June 27: Pop U.K. singer Anna Kumble - AKA Lolly - is 35-years-old today.

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Anna Shantha Kumble was born in Sutton Coldfield, England. She is a graduate from the London Studio Centre and worked as a model before beginning a pop music pop career.

Anna arrived as "Lolly" on the British pop music scene in 1999 with the release of her first single, "Viva La Radio.” She released five singles and two albums over her two-year career in music. As a publicity stunt, her real name was released one letter at a time in Smash Hits magazine.

After quitting her record label Polydor, Lolly reverted to her real name and became a TV announcer, working for the BBC on programmes such as Xchange. She has also worked for Nickelodeon. Kumble also acted as a stand-in for presenter Anna Williamson on Saturday and Sunday mornings on the former show Toonattik on CITV.

Lolly has performed all around the UK in the past few years. She has had roles in West End productions of Starlight Express at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and played Priscilla Presley in Elvis at the Prince of Wales Theatre. In 2003, she provided backing vocals on The Fast Food Rockers album It's Never Easy Being Cheesy.

Kumble has starred in a number of pantomimes. In 2002, she played Tinker Bell in Peter Pan at the Theatre Royal, Brighton. In 2003, she played the title role in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Pavilion Theatre in Bournemouth.

In 2006, Kumble starred as Alice Fitzwarren in Dick Whittington at The Playhouse in Weston-super-Mare. In 2009, Kumble again starred in Dick Whittington as Fairy Bowbells, this time at the Stag theatre, Kent.

In 2010, Kumble returned to Peter Pan, this time playing the role of Tiger Lily at the Lichfield Garrick Theatre. In December 2012, she appeared in Jack and the Beanstalk in Weymouth.

 

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