Lisa Armstrong (make-up artist)

Lisa Marie Armstrong (born 25 October 1976) is a former member of pop band Deuce and was make-up expert for the ITV programme This Morning, Until becoming Make-up supervisor for ITV Quiz Show Pick Me and Prime Time Entertainment Series Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.

Personal life

Armstrong was born and brought up in Blackbird Leys, Oxford, England, living with her parents and one older brother Stephen. She attended Peers School, Oxford, but at the age of 14 won a place at BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon, south London.

On 22 July 2006, she married long-term boyfriend, Anthony McPartlin in Taplow, Buckinghamshire.^[1] Ant is one half of the English acting and television presenting duo Ant & Dec alongside Declan Donnelly, who stood as best man at the wedding. The couple met when they were both performing at a pop concert at Newcastle City Hall in 1994. McPartlin was there as part of PJ & Duncan AKA, whilst Armstrong was in Deuce.^[2] Ant proposed to her whilst on holiday in Dubai on 26 April 2005.

Career

Armstrong started her career as a dancer from an early age but when her friend, Kelly O'Keefe had work experience with a music management company and was asked to put together a band, she joined Deuce alongside O'Keefe, Craig Young and Paul Holmes. Their debut single, "Call It Love" was released in January 1994 and entered the UK charts at number 21 and worked its way up to peak at number 11. The band went on to release two more singles and an album before O'Keefe decided to leave the band in November 1995 and the band were dropped from their label. The band decided to continue on a new label and O'Keefe was replaced by Amanda Perkins for one single before they disbanded.

She then chose to train as a make-up artist, writing a column for Cosmopolitan magazine before becoming the make-up artist for many British TV shows such as The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and many of Ant & Dec's shows. Armstrong is also the make-up expert on This Morning, giving makeovers and short make-up tutorials.

She is now head of make-up and hair for BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing.

References