Cheryl Baker | |
|---|---|
 Baker in 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Rita Maria Crudgington |
| Born | 8 March 1954 Bethnal Green, London, England |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1975–present |
Rita Maria Stroud (née Crudgington; born 8 March 1954), known professionally as Cheryl Baker, is an English singer and television presenter. She was a member of pop group Bucks Fizz, which won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest and, following legal disputes, now performs under the name the Fizz. Bucks Fizz had 20 singles reach the UK top 60 between 1981 and 1988, including three number one hits with "Making Your Mind Up" (1981), "The Land of Make Believe" (1981) and "My Camera Never Lies" (1982).
Baker, who as a member of Co-Co had earlier represented the UK at the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest, left Bucks Fizz in 1993 to concentrate on her television career. In the mid-1980s, while still with the group, Baker started a career as a television presenter, including for the children's show How Dare You! (1984) and The Saturday Picture Show (1985–1986). In 1987, she joined Record Breakers and remained as a co-host until 1997. Her own show Eggs 'n' Baker, featuring cooking and guest musical performers, ran for five years from 1988. Her other appearances include Popstar to Operastar (2011), Celebrity Mastermind (2013 and 2022) and in the tenth series of Dancing on Ice (2017).
In 2004, Baker, Shelley Preston and fellow original Bucks Fizz member Mike Nolan started performing together as the Original Bucks Fizz. Another original Bucks Fizz member, Jay Aston, replaced Preston 2009. The group went through rebrandings, and in 2017, they renamed themselves as the Fizz and worked on new material. Baker has also appeared in several pantomimes, and in a musical theatre production of Footloose.