Jonathan Ansell - Solo Career

Solo Career

Ansell signed with new management Jonathan Shalit in 2007 and secured a £1 million, 5 album deal with Universal Classics and Jazz (UCJ), part of Universal Music Group. His first solo album with UCJ, Tenor at the Movies, was released on 18 February 2008.

For five Sunday afternoons from 17 February 2008, Ansell presented The Great Movie Composers on ClassicFM coinciding with the release of his solo album.

On 24 February 2008, Ansell's album Tenor at the Movies went straight to number 1 in the Classical Chart and stayed there for 3 weeks, reached Number 9 in mainstream charts, making him the youngest tenor ever to top the Classical Charts.

Ansell participated in a celebrity edition of Channel 4 show Come Dine With Me on 10 April 2008, alongside MC Harvey, Tamara Beckwith and Lynsey de Paul. Ansell came in joint first place with MC Harvey, both of whom scored 21 points.

On 8 May 2008, Ansell's participation in BBC programme Ready Steady Cook against Hayley Westenra was broadcast. In the evening of 8 May 2008, Ansell performed Un Giorno Per Noi with Westenra at the Classical Brits, Royal Albert Hall.

During June 2008, Ansell and England and Arsenal striker Kelly Smith won the British Lung Foundation's male and female 'Lungs of the Year 2008' award in recognition of the fantastic use they have made of their lungs over the past year.

In a Q&A session with the BBC's Last Choir Standing website, Ansell gave his views on the benefits of being part of a choir: "People see choirs on stage and predominantly it looks quite square... but off stage that's where all the fun happens - in rehearsals, messing about, lunch breaks, interacting with new people. That, for me, is what choirs are all about – having that fun both on and off stage." Jonathan made a guest appearance on Last Choir Standing (Results Show) on 3 August 2008 performing "Barcelona".

On Sunday, 17 August 2008, Ansell participated in the tribute concert Lyrics by Don Black which was held at the London Palladium featuring performances of Black's songs by a selection of guest artists. He performed the duet Amigos Para Siempre with Hayley Westenra, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The evening, hosted by Michael Parkinson was recorded by BBC Radio 2 Friday Night is Music Night and broadcast on Friday, 22 August 2008.

One of the tracks on his second album Forever is "Hearts of England", the 2008 Rugby League World Cup song composed by Patrick Hawes and his brother Andrew. He performed it live at the Rugby League Carnegie Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, 30 August 2008.

For the second weekend running Ansell performed a track from his album Forever live at Wembley, this time to sing the footballing anthem Nessun Dorma at Soccer Aid on Sunday, 7 September whilst the teams were presented to Sir Geoff Hurst.

Before his G4 days, Ansell worked in Jersey with a Gilbert and Sullivan operatic society and during September 2008 returned to his roots by taking on the role of Nanki-Poo in the Carl Rosa Opera Company's production of The Mikado at both the Richmond Theatre and Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham.

Ansell performed alongside Hayley Westenra at Music on Fire! at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in September 2008, organised by the Army Benevolent Fund to raise funds for veterans.

The third series of The Alan Titchmarsh Show featured the start of a competition to find a soprano to sing alongside Ansell in the A Night At The Opera tour. 8 ladies were selected to sing in front of a judging panel of David Grant, Ruthie Henshall and Jonathan Shalit. The 4 successful ladies Rosie Bell, Rosie Havel, Olivia Safe and Esther Dee faced a public vote on 15 September 2008 and Olivia Safe and Rosie Bell won through. They sang Libiamo ne' lieti calici with Ansell, from Verdi's La Traviata on 29 September 2008. Olivia Safe won the public vote to appear in the tour of A Night At the Opera.

A Night At the Opera had its first performance at the Cardiff Millennium Centre on 30 October 2008 and toured 18 venues in the UK ending at the London Palladium on 23 November 2008. The show co-stars Silvia Colloca, Telman Guzhevsky, Anna-Clare Monk, Toby Stafford Allen and Olivia Safe.

On Saturday, 8 November 2008, Ansell performed "Today Won't Come Again" with Hayley Westenra at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, and later sang Here's to the Heroes when the returning forces came into the auditorium.

During February 2009, Ansell toured with Hayley Westenra in The Valentines Tour. At the England versus Scotland Six Nations Rugby Match at Twickenham on 21 March 2009, Ansell sang the English National Anthem at Twickenham. During Easter Week, 7 April 2009 Jonathan appeared in Dictionary Corner on Channel 4's Countdown. Ansell was nominated for the Classical Brits 2009 "Album of the Year" with Tenor at the Movies. On Monday 30 November 2009, Ansell launched the This Morning's Christmas Choir.

In 2010, Ansell made his musical theatre début as The Man in the Bill Kenwright touring production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman's Whistle Down The Wind. Opening at the Liverpool Empire on 20 January, Ansell performed eight shows a week for the eight month UK tour. Ansell played Boemer and two other characters in the 2010 National Tour of Lark Rise to Candleford starting at the Theatre Royal Windsor in September 2010.

Ansell played the role of the Prince/Beast in a national tour of Beauty and the Beast in April and May 2011. In June 2011 he toured the UK with the show Jonathan Ansell and Friends.

In January 2012 Ansell launched a new album project, a mix of pop/rock covers and classics. Ansell unsuccessfully auditioned for the lead role in the Andrew Lloyd Webber production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 2012 as part of ITV's Superstar TV talent contest.