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Gayle and Gillian Blakeney

Gayle and Gillian Blakeney
Born (1966-07-09) 9 July 1966 (age 58)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Occupation(s)Television actresses, singers
Years active1979-present

Gayle and Gillian Blakeney are Australian identical twins who performed together as actresses and as a dance/pop duo in the 1990s, releasing music under the monikers The Twins and Gayle and Gillian. Born in Brisbane on 9 July 1966, Gayle is older by nine minutes. They starred in the soap opera Neighbours, as twins Caroline and Christina Alessi.

Early career

The girls knew from a young age that they wanted to be on television. After begging their mother to take them to singing lessons, she finally agreed and this led them to various talent quests around South East Queensland. As first prize at one event on the Gold Coast the girls won entry into a televised talent show on the Nine Network.

Gayle and Gillian then starred in numerous television commercials around Australia – including a series of Kelloggs' Corn Flakes commercials. In 1979 they decided to take the next step and auditioned for a lead role in a children's telemovie pilot called "Earth Patrol" starring Spike Milligan. Gillian won the lead children's role of Cassie. However, the producers were delighted with both twins' auditions and planned to write Gayle into the series as her twin sister if the pilot was successful. The pilot was not accepted.

The sisters continued their career in 1980 when they appeared in a video clip for the Australian group The Monitors’ track "Singin' In The '80s", wearing make-up in the style of rock band Kiss.[1] They also appeared in other music videos by The Monitors between 1980 and 1982, including "Nobody Told Me" and "Having You Around Me". The sisters also presented "Take Your Pick" with Des O'Connor.[citation needed]

Career

In 1983 they joined the team on the successful national children's programme Wombat, along with the puppet Agro. They enjoyed their roles as reporters for the next seven years. The program also included an ongoing mock soap opera segment.

Another advertising appearance took place in the mid-1980s, in a series of futuristic commercials for Coca-Cola, featuring Max Headroom.

The duo signed a recording contract with Mushroom Records in 1990, before taking up roles in soap opera Neighbours as Caroline Alessi (played by Gillian) and Christina Alessi (played by Gayle).[2] The record label put their deal on hold until the duo could build up an international profile with their TV roles.[2] Gillian and Gayle left the show at different stages during 1992.

Following the success of former Neighbours actors Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan as recording artists, the Blakeneys went to England in 1991 to make a record with Stock Aitken Waterman, originally going by the name 'The Twins'.[2] The collaboration was strained, with the producers then in the process of ending their working relationship as a trio, and Mike Stock admitting he wasn't thrilled by the assignment.[2]

After parting with Stock Aitken Waterman, the Blakeneys made a brief return to Neighbours, eventually leaving the show in 1992. In 1993/1994, they released two singles in the United Kingdom as 'Gayle & Gillian', "Mad If Ya Don't" (#75 on the UK Singles Chart in 1993) and a cover version of Prince's "I Wanna Be Your Lover", re-titled "Wanna Be Your Lover" (UK #62 in 1994[3] and #45 on the Scottish chart[4]). .

Afterwards the two made a brief return to television, this time as assistants on the Thames Television revived game show Take Your Pick replacing Jodie Wilson. While working in the UK, they also acted on stage.[5][6]

In 1994, the sisters moved to the United States (where they still reside today, as both call Los Angeles home)[7] to pursue acting roles, landing guest spots on various film and TV projects, such as playing ballerinas in Silk Stalkings.[8]

The sisters are married and have children (Gayle has three, while Gillian has one daughter). As of 2015, the Blakeneys have moved on to launching companies and building brands, with Gillian running a scarf line.[9]

In June 2019, it was announced that both sisters would be reprising their roles on Neighbours in September, which would be for a three-episode stint.

Discography

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title Year Peak chart
positions
AUS
[10] 		UK
[11]
"All Mixed Up"
As The Twins 		1991 74 77
"Mad If Ya Don't!"
As Gayle and Gillian 		1993 — 75
"Wanna Be Your Lover"
As Gayle and Gillian 		1994 — 62

References

  1. ^ The Monitors RQ's RetroUniverse
  2. ^ a b c d "A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman: Ep 69: Roadblock 91 to All Mixed Up and Matt Aitken's departure on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  3. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 223. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". Official Charts.
  5. ^ Cinderella Bibliography by Russell A. Peck
  6. ^ Gay Harris Dancers Archived 10 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Neighbours Then and Now Archived 14 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine http://tv.uk.msn.com Archived 14 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine (March 2010)
  8. ^ Silk Stalkings episode guide Archived 28 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Gearóid Farrelly on the new series of Fascinated" from RTE TEN (April 23, 2015)
  10. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 287.
  11. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 287.
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