersen wedding | Metro.co.uk] They have two children: Dylan Blake, born on 10 May 2010, and Rosie, born on 27 December 2015.{{Cite web |url=http://www.popsugar.co.uk/Pictures-Kevin-Pietersen-Jessica-Taylor-New-Baby-Boy-Dylan-Pictures-9731261 |title=Pictures of Kevin Pietersen and Jessica Taylor New Baby Boy Dylan Pictures |access-date=19 October 2012 |archive-date=2 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702200539/http://www.popsugar.co.uk/Pictures-Kevin-Pietersen-Jessica-Taylor-New-Baby-Boy-Dylan-Pictures-9731261 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news | url=http://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/629864/Kevin-Pietersen-Jessica-Taylor-baby-girl-Twitter-Instagram | title=Cricketer Kevin Pietersen and Liberty X beauty Jessica Taylor welcome baby girl | publisher=Express | date=28 December 2015}}