Kate Robbins - Biography

Biography

Robbins is a first cousin once removed of Paul McCartney and older sister of Amy Robbins (her mother and McCartney were first cousins). She attended Wirral Grammar School for Girls and won the Drama Prizes each year, notably with her monologue "All this glitters is not gold". Her first released recording, in 1978, was of the song "Tomorrow", owned by McCartney's music publishing company, from the musical Annie. Robbins first came to prominence whilst representing United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980 as part of the group Prima Donna. They finished third.

The following year, Robbins joined the cast of the ITV soap opera Crossroads, playing the part of a pop singer who was recording a single in the fictional motel's basement recording studio. The song, "More Than In Love", was released commercially in the UK (credited as Kate Robbins and Beyond) and gave Robbins a major hit single, reaching number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. It was her only hit. The backing group Beyond had taken part in the UK's Song for Europe contest earlier in the year, losing to Bucks Fizz.

Robbins wrote the first theme tune to Surprise, Surprise and provided almost all of the female voices on the television show Spitting Image in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The 1986 Granada Television sketch show Robbins featured Kate, her brother Ted Robbins, and her sisters Amy Robbins, Jane Robbins, and Emma Robbins, the latter now best known as one of the singers with The Sheilas.

She featured in the original series of Dead Ringers on BBC Radio 4 in 2000.

Robbins also provided the English language dubbing for Europeans, featured on the Channel 4 series Eurotrash and, in 2006, made two appearances on the BBC Radio 4 programme Just a Minute.

In 2007, Robbins was awarded an Honorary Bachelor of Arts degree from Bedfordshire University, for her lifetime contribution to the Performing Arts.

Robbins is separated from composer Keith Atack, by whom she has three children, including actress Emily Atack who played Charlotte Hinchliffe in The Inbetweeners.

In December 2010, Robbins released her third album, a jazz based affair, entitled Soho Nights, which was written as a collaboration with the Italian saxophonist Alessandro Tomei, and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.