Kate Robbins

Early life

Robbins is the elder sister of fellow actress Amy Robbins, sculptor Jane Robbins, and The Sheilas singer Emma Robbins. Her older brother is radio broadcaster and actor Ted Robbins. Through her sister Emma, she became the sister-in-law of Simon Shelton, and through her sister Amy, the sister-in-law of actor Robert Daws. Her father was Mike Robbins, who grew up in Hightown, Wrexham, the son of Ted Robbins, who served as the secretary of the Football Association of Wales for more than 35 years.

Robbins is a first cousin once removed of Paul McCartney as her mother Elizabeth "Bett" Robbins (née Danher) was McCartney's cousin In 1960, McCartney and John Lennon performed as "The Nerk Twins" at the Fox and Hounds pub in Caversham, Reading, which was run by Robbins' parents Bett and Mike.

Robbins attended Wirral Grammar School for Girls in Bebington, Cheshire.

Career

Singing

Robbins' first released recording, in 1978, was the song Tomorrow, from the musical Annie. Robbins' first chart appearance was as a backing singer, along with her sister Jane, on the minor Top 40 hit "Lines" by Liverpool group Planets, a spin-off from Deaf School. In 1980 she and Jane represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest as part of the group Prima Donna; they finished third singing the UK entry "Love Enough for Two".

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.

Robbins wrote the first theme tune to Surprise, Surprise performed by Cilla Black. She sang the lead vocals on "The Chicken Song" with Michael Fenton Stevens, which reached number 1 in 1986.

In December 2010, Robbins released her third album, Soho Nights. She co-wrote the easy listening album We're Just Passing Through, with broadcaster and journalist Nicky Campbell, which was released in 2014.

Television and film

Robbins provided female voices on the television show Spitting Image from series 3 to series 20 (19861–996).

She played Cilla Black in Harry Enfield's Television Programme (1992), and voiced Princess Anne in Drop the Dead Donkey in 1993.

In 1995, Robbins provided all of the voices, including the male ones, in the children's television series The Caribou Kitchen. The 1986 Granada Television sketch show Robbins featured Kate, her brother Ted Robbins, and her sisters Amy Robbins, Jane Robbins and Emma Robbins.

Robbins was named "Best Supporting Actress" at the Angel Awards of the Monaco International Film Festival in 2006, for her role as Kathleen in the low-budget British film Fated (2005). She played Joan in Sex Lives of the Potato Men (2004). The following year, she appeared with James Franco and Jean Reno in the film Flyboys, playing the role of Clarisse, a brothel Madame.

She also starred in Farrena Films' comedy-thriller short movie The Other Side with Valerie Hope, and played Babs in two series of the comedy series dinnerladies. Robbins later appeared with the sitcom's writer Victoria Wood in the Christmas special Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings, and Victoria Wood's Big Fat Documentary. Alongside daughter Emily Atack, Robbins appeared is a regular contributor on Channel 4's Steph's Packed Lunch, and appeared in Celebrity Gogglebox in 2024.

Radio

During the 1990s, Robbins performed a number of different roles as both an impersonator and a singer in the BBC Radio 4 satirical comedy series A Look Back at the Nineties and its sequel A Look Back at the Future. Robbins took part in the original BBC Radio 4 series of Dead Ringers in 2000.

Live comedy

Robbins was part of the Grumpy Old Women Live tours in 2014 and 2015.

Honours

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

Personal life

Robbins divorced musician Keith Atack in 2007, after 19 years of marriage together. Robbins and Atack had three children: actress Emily Atack (born 1989); Martha Atack (born 1991), a Talent Director; and George Atack (born 1992), who is a musician and TV researcher.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Radio

Voices

• 1993 The Beano Video - Neighbour's Wife
• 1994 The Beano VideoStars - Various characters
• 1995 Discworld (Video game) - Various characters
• 1996 Discworld II: Missing Presumed...!? (Video game) - Various characters
• 1999 Discworld Noir (Video game) - Various characters

UK discography

Singles

• 1978 "Tomorrow" (Anchor)
• 1980 "Love Enough for Two" (Ariola) (with Prima Donna) UK No. 48
• 1980 "Just Got to be You" (Ariola) (with Prima Donna)
• 1981 "More Than in Love (RCA) UK No. 2
• 1981 "I Want You Back" (RCA)
• 1981 "Run Wild" (RCA)
• 1983 "The Real Me" (RCA)
• 1983 "That First Love"
• 1986 "The Chicken Song" (Lead female vocal)
• 1988 "If You Wanna Help Somebody"

Albums

• 1981 Kate Robbins (RCA)
• 2008 Songs from the Pool
• 2010 Soho Nights
• 2014 We're Just Passing Through (Long Lunch Music)

References

References

1. "Index entry". ONS.
2. "Kate Robbins".
3. Katy Hallam. (9 February 2025). "ITV Unforgotten star Kate Robbins' incredibly famous family from world legend to TV star daughter". birminghammail.co.uk.
4. (22 November 2004). "The father of Welsh football Ted Robbins". Wrexham Evening Leader.
5. (16 February 2024). "Death in Paradise's Kate Robbins: Divorce from Emily Atack's dad ruined daughter's 'idyllic' life". tvguide.co.uk.
6. (24 April 1960). "Live: Fox And Hounds, Caversham".
7. "McCartney family tree".
8. Catherine Jones. (23 Nov 2015). "Kate Robbins on her Cavern Club show". liverpoolecho.co.uk.
9. "PLANETS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company".
10. Bradbury, Howard. (29 April 2014). "Kate Robbins on growing up in Liverpool, family get togethers with Paul McCartney and being a Grumpy Old Woman".
11. (July 28, 2021). "eurovision 1980 United Kingdom 🇬🇧 Prima Donna Love enough for two". Georgios Symeonidis on YouTube.
12. "The Official Top 50 best-selling songs of 1981". officialcharts.com.
13. Briggs, Stacia. (4 January 2019). "Kate Robbins remembers the 1980s ahead of Norwich trip".
14. Bailey, Charlotte. (8 August 2008). "Edinburgh Festival: John Bishop and Kate Robbins". Telegraph.co.uk.
15. "Kate Robbins Discography". discogs.com.
16. Hall, Ian D. (2011). "Kate Robbins, Soho Nights. Album Review.".
17. "We're Just Passing Through - Kate Robbins & Nicky Campbell".
18. Coogan, Steve. (14 July 2016). "Easily Distracted". Random House UK.
19. "Kate Robbins". comedy.co.uk.
20. (1 April 2020). "Can we take a moment to acknowledge Kate Robbins?". Yahoo News.
21. Elena Angelides. (20 April 2023). "Who has been on Celebrity Gogglebox?". heatworld.com.
22. (5 April 2023). "What's on TV and radio tonight: Thursday, April 6".
23. "Prima Donna Discography - All Countries - 45cat".
24. Roberts, David. (2006). "British Hit Singles & Albums". Guinness World Records Limited.