Winner of the BBC's talent contest, Fame Academy, in 2003, Alex Parks was hailed as one of reality TV's most interesting and original performers. Born in 1984 in Mount Hawke, Cornwall, Parks started songwriting at the age of 13. Whilst studying theatrical and performing arts at college, she learned to play the guitar and performed in local band One Trick Pony where she was introduced to the music of Ani Di Franco and Joni Mitchell. Inititally planning to move to Amsterdam to learn the art of clowning, Parks' career path changed dramatically when her father submitted an application for the second series of Fame Academy. Amongst 12,000 hopefuls, she became the youngest contestant chosen to appear on the show which combined Big Brother-style fly-on-the-wall footage with live studio performances from undiscovered artists. Whilst on the show, she earned rave reviews from the judges for her husky-voiced, emotional renditions of songs by the likes of Christina Aguilera, John Lennon and Coldplay and soon built up a loyal fanbase. After performing the co-written "Maybe That's What It Takes" in the final, she beat fellow contestant Alistair Griffin to win a record contract with Polydor and keys to a flat in Notting Hill. Recorded in a matter of weeks, her debut album Introduction, featuring several of the cover versions she performed in the show as well as new material, was released in December where it charted at #5 and went onto sell over half a million copies. After a second single "Cry," Parks spent the next year working on her follow-up with the likes of Peter-John Vetesse and Judie Tzuke. The album's eventual release was delayed amidst reports that Polydor were unhappy with the lack of potential singles. (It was later revealed that Parks had turned down "Shiver," which went onto be a huge hit for Natalie Imbruglia.) Despite criticism from fans, lead single "Looking For Water" was released as a download only single at the end of 2005, and weeks later the album Honesty charted at a disappointing #24. After the title track second single failed to reach the Top 40, Parks announced she has parted company with her record label. Deciding to take a hiatus from the music industry, she spent the next year travelling around Australia but in 2007, she revealed she was to start work on her third album. ~ Jon O'Brien, All Music Guide