What Is Katherine Jenkins’ Net Worth?
Katherine Jenkins OBE is a Welsh mezzo-soprano (vocalist) who has a net worth of $21 million. Katherine Jenkins is a popular classical-crossover singer who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, hymns, musical theatre, and popular songs.
While still in her mid-twenties, Jenkins emerged as Britain’s all-time best-selling classical artist, although critics charged her success as more a result of physical beauty than musical talent. She fell under the allure of classical music at the tender age of 7, studying piano and singing in her local choir throughout childhood. Katherine later joined the Royal School of Church Music Cathedral Singers, sang with the National Youth Choir of Wales, and studied at London’s Royal Academy of Music. In 2003, Universal Classics signed Jenkins to a six-album, seven-figure recording contract, reportedly the largest classical deal in U.K. music industry history. While at work on her debut album, she performed at Westminster Cathedral in honor of Pope John Paul II and also made her inaugural appearance at the famed Sydney Opera House.
Katherine has released more than a dozen studio albums, including the Platinum albums “Second Nature” (2004), “Living a Dream” (2005), “Serenade” (2006), “Rejoice” (2007), and “Believe” (2009). All of Jenkins’ studio albums have reached #1 on the UK Classical Charts. Katherine published the autobiography “Time to Say Hello” in 2008, and she has appeared in the films “Minamata” (2020) and “Dream Horse” (2020), the TV movies “Under Milkwood” (2014) and “The Missing Crown Jewels” (2017), and the television series “Doctor Who” (2010). In 2012, she competed on the 14th season of the ABC reality series “Dancing with the Stars,” finishing in second place with her dance partner Mark Ballas.
OBE
In 2014, Katherine was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in honor of her services to music and charitable causes. As we detail in the next section, Katherine’s OBE appointment upset David Beckham.
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OBE
In 2014 Katherine was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in honor of her services to music and charitable causes. As we detail in the next section, Katherine’s OBE appointment upset David Beckham.
David Beckham Email Scandal
In February 2017, a series of email messages sent between David Beckham and his publicist leaked online. In the messages Beckham called the Honours Committee, the body that selects people for OBE, “unappreciative cunts.” He also complained about Katherine Jenkins’ appointment, saying:
“Katherine Jenkins OBE for what? Singing at the rugby and going to see the troops plus taking coke. Fucking joke.“
Responding to the scandal, Jenkins later said:
“It’s obviously disappointing. I’ve never heard anything from them about it. You’re just minding your own business and you get caught up in this massive storm. You just think, ‘Aw, I wasn’t doing anything’. To get caught up in that wasn’t pleasant. I don’t know why, again, that was aimed at me. I also don’t feel the need to defend this, by the way. I know what I’ve done and when I got the OBE it was given to me for music, and for charity. Priorities are my kids, my family, my singing, my charities and that’s just white noise in the background.“
Early Life
Katherine Jenkins was born on June 29, 1980, in Neath, Wales. She is the daughter of NHS worker Susan Jenkins and factory worker Selwyn Jenkins, and she has a sister, Laura. Katherine attended Alderman Davies primary school at the Church in Wales as well as Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School, then she studied at Gorseinon College. Jenkins earned impressive grades in her A levels and GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education), and she performed in school productions such as “Guys and Dolls” and “Calamity Jane.” Katherine studied vocal performance, and she passed her eighth grade examinations with distinction in piano and singing. Jenkins lost her father to lung cancer when she was 15 years old, and she has since dedicated every award she has won to him.
Career
In 1991, Katherine joined the Royal School of Church Music Cathedral Singers and passed the highest RSCM award for female members, the St Cecilia Award. She spent three years in the National Youth Choir of Wales and was named the BBC Radio 2 Welsh Choirgirl of the Year twice and the BET Welsh Choirgirl of the Year once. Jenkins received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, earning a music teacher’s diploma and graduating with honors. At the age of 18, a chandelier shattered when she performed “O Holy Night” at Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall. Katherine told the “Telegraph” in 2004, “When I hit a high ‘A’ there was this loud crack, like a gun going off, and then all this glass started falling on me.” In 2000, she entered the Face of Wales modeling competition and won. She was offered a six-album, £1 million deal by Universal Classics after record execs heard her demo and she performed Rossini’s “Una voce poco fa” for them.
Jenkins released her debut album, “Première,” in April 2004, and it reached #1 on the UK Classical Album Chart and #31 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Gold in the U.K. Every studio album she has released since her debut has topped the UK Classical Album Chart, and “Living a Dream” (2005), “Serenade” (2006), “Rejoice” (2007), “Sacred Arias” (2008), “Believe” (2009), “Daydream” (2011), “Home Sweet Home” (2014), and “Celebration” (2016) reached the top 10 on the UK Albums Chart. Five of her studio albums have been certified Platinum in the U.K. In 2008, it was reported that Katherine had signed a $10 million deal with Warner Music, the largest classical recording deal of all time. In 2017, Classic FM announced that Jenkins was the top-selling classical artist of the past 25 years. After the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, the BBC asked Katherine to record “God Save the King” for King Charles III. Jenkins has starred in the TV specials “Katherine Jenkins: Home for Christmas” (2016), “Katherine Jenkins at 40” (2020), “Katherine Jenkins Christmas Spectacular” (2020), and “Christmas with Katherine Jenkins” (2023).
Personal Life
Katherine met TV presenter Gethin Jones in 2007, and they announced their engagement in early 2011. Jenkins and Jones split up by the end of the year. Katherine began a relationship with painter/filmmaker Andrew Levitas in October 2013, and they married on September 27, 2014, after a five-month engagement. The couple welcomed daughter Aaliyah in September 2015 and son Xander in April 2018.
Katherine is a Christian who believes in Heaven, and she said of her late father, “I believe my dad is somewhere doing something nice.” In 2013, she raised £25,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of her father in the London Marathon, which she finished in 5 hours and 26 minutes. During her time at the Royal Academy of Music, 19-year-old Jenkins was attacked and robbed by an unknown assailant. The man tried to rape Katherine, but she fought him off. She turned to drugs during this period, and she has said it was “the biggest regret of [her] life.”
Awards
Jenkins was the first female artist to win Classical BRIT Awards two years in a row. “Second Nature” was named Album of the Year in 2005, followed by “Living a Dream” in 2006. In 2007, Katherine won a Variety Club of Great Britain Award for Classical Performer of the Year.
