1. Born Danielle Jane Minogue on October 20, 1971 to Welsh dancer mum Carol and Australian accountant dad Ron, Dannii also has a famous older sibling... news cameraman Brendan!
2. She starred in Aussie TV shows Skyways and Sullivans as a 7-year-old before appearing on Young Talent Time. Dannii sang a cover of Madonna's 'Material Girl' on the programme's Now and Then album in 1985 and caused a riot at Sydney Shopping Centre in 1987 when 17,000 people mobbed the show's stars!
3. Dannii first came to our attention as Home and Away's spunky tomboy Emma Jackson in 1989. "The funniest thing happened in one of my first scenes," Dannii revealed. "In the beginning, Emma was really arrogant and punk and in every scene she would slam the door when she walked in or out. So I walked in and I slammed the door and everything fell off the wall on the set. I was so embarrassed and scared and so nervous about what everyone would say, but everyone just packed up laughing."
4. Dannii may have mentioned her successful relationship with model Kris Smith once or twice, but can you guess who she dated in the early '90s? No no, no no no no? That's right - 2 Unlimited rapper Ray Slijngaard! Minogue ended a brief marriage to fellow Home and Away alumnus Julian McMahon in 1995 - who you may now know as sleazy womaniser Dr Christian Troy from hit US drama Nip/Tuck.
5. That year, Dannii appeared in the Australian version of Playboy, wearing a very fetching pair of desert boots and nothing else. She later told Piers Morgan that she did the shoot to pay off her debts. "Kylie knew why I was doing it - I could have asked her for the money, but it wasn't in my nature," she said. "I don't regret it, but I feel relieved that people know why I did it - it's a huge weight off my shoulders. It was actually fun and I did feel liberated. I looked at the pictures and thought, 'I look alright!'"
6. She's best known for her X Factor role and "Is it a singing competition?" queries, but with five studio LPs and six comps of hits and mixes under her belt, Dannii's had a hell of a pop career herself. Her 1997 single 'All I Wanna Do' was co-written by one Brian Higgins, who later went on to found Xenomania - the production group that took Danni's future X Factor rival Cheryl Cole to the top of the charts with Girls Aloud.
7. But that didn't stop other stars sticking the boot in after she got the X Factor gig. Boyzone's Keith Duffy mocked our Danni for her advancing years and lead singer Ronan Keating added that she "hasn't got the X Factor anymore". The as-ever outspoken Noel Gallagher also stuck his plectrum in, claiming: "If there's one person in the room who wouldn't know talent if it kicked them in the arse it's Dannii Minogue." Ouch!
8. She may have gotten into a bit of trouble with her comments about Danyl Johnson's sexuality, but Dannii has always been vocal about the support of her gay fans. "Gays have always been a part of my music," she confirmed. "I have never jumped on the pink bandwagon to increase my popularity. It just came naturally. Gays love to have a good time and this is the perfect party record for them."
9. A good-time party girl herself, Dannii was forced to threaten legal action after the News of the World published leaked CCTV snaps of her kissing and fondling a naked female lapdancer. A spokesman described it as a "harmless girls' night out", adding: "They were having a great laugh, but only that."
10. Formerly a vegetarian and currently a pescetarian (which means she eats fish - for those of you who flunked Italian!), Dannii is also afraid of spiders but a big fan of snakes. "Yeah, they feel good," she explained. "They're all soft. In fact, they're great - except when they bite you!"
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