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Holly Valance was born in New Zealand on May 11, 1983, and moved to Brighton, Australia when she was still a youngster. Holly never gave the entertainment industry much thought, but her mother, Rachel -- one of Australia's top models (incidentally Holly's father Ryko is also a model) -- encouraged her to pursue it. And so, using her mom's booking and agent connections, Holly soon found herself posing for Kmart catalogues and strutting down runways in lingerie at the tender age of 14. good golly miss holly In 1999, then 17-year-old Holly got her first big break. Her agent heard about a casting call going out for a role on the long-running Australian soap opera, Neighbours. Thinking that Valance would be perfect for the part, he sent her for the audition and after several callbacks, Valance got the part of Felicity 'Flick' Scully. Along with the role came a huge sacrifice; unable to handle both work and her studies, Valance decided to drop out of school while in grade 11. And although she admittedly regrets not getting her diploma, this gutsy move paved the way for a successful acting career. Valance and her character became an instant fan favorite and remained so for the next three years. But while a steady job on a hit soap was great, she opted not to renew her contract in 2002. Instead, she set her sights on a singing career, something she had been practicing for since she was 13. 'kiss kiss' us right here Her first single, 'Kiss Kiss,' was an instant hit in Europe and went all the way to number one in the UK and Australia (her second single, 'Down Boy,' will be released September 2002). Valance is now busy with record producer Nellee Hooper (who also worked with Madonna and No Doubt) on putting the finishing touches on her debut album. In addition to getting rave reviews by fans and critics alike, Valance also received some accolades from the publishing world. As if being named one of the 'Sexiest Women in the World' by FHM in 2000 wasn't enough, Valance also received the GQ Award for 'Woman of the Year' in London this past year, beating out contenders like Dido and Rachel Weisz. victorious valance When she isn't working, Valance likes to hang out with her high-school friends, go to bars and restaurants (especially Lebanese and Greek) and enjoy the single life. Valance filmed her last scenes on Neighbours in August 2002 and her debut album is on the way.