Biography

Vicki Michelle was born in London on the 14^th December and educated locally before attending the Aida Foster Theatre School. She quickly won a variety of roles in film, television and on stage but it was her portrayal as the waitress Yvette in the hit BBC TV series Allo Allo that gained her worldwide recognition. Vicki played Yvette for all nine series with the stage version taking her on national and international tours to Australia and New Zealand smashing box office records, not to mention  seasons in the West End at the Palladium,  Prince of Wales and Dominion theatres  through the 80’s and 90’s.

Renowned for her versatility, Vicki began her extensive acting career playing leading straight roles in television programmes such as Softly Softly, The Professionals, Minder and Play For Today but her wonderful gift for comedy timing quickly brought her to the roles with which she has become synonymous over the years. In addition to working on sitcom series including; Are You Being Served, Come Back Mrs Noah, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads, Don’t Rock The Boat and Fancy Wanders she has appeared in regular featured roles on such shows as Noel’s House Party, The Two Ronnies, Gayle’s World and The Goodies and worked with  comic legends such as Ken Dodd, Les Dawson, Lenny Henry, Kenny Everett, Dick Emery and Danny La Rue to name but a few. She has also guested on countless TV chat and game shows including; Call My Bluff, The Generation Game, Blankety Blank, Through the Keyhole, Today’s the Day, What’s My Line, The Weakest Link, The Generation Game Now and Then, This Morning, Richard and Judy, Loose Lips, Stars Reunited, Britain’s Best Sitcom, Comedy Connections, Celebrity Brides Unveiled,  Loose Women, a Hotel Babylon sketch special for Children in Need and the documentary Pantoland.

A wide span of theatre work has taken Vicki from drama to musicals, comedy to pantomime. Her professional stage debut came at the Cambridge Arts Theatre playing opposite Dudley Moore in the play Play It Again Sam which, following a UK tour, transferred to the Globe Theatre in London’s West End. She has gone on to play the leading roles of Vera in Dr in the House, Renee in Women of a Certain Age, Mina in Dracula, Ruth in Alan Ayckbourn’s Round and Round the Garden and Table Manners, Pamela Willey in Out of Order, Betty in Funny Money, Gillian in Simon Mawdsley’s Audacity, the duel roles of Dawn and Donna in Eric Chappell’s Double Vision and Linda Harper in Wife Begins at Forty.

Recent years in the theatre have been particularly momentous for her not least following her introduction into musicals. Vicki’s first musical performance came as the evil Bathsheba in the British musical version of Beauty and the Beast. It was a role she truly relished allowing her to display a side to her performing skills hitherto unleashed and resulting in a highly successful summer season. Vicki’s next musical role came in what has undoubtedly proved to be one of her finest portrayals ever, that of her wonderfully tyrannical interpretation of the incorrigible Miss Hannigan in Annie. Her dynamic performances gained her not only rave reviews from the critics but rapturous responses and standing ovations from audiences and it is a role to which she has returned with equal success on a number of occasions since. Her third encounter in this genre proved no less successful with a UK tour in the sparkling 50^th anniversary production of the evergreen musical Salad Days in which Vicki played the two hugely contrasting roles of upper class snob Lady Raeburn and the seductive nightclub singer Asphynxia. The Matthew Townshend production toured the country winning much critical acclaim resulting in a further revival the following year. Her most recent musical performances came in Oct 2009 when she starred in the leading role of Mona Stangley, in the musical The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, for One Off Productions at the New Theatre, Hull. Here she scored a major hit with her interpretation of the 'tart with a heart' stepping into the breach just 7 days before the opening night. Producer Jonathan Parker heralded her performance as nothing short of a triumph. 

Other performances of particular note have come in a variety of plays. In the comedy / drama The Tart and the Vicar’s Wife, Vicki starred as Glenda Parry, the split role of tart and vicar’s wife. This was a highly demanding portrayal requiring her to act through the entire spectrum of emotions, from joy and humour to anger and despair, covering some highly sensitive, profound and provocative issues in the process, as well as sing, dance and complete seven quick make up and costume changes along the way. It was a challenge to which she rose with great aplomb and for which she once again received much praise from the critics. Equally demanding and rewarding were Vicki’s performances as Maxine in Richard Harris’ Stepping Out. In this Chris Moreno production of the West End hit, Vicki provided some magical comedy moments interspersed with scenes of immense sensitivity not forgetting the precision, high energy tap dancing performed alongside Anita Harris and an all star cast. A new comedy by John Chapman and Jeremy Lloyd gave Vicki the opportunity to create the character of Hilda Bigley, a strong northern lass with a full blooded Yorkshire accent. Cast as her stage husband was Coronation Street and Allo Allo co star, Ken Morley with Gorden Kaye and Carol Harrison completely the leading quartet. The show played to sell out audiences up and down the country and once again was a hit with the critics. The role of Jacqueline in Mark Camoltti’s hilarious farce Don’t Dress For Dinner is one which Vicki has portrayed on numerous occasions most recently touring in 2002/2003 enjoying several extensions to its original scheduled  dates. It is a role with which she has become synonymous proving a perfect vehicle to display her instinctive comedy timing and commanding stage presence. Co stars over the years have included Lionel Blair, Les Dennis, Robert Duncan, Su Pollard and Marti Caine.

Always looking to extend her repertoire Vicki has also toured overseas with this play and also Derek Benfield's Bedside Manners taking her to some very exotic climbs! A totally new venture presented itself when Vicki was asked to appear with English Sinfonia. Not only did she perform with them at the prestigious Cressing Temple Festival but also narrated Edith Sitwell poetry to William Walton’s Façade at the orchestra’s home venue, the Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage, bringing a sparkling new dimension to the work which will long be remembered.

Vicki is a seasoned pantomime performer believing it to be one of Britain’s greatest traditions. Her many roles include:- The Wicked Red Queen in Snow White, Lady Cruella (Wicked Stepmother) in Cinderella, Fairy Virtue in Mother Goose, Fairy Petal in Jack and the Beanstalk, Principal Boy and Genie of the Ring in Aladdin, The Lilac Fairy and Fairy Moan in Sleeping Beauty, The Enchantress in Robin Hood and Mrs Darling and Harrietta (Hook’s sister) in Peter Pan. Harrietta was created especially for her and gave Vicki the chance to give two contrasting performances in the same production. Her latest panto role was as Queen Grizelda in Snow White for Paul Holman Associates 2009.

The first of her more recent television portrayals came in the hard hitting and slightly controversial film drama All in the Game in which she played the role of Emma, wife of troubled premiership football club manager Frankie, played by the incomparable Ray Winstone. She went on to make her debut in the popular soap Emmerdale as Patricia Foster, the flamboyant mother of Jonny Foster. Her guest appearance promised much and didn’t fail to deliver causing quite an impact on the sleepy Dales village where she arrived to cast a judgmental eye over her son’s gay lover. She has returned to the series a number of times since, most recently in January 2009. Other television guest appearances include Celebrity Masterchef which Vicki lists as one of her scariest experiences despite excelling under Head Chef Gary O’Sullivan at London’s fashionable Criterion Restaurant during a busy lunchtime serving. Another favourite appearance came in the popular Cash in the Celebrity Attic in which Vicki allowed the team to rummage through her drawers all in the name of charity.

Vicki’s 2007 return to the role of Yvette for a one off special entitled The Return of Allo Allo which was filmed to coincide with the 25^th anniversary of the show, saw several of the original cast regroup before a live audience to portray their characters for one last time. The episode depicted Rene writing his memoirs and combined new sketches with archive footage, interviews with the actors and a documentary style commentary. The programme was subsequently nominated for two Royal Television Society Awards ultimately scooping the top honour of Best Network Entertainment Programme 2007. Vicki was present at the awards ceremony along with writer Jeremy Lloyd and co star Arthur Bostrom to receive the prize. Little did she realize it at the time but this programme was to prove the catalyst for her being offered the role of Yvette in the Calibre Production’s 25^th Anniversary Stage Tour of Allo Allo. Initially taking to the road in August of 2008, the production proved so successful that the tour was resumed in March 2009 and took Vicki to a further 18 venues around the UK.

Film credits include:- The Greek Tycoon, Alfie Darling, The Sentinel, The Likely Lads, George and Mildred, Sweet William, The Priest of Love, The Last Days of Pompeii, The Colour of Funny and Brahms and Liszt.

Away from performing, Vicki’s working life is no less hectic incorporating a number of additional roles. Ever in demand, she continues to make numerous guest and personal appearances the length and breadth of the UK. She is an accomplished presenter, most recently co presenting for Totally Theatre on the  Ideal World TV Channel  and is frequently sought after today as a speaker at corporate functions in addition to regularly hosting charity events around the country. Vicki is a committed and active charity worker who continues to represent numerous charities on a regular basis and has done so over many years. In addition she is Patron to no less than six organisations  involving charity and theatre work, Haven House Hospice in Woodford for whom she is at the forefront in helping to raise much needed funds; The Dream Factory and Hopes and Dreams which are two charities dedicated to granting the wishes and dreams of children with life threatening or terminal illness and disadvantages;    Blackfish Academy in Kent and Talent Time based in London, providing young people with the opportunity to learn acting and theatre skills and for the last ten years she has served as Patron of the newly renamed Friends of the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage where she may frequently be found supporting theatre club events and helping to promote the behind the scenes work of the theatre such as with charity involvement and community projects. She is also a regular supporter of The Heritage Foundation based in Buckinghamshire and has recently been honoured by the charity with the presentation of a Gold Award and Tribute Luncheon at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London in recognition of her commitment to them and her life in show business. In addition Vicki is President of The Lady Taverners - Essex Branch and has recently been adopted as a member of the Executive Committee for The Entertainment Arts and Benevolent Fund. Two years ago, Vicki also completed work on a strategy DVD to help teenagers with Asperger Syndrome and their carers. The DVD is the result of Vicki’s long standing involvement in supporting and working with young people struggling with communication disorders and has been endorsed by the world renowned expert in Asperger Syndrome and Autism, Professor Tony Attwood.

Vicki was awarded an MBE by Her Majesty The Queen in The Birthday Honours List 2010 for her services to charity.

A tireless worker, scarce days off are spent with her family and friends, pursuing her many and varied hobbies and interests which include; swimming, yoga, keep fit, gardening, theatre, cinema, dance, classical music and ballet. Down to earth, level headed, ever the optimist with a wicked sense of humour (in fact a true Sagittarian) Vicki's firm philosophy on life is, that if you can't say something nice about someone, you shouldn't say anything at all. Now acclaimed by many as an 'Icon' much to Vicki's amusement, a combination of a vivacious personality, captivating looks and of course pure talent have won her countless fans along with the reputation of bringing a little sunshine into the lives of all those she meets and that is quite a legacy for anyone to leave.